All about Gin

• A compounded spirit combines fermented beverages or spirits with flavoring agents
• Two major types of compound beverages are gin, and liqueur or cordial

Gin

• Gin is a clear spirit double patent distilled from fermented grains, usually barley
• It is flavored with juniper berries and botanicals like herbs and spices
• Gin originated from England
• It is not aged, but immediately bottled after distillation
• Vintage or aged gin does not exist
• Gin is a common base for cocktails

Etymology

• The name "gin" comes from "genièvre" (French) and "jenever" (Dutch), both meaning "juniper"
• A juniper berry, is the female seed cone from junipers
• Juniper berries are not true berries, but cones with fleshy, merged scales giving a berry-like appearance

Gin Styles

• There are seven styles of gin
• Dutch Gin: Also called Geneva, Genever, Schiedam, or Holland's gin
• It is heavy malt flavored, full-bodied, and slightly sweet
• Dutch Gin is made from malted barley, corn, and rye, double distilled in pot stills
• Commonly sold in crocks or jars
• Dutch Gin is mainly produced in Amsterdam and Schiedam, Netherlands
• Served straight-up and chilled
• Flavored Gin: Has natural flavorings like citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes) added
• Hendrick's gin is an example of flavored gin, flavored with cucumber and rose petals
• London Dry Gin: An unsweetened style made from barley and corn
  • It is distilled at a higher proof
  • Commonly used in bars
  • Originally made in London, England at 90 proof
  • Currently, it is made in the USA (80 to 94 proof) and other countries
  • The term is a designation of manufacturing style, not origin
• Old Tom Gin: A style of Scottish gin sweetened with sugar syrup
  • It was popular during the 16th century in English pubs
  • Rarely distilled today, even in England/Scotland
• Plymouth Gin: An aromatic and pungent style
  • It is exclusively distilled by Plymouth, Coates, and company
  • It's used to make the Pink Gin cocktail
• Sloe Gin: Made by steeping sloes in basic gin with bitter almonds and sugar syrup
  • Sloes are the fruits of the blackthorn plant
• Steinhaeger: A German style of gin made in Westphalia
  • Typically served ice cold and neat

Notable Gin Brands

• World-famous gins are produced in many countries
• Beefeater is distilled by Pernod Ricard in London, England
• Blue Riband is distilled by Macdowells in India
• Bombay Sapphire is distilled by Greenals in Cheshire, England
• Gilbey’s is distilled by Diageo in Scotland, USA, and India
• Ginebra is distilled by San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines; accounting for almost 45% of global sales
• Gordon’s is distilled by Diageo in Scotland, USA, and India
• Hendricks is a Scottish gin flavored with cucumber and rose petals
• Junipero is a London dry style made by Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, USA
• Seagrams’s is distilled by Pernod Ricard in Indiana, USA
• Tanqueray is distilled by Diageo in Scotland, USA, and India

Famous Gin-Based Cocktails

• These require the London dry style of gin
• There are hundreds of gin-based cocktails, with these ten being famous:
  • Gimlet: gin and lime juice, served straight up in an old-fashioned glass
  • Gin and Tonic: gin and tonic water, on the rocks in a highball glass
  • Gin Fizz: gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water, on the rocks in a highball glass
  • Gin Ricky: gin and soda water, on the rocks in a highball glass
  • Martini: made with gin and vermouth, available in many variations, served straight up in a martini glas
  • Negroni: gin, dry vermouth, and Campari, on the rocks in a rock glass or straight up in a cocktail glass
  • Orange Blossom: gin and orange juice, served straight up in a cocktail glass
  • Pink Lady: gin, apple brandy, lemon juice, sugar syrup, grenadine, and egg white, served straight up cocktail glass
• Singapore Sling: gin, cherry brandy, lemon juice, and soda water, served straight up in a highball glass
• Tom Collins: gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and soda water, on the rocks in a highball glass

Historical Facts

• William of Orange, ruler of the Dutch Republic, occupied the British throne
• This happened with his wife Mary during the Glorious Revolution
• Gin became vastly more popular but in crude, inferior forms
• By the mid-17th century, numerous Dutch and Flemish distillers, about 400 in Amsterdam alone by 1663, popularized the re-distillation of malt spirit or malt wine
• Juniper, anise, caraway, coriander, etc. were used
• It was sold in pharmacies and used to treat kidney ailments, lumbago, stomach ailments, gallstones, and gout

Gin Craze

• There was a period in England known as the Gin Craze
• Gin consumption in England rose significantly
• The government allowed unlicensed gin production
• A heavy duty was imposed on all imported spirits
• Created a market for poor-quality grain unfit for brewing beer
• Thousands of gin shops opened throughout England

Liqueurs

• Liqueurs are highly concentrated, flavored, attractive colored, and sweetened aperitifs or after-dinner drinks
• Liqueurs are flavored with fruits, herbs, seeds, spices, and other botanicals
• They are used in a variety of cocktails
• Liqueurs can be distilled, infused, macerated, or percolated as long as they are sweetened
• Liqueurs are usually not aged, but allowed to rest
• "Liqueur" is used by Europeans, while "cordial" is used by Americans
• Liqueurs or cordials can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic
  • Blackcurrant cordial and lime juice cordial are examples of popular non-alcoholic cordials
  • Bailey's Irish cream, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Midori, and Tia Maria are examples of branded alcoholic liqueurs
  • Anisette, Crème de Menthe, Curacao, Peppermint schnapps, Raspberry liqueur, Sloe Gin, and Triple sec are examples of generic alcoholic liqueurs
• The sugar content of liqueurs ranges from 2.5 - 35% of the total weight
• Their alcoholic content ranges from 34 – 100 proof (17 – 50% ABV)
• Most liqueurs are sold at 60 proof (30% ABV)
• The consistency can be thick and syrupy-like or thin as any other alcoholic beverage
• Originating centuries ago, most liqueurs were concocted by monks as herbal medicines
• Today, they are enjoyed neat, layered, as ingredients for cocktails or desserts, or enjoyed with or after desserts
• Crème Liqueurs are very sweet liqueurs/cordials flavored with a variety of fruits, nuts and other ingredients

Pousse-Café

• Pousse-Café is a cocktail made by floating liqueurs on top of each other, creating multi-colored, rainbow-like stripes in a glass using the back of a bar spoon
• The term means "It Pushes the coffee" in French
• Made more to please the eye
• With an experienced bartender, layers of liqueurs/cordials will not overlap due to different specific gravities or densities
• The heaviest liqueur is poured at the bottom of the glass, followed by less dense liqueurs
• The lightest product floats on top
• This cocktail can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for an hour before the layers start to blend
• It’s important to handle with caution and practice layering
• The list of liquors, liqueurs, and syrups are used to float
• It has an order from heaviest to lightest, and the specific gravity determines where an ingredient will fit
• It’s much easier to keep two layers from mixing when there is more of a difference in gravity

Densities

• Grenadine- 1.18
• Creme de Cassis- 1.18
• Anisette- 1.175
• Crème de Almond- 1.16
• Crème de Noyaux- 1.165
• Crème de Banana- 1.14
• Crème de Cacao- 1.14
• White Crème de Cacao- 1.14
• Coffee Liquor- 1.13
• Parfrait d'Amour- 1.13
• Cherry liqueur- 1.12
• Green Crème de Menthe- 1.12
• Strawberry liqueur- 1.12
• White Crème de Menthe- 1.12
• Blue Curacao- 1.11
• Galliano- 1.11
• Amaretto- 1.1
• Blackberry Liquor- 1.1
• Apricot Liquor- 1.09
• Tia Maria- 1.09
• Triple Sec- 1.09
• Amaretto di Saranno- 1.08
• Drambuie- 1.08
• Frangelico- 1.08
• Orange Curacao- 1.08
• Benedictine D.O.M.- 1.07
• Campari- 1.06
• Apricot brandy- 1.06
• Blackberry brandy- 1.06
• Cherry brandy- 1.06
• Peach brandy- 1.06
• Yellow Chartreuse- 1.06
• Bailey's Irish Cream- 1.05
• Midori Melon Liquor- 1.05
• Rock and Rye- 1.05
• Benedictine- 1.04
• Brandy- 1.04
• Cherry Liquor- 1.04
• Cointreau- 1.04
• Kummel- 1.04
• Peach liqueur- 1.04
• Peppermint schnapps- 1.04
• Sloe gin- 1.04
• Green Chartreuse- 1.01
• Water- 1
• Tuaca- 0.98
• Southern Comfort- 0.97