Information About Gin Is At The End Of This Page.

                                       GINS ON SALE ARE PRICED IN RED.           

Dr. Sylvuis (Franz de la Boë) invented Gin in 1650, in the Netherlands. It was originally intended as a remedy for kidney disorders. He used neutral grain spirits flavored with the oil of juniper. He called it genever after the French term genièvre meaning juniper. It was being commercially produced by 1655 and English soldiers serving in the area, took affection to the spirit.

During the English reign of William and Mary (around 1689) home production of gin was encouraged. The spread of popularity was widespread and became synonymous with the poor and abuse of the drink was rampant. This is the forerunner of what was known as known as Old Tom's Gin, which was heavily sweetened.

Dry gin was introduced in the 1870's and gin took on respectability in England once again. Finer establishments served "pink gins" and the cocktail age dawned in England the same time prohibition began in the U. S.

During prohibition, bathtub gin was made in America by taking the poisons out of denatured alcohol to recover the ethyl alcohol. This was then flavored with juniper, diluted, then bottled. There were seventy-five different denaturing formulas, so if the purification process was not done by a skilled chemist, vile, and even deadly results often occurred.

Of the Dutch Gin, the are two types "oude" which means old, and the lighter "jounge" which means young. It has nothing to do with the age, but in the methods of distillation. These are not really suitable for cocktails and are often enjoyed straight.

There is a German Gin which is referred to as Wacholder, or juniper. It is distilled with the juniper right in it instead of adding the flavoring afterwards, so the result is quite strong in flavor. Traditionally it is served chilled as a shot with a beer chaser.

London Dry Gin refers to the fact that the gin is dry. Only Beefeater is actually made in London. English Gins are generally more flavorful and considered superior to American Gins. Plymouth Gin is made in Plymouth, England from the waters of the Devon moors. It is smooth and full flavored. Flavored gins are made by simple infusion. Usually lemon and mint are popular. Golden Gin is the only gin that is aged briefly in wooden barrels which gives it the pale color. Sloe Gin is not gin at all, it is a liqueur.

There are two methods for producing gin. Distillation and rectifying (or the redistillation of distilled neutral grain). Flavoring of the neutral spirit is the most common means and thus has lead to various debates as to whether gin is merely a flavored vodka. The primary flavor is of course, juniper. Other flavors, each a highly guarded secret among the bottlers, include; coriander, cassia bark, angelica, orange peel, orris root, cardamon, licorice, and other botanicals.