History of Gin
When we talk about gin, we almost automatically think of England; the same goes for Russia with vodka, Mexico with tequila, etc.
But what if we are mistaken and the story is a little different?
First of all, when talking about gin, we must talk about juniper. Juniper is a shrub that grows mainly in mountainous areas and in cold temperate climates, even at altitudes of up to 2,200 meters. It is found all over the world and there are 65 different species. In the Middle Ages, its healing properties for the stomach were already known; in the Netherlands, decoctions of juniper berries were used to treat stomach cramps and pain. In the 14th century, juniper spirits were even used against the Black Death.
However, the first proto-gin was Italian. In the 11th century, a liqueur made from brandy and juniper was already being produced in Italy, and in 1055, monks and pharmacists from the Salerno area created a wine distillate infused with juniper berries. The first person to mention gin as a drink seems to have been a doctor from Antwerp, Philippus Hermanni, who mentioned acqua Juniperi in one of his books in the 16th century, a full 98 years before the Dutchman considered by many to be the true inventor of gin, Franciscus Sylvius, with his jenever.
British soldiers had already had the opportunity to discover jenever, or “Dutch courage,” during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and brought it back home with them at the end of the war. Furthermore, the accession of William III of Orange to the throne in 1689 naturally favored the arrival of the distillate on the British Isles, which, being based on wheat rather than wine, could easily be produced in England as well. However, given the overly sweet taste of the Dutch drink, the English began to produce it without sugar, thus giving rise to “English gin.”
When the monarch issued the Distilling Act in 1690, gin production on British soil increased dramatically. William III's intention was to ban the importation of spirits from abroad, particularly from France, his sworn enemy, while encouraging the distillation of gin on British soil to fill the void left by the lack of foreign alcoholic beverages. With no restrictions and low production taxes, the popularity of gin skyrocketed.
Among the upper classes, drinking the king's favorite spirit was an implicit endorsement of William III of Orange's Protestant cause, but consumption of the drink also spread easily to other social classes. In an England plagued by food shortages, gin, thanks in part to its low cost, was often a staple for families. Thanks to its invigorating properties and ability to satisfy hunger pangs, it was consumed at all hours of the day and night.
However, this soon led to a spread of alcoholism, which resulted in a drastic increase in mortality, especially among children, as drunk mothers neglected their children, and in crime, as the population, altered by alcohol, became more violent. This terrible period that characterized England in the first half of the 18th century is known as the “Gin Craze.”
After several clumsy attempts to curb the consumption, resale, and illegal production of gin (suffice it to say that the first laws penalized legal distilleries and not the others), the “Tippling Act” was finally passed in 1751. Known to history as the “Gin Act,” this decree required distilleries to pay an annual license fee of £5, equivalent to £584 today. Another clause stipulated that distilleries could not sell directly to consumers and that the product could not be consumed on their premises. Anyone caught violating the law could be fined, forced into hard labor, or deported to any territory of the kingdom.
It should be added, however, that starting in 1743, a series of poor wheat harvests contributed to a decline in production.
It was with the end of this dark period that the first high-quality gins began to appear, with the opening of large distilleries.
The first distillery was founded in 1761 by Thomas Dakin, a young man of only 25 years of age. In 1860, it passed to Gilbert and John Greenall, who continued the tradition, giving the house the name Greenall's. It is currently the oldest distillery in England.
Another investor in quality gin was Scottish entrepreneur Alexander Gordon, who founded the distillery of the same name in London in 1769, in the Southwark area, known for the purity of its water. In 1900, Gordon's merged with Tanqueray, founded in 1830, to become the largest gin producer in the world.
Over the years, quality gin became increasingly popular, with the opening of new distilleries, such as Plymouth in 1793, Beefeather in 1876, and more recently Bombay Sapphire in 1988.
Today, gin is one of the most famous and best-selling spirits internationally, with continuous growth. Suffice it to say that it is now produced almost everywhere in the world.
Alessandro Grasso