Gin

Question 1

Gin is essentially flavored what?

Answer 1

Like aquavit, gin is essentially flavored vodka.

Question 2

How is gin produced?

Answer 2

A neutral grain spirit is flavored with a range of botanicals—juniper berries are the most important component—and redistilled. No longer an indication of geographical origin, London Dry Gins employ a wide proprietary blend of botanical flavorings, and can therefore be subtly or startlingly distinct in character. In addition to juniper berries, London Dry Gin generally contains a noticeable citrus and spice element, derived from orange and lemon peel, anise, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, angelica root, and other aromatic substances. Popular London Dry Gins include Beefeater, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s, and Boodles.

Question 3

Most modern gins are grouped under what style?

Answer 3

London Dry

Question 4

Are London Dry gins indicative of a geographical origin?

Answer 4

no longer an indication of geographical origin, London Dry Gins employ a wide proprietary blend of botanical flavorings, and can therefore be subtly or startlingly distinct in character.

Question 5

Describe, in general, London Dry Gins?

Answer 5

London Dry Gin generally contains a noticeable citrus and spice element, derived from orange and lemon peel, anise, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, angelica root, and other aromatic substances

Question 6

Name some popular London Dry Gins

Answer 6

Beefeater, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon’s, and Boodles.

Question 7

Where was gin developed?

Answer 7

Holland. .

Question 8

Who developed gin?

Answer 8

Taking advantage of the therapeutic powers of the juniper berry, the Dutch Dr. Sylvius de Bouve developed the first crude gin as a medicinal oil known as Genever (Jenever) in the 16th century. A rapid rise in the number of ill Dutchmen no doubt contributed to the spirit’s great popularity, and it soon spread abroad and to England

Question 9

Is Genever still produced today?

Answer 9

Genever is still produced today; the spirit is produced in a pot still, and sweeter but less alcoholic than London Dry Gin

Question 10

Genever is produced in a pot or continuous still?

Answer 10

pot

Question 11

What are the dominant aromatics in Genever?

Answer 11

Juniper and malt are the dominant aromatics in Genever, and the gin may be aged in oak casks, taking on color and roundness from the wood.

Question 12

Describe the Oude style of Genever.

Answer 12

Traditionally, the Genever recipe incorporates a minimum 15% “malt wine”: a distillate of corn, rye and wheat. This traditional style is now labeled oude (“old”)

Question 13

Describe the Jonge style of Genever,

Answer 13

a cleaner, more neutral Genever with less malt wine is labeled jonge (“young”)

Question 14

Describe the Corenwyn style of Genever

Answer 14

Corenwyn (“corn wine”) is a cask-aged version in which malt wine comprises at least 51% of the distillate.

Question 15

In addition to London Dry and Genever, what is a third style of gin?

Answer 15

Plymouth Gin, was revived in 1996 and is only produced by Plymouth, Coates, and Co. in England

Question 16

How is the Plymouth style different from London Dry?

Answer 16

It is fuller in body than London Dry Gin, and very aromatic

Question 17

Plymouth is the proper gin for what cocktail?

Answer 17

Pink Gin cocktail

Question 18

What is a 4th style of gin?

Answer 18

Old Tom Gin, another English style rarely encountered today, is lightly sweetened gin. A wooden plaque hung on the outer wall of a pub and shaped like the head of a black cat—“Old Tom” was 19th century slang for a black cat—could supplicate passers-by with a shot of the gin, poured from indoors through a slot in a cat’s mouth, for a penny or two. In an era of bartenders clamoring for pre-Prohibition cocktails and spirits of the gilded age, Hayman’s Distillery has revived Old Tom Gin, and now the style is made by a handful of distilleries. Old Tom Gin is the “Tom” in the classic Tom Collins cocktail and the base of the 19th century Martinez cocktail, possibly the precursor to the Martini. The Gin Martini—Vodka Martinis were a later adaptation—remains among the most famous and sophisticated, yet simple, American cocktails to date.