The History of Gin
A FOUR-PART NARRATIVE TIMELINE
I. THE ORIGINS OF DISTILLING & EARLY JUNIPER DRINKS
790-1714
The history of gin begins in the Middle Ages with the invention of western distillation and early use of juniper drinks for medicinal purposes. The origins of distillation can be traced back to the eighth-century Arab world and the practice of alchemy—a rich, philosophical, mystical tradition. Knowledge of distillation moved to Europe via the Moors and their rule of Sicily in the tenth century. By the twelfth century, the monks and doctors at the world’s first school of medicine in Salerno, Italy had perfected the distillation process, producing a more drinkable spirit that they used for therapeutic purposes, not just for spiritual reasons. They distilled wine and herbs, including juniper, which was a known treatment for all sorts of conditions. This mixture of alcohol and juniper was the prototype for modern-day gin. Then, by the fifteenth century, the art and science of distillation had spread north from Italy where the Dutch became master distillers and the first to distill grains. This new spirit, also flavored with juniper, was known as genever and the world’s first true gin. At this time, a shift from strictly therapeutic drinking to recreational drinking also took place. Through war and trade, the Dutch would spread their love of genever all over the world, culminating in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 when Dutch ruler, William of Orange, ascended the English throne and changed the course of history—for gin and for England.
II. ENGLAND’S GIN CRAZE
1717-1751
This period in the history of gin is marked by a gin epidemic in England. Amid stirrings of the Industrial Revolution, many people had left the countryside in order to seek out new job opportunities in nearby towns and cities, especially in London. Between 1714 and 1840, London's population swelled from around 630,000 to nearly 2 million, making it the largest and most powerful city in the world. Genever had become quite fashionable after the ascension of William of Orange to the throne. To drink gin was a sign of loyalty to the new king and to the Protestant faith. William’s war with France also helped popularize genever since it curtailed England’s supply of imported French brandy, the most popular drink at that time. To encourage spirits production at home, William pushed forth the Distilling Act, which disbanded London’s distilling monopoly and all regulatory controls. The Act also opens rights for private distillation, leading to an explosion of small-scale distilleries. Suddenly, gin was cheaper than beer, and its accessibility became a powder keg in the slums of London where social unrest manifested itself in widespread drunkenness. A sharp rise in crime and the death rate sparked a moral panic among the upper classes, which in turn led to a series of legislative efforts to control the trade in gin and end the epidemic. Those efforts finally succeeded with the eight and final Gin Act of 1751.
III. THE GENTRIFICATION OF GIN
1757-1831
Gin got a huge makeover during this period. By 1752, in the aftermath of the Gin Craze, gin production had fallen by over a third. A series of bad grain harvests throughout the 1750s further ensured its demise. Even when grain harvests improved, due to an increase in rum importation and a growing call for all-out prohibition by moral reformers, a stronger church, and by a growing middle class, parameters were set that continue to support the production and consumption of beer over gin. The first licensed public houses (pubs) opened and were soon popping on every corner, serving beer. In 1825, the government slashes the duties on spirits and within one year, gin production hits levels not seen since 1743. Once again, the price of gin was comparable to the price of beer and distillers looked to compete with brewers and their pubs by opening gin palaces. These establishments were lavish and extravagantly decorated and served new, more elevated gins that were now being distilled thanks to a regulated industry. Gin’s makeover was solidified with the invention of the column still in 1831, which is more efficient and able to produce a purer, neutral distillate. This new style of gin, known as London Dry, would become the standard we’re familiar with today.
IV. THE RISE OF LONDON DRY GIN & THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN COCKTAIL
1850-2021
The story of gin in modern times is intricately mixed up with the birth and evolution of the modern cocktail. At the onset of this period, in 1850, duties were removed on export gin, and London distillers pushed hard into new markets with their new, high-quality, dry gin. This push was helped along by the expansion of the British Empire, which not only took London Dry gin all over the globe but brought it into contact with cultures and challenges that brought about new gin concoctions. Most notably, the gin and tonic and the gimlet were conceived to help sailors, officers, and colonists fight off malaria and scurvy, respectively. The latter half of the nineteenth century is characterized by the Golden Age of Cocktails in America, a time when the major, classic cocktails were all invented such as the martini, Manhattan, and daiquiri. The Golden Age lasted right up to the Prohibition era (1920-1933), when the sale, distribution, and consumption of alcohol was banned in the United States via the 18th Amendment. Prohibition had the unexpected consequence of boosting gin sales with American consumers seeking out the real deal and premium gin on the black market and in the glamorous underworld of speakeasies. The trend continued post-Prohibition with gin and cocktails serving as an antidote to economic depression and war. But gin entered the dark ages after that. From the 1960s through the 1980s, gin took a backseat to vodka, which became the most popular spirit in the U.S. and UK for the next century to come. During this same period, the cocktail, itself, suffered a twilight moment. Bartenders opted for convenience over craft, leaning on powdered mixes, soda guns, syrup dispensers, fruit juices, and ice cube makers, all of which are now readily available for the first time. Finally, in the 1990s, the cocktail and gin made a major comeback, thanks in part to the food movement with its emphasis on quality ingredients and sustainability. From the 2000s on, craft cocktails and artisanal gin distilleries have been all the rage.
CROSSWORD
Test your knowledge of the history of gin.
This stylish crossword puzzle can be solved online or printed out.
RECOMMENDED READING
My list of 11 must-read books on gin. There’s something for everyone, from the historian to the home mixologist.
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