Gins - Gin Drinks and Brands - Gin and Tonic, and of Course The Perfect Martini

Spirits: Gin

During its initial popularity, spirits were judged by their aroma, and gin and gin drinks were king. Good brands of gin could readily be detected, practically from the other side of the room. Most noticeable of all the fragrances characterizing gin drinks is the juniper, though other herbs and roots, such as anise, fennel, and coriander are used in the gin rectifying (or distilling) process.

Drinkers of gin martinis enjoy dry vermouth due to its ability to buffer the overwhelming aromatic qualities of the gin. With the popularity of vodka Martini Cocktail, it has become fashionable to forgo the vermouth and request an extra olive.

Gin can be flavored in a variety of ways. The simplest and least expensive way is to buy juniper and citrus oils from a pharmacy and then add them to neutral grain spirits. This is how the bathtub gin of the 1920s was produced. Bootleggers who could get their hands on medicinal alcohol only needed a little water and a few flavorings to stock the nearest speakeasy.

Gin is infused during distillation, typically utilizing stills equipped with a column of shelves resting above a pot and in front of a condenser. Citrus rinds, juniper berries, and other flavoring agents are on the shelves. As vapors rise from the heated mash, essential oils from the agents are released into the alcohol, which retains the oils' flavors and aromas after it has been condensed.

The third and most common method of distilling gin today is to steep whatever flavoring agents are desired in high-proof grain spirits. As the herbs and spices soak, they give off strong flavors into the alcohol. To further purify the gin and to refine the taste, a second and sometimes a third distillation is used. The resulting alcohol is essentially pure and colorless, but replete with juniper. The gin is blended with water, lowering its proof to about 90, and then bottled.