Gin

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Name Variations

 * London gin
 * dry gin
 * English gin
 * London dry gin

About gin
Wikipedia Article About Gin on Wikipedia

Gin (sometimes referred to as Mother's Ruin) is a spirit, or strong alcoholic beverage. It is made from the distillation of white grain spirit and juniper berries, which provide its distinctive flavour. The taste of ordinary gin is very dry, and as such it is rarely consumed on its own. It should not be confused with sloe gin, a sweet liqueur traditionally made from sloe berries (blackthorn fruit) infused in gin.

The most common style of gin, typically used for mixed drinks, is the "London dry gin", which refers not to brand, marque, or origin, but to a distillation process. The London dry gin is a high-proof spirit, usually produced in a column still and redistilled after the botanicals are added to the base spirit. In addition to juniper, it is usually made with a small amount of citrus botanicals like lemon and bitter orange peel. Other botanicals that may be used include anise, angelica root, orris root, cinnamon, coriander, and cassia bark.

A well-made gin will be very dry with a smooth texture, lacking in harshness. The flavor will be harmonious yet have a crisp character with a pronounced Juniper flavor.

Other types of gin include Jenever (Dutch gin), Plymouth gin, and Old Tom gin (said to approximate the pot-distilled 18th century spirit).