Gin Essentials: From Distillation to the Perfect Sip

Gin Market

Gin is one of the most interesting and versatile spirits. With refreshing, botanically-flavored spirits, gin is made with juniper berries-- the defining ingredient for gin-- and a variety of herbs, spices, fruits, and flowers. The word gin comes from the Dutch word genever, and is derived from the Latin word juniperus, meaning juniper. This aromatic spirit has transformed over time to be one of the most enjoyed spirits across the globe, with different variations and styles. 

Types of Gin

1. Distilled Gin: 

This gin comes from fermented alcohol and is distilled directly from a mash, similar to whiskey or brandy. It tends to have strong, earthy, and robust flavors. 

2. Redistilled Gin: 

This type of gin is obtained from redistilling a neutral spirit with botanicals and focuses on refining the purity and enhancing the natural fragrance. 

3. Compound Gin: 

This is a more simplistic version of gin, which involves mixing neutral spirits with juniper-berry extracts and additional flavorings for quick production. 

4. London Dry Gin: 

This is the most recognized variety. It is light-bodied, crisp, and dry with a prominent flavor of juniper. London Dry Gin is considered the gold standard for all gin across the world.

5. Plymouth Gin

This gin comes from Plymouth in the UK. It has a smoother taste and a slight sweetness with fresh citrus notes. Plymouth, Coates & Co. is the only distillery allowed to produce this gin. 

6. Old Tom Gin

This style of gin is sweeter and fuller-bodied bodied so it makes a great Tom Collins. The sweetness of Old Tom Gin usually comes from syrup or liquorice being added. 

7. New Western Dry Gin

This style is more recent to the gin scene and has the most creative and innovative uses of distilling gin. For people who like floral expressions of gin, this style is for you, as the other botanicals are the star while the juniper is the background.

Best Way to Enjoy Gin 

The best and simplest way to enjoy gin is with chilled water or ice. The magic of gin is in the cocktails, with the most popular cocktails featuring gin and tonic, martinis, or negronis. Some people prefer to drink gin straight to enjoy the more nuanced blend of botanicals. 

How Gin is Prepared 

The method for preparing gin changes with the base spirit and the method used: 

Distilled Gin: For a distilled gin, you must ferment and distill grains, sugarcane, and other raw ingredients, or even potatoes. You then add the botanicals in the distillation stage.

Redistilled Gin: Starts with a neutral spirit, which is then re-distilled with different botanicals. Some producers use vapour infusion, where the botanicals are placed above the spirit, allowing for a gentle aromatic infusion.

Final Thoughts

Because of the variations available, gin is one of the most versatile spirits and can be enjoyed neat, in a cocktail, or be the base for a new drink. From the traditional juniper-heavy London Dry to the citrusy Plymouth, there is a gin for every occasion and every taste.