Editing Gin (section)

==History==
===Origin: 13th-century mentions===
The earliest known written reference to [[jenever]] appears in the 13th-century encyclopaedic work {{lang|nl|Der Naturen Bloeme}} ([[Bruges]]), with the earliest printed recipe for jenever dating from 16th-century work {{lang|nl|Een Constelijck Distileerboec}} ([[Antwerp]]).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Van Schoonenberghe |first1=Eric |title=Genever (Gin): a spirit drink full of history, science and technology |journal=Sartoniana |date=1999 |volume=12 |page=114 |url=https://libstore.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/000/170/842/BIB-G-024341-12_2010_0001_AC.pdf |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref>

The monks used it to distill sharp, fiery, alcoholic tonics, one of which was distilled from wine infused with juniper berries. They were making medicines, hence the juniper. As a medicinal herb, juniper had been an essential part of doctors' kits for centuries; plague doctors stuffed the beaks of their [[Plague doctor costume|plague masks]] with juniper to supposedly protect them from the [[Black Death]]. Across Europe, apothecaries handed out juniper tonic wines for coughs, colds, pains, strains, ruptures and cramps. These were a popular cure-all, though some thought these tonic wines to be a little too popular, and consumed for enjoyment rather than medicinal purposes.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.delicious.com.au/drinks/spirits-cocktails/article/history-distilling-drinking-gin/d272z8oq#:~:text=The%20monks%20used%20it%20to,first%20recorded%20juniper%2Dscented%20spirit.|title=The scandalous history of gin: the story behind everyone's favourite spirit|access-date=1 January 2021}}</ref>{{Further explanation needed|date=August 2021|reason=Explain "keener to take their medicine than they should be".}}{{better source needed|reason=Delicious.com.au is not a reliable source.|date=July 2022}}

===17th century===
The physician [[Franciscus Sylvius]] has been falsely credited with the invention of gin in the mid-17th century,<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.tasteoftx.com/spirits/gin.html|title=Gin|access-date=5 April 2009|publisher=tasteoftx.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416234849/http://www.tasteoftx.com/spirits/gin.html|archive-date=16 April 2009}}</ref> as the existence of jenever is confirmed in [[Philip Massinger]]'s play ''[[The Duke of Milan]]'' (1623), when Sylvius would have been about nine years old. Also, the Dutch States' ordinance on brandy already levied
taxes on distilled anise, gin or fennel water sold as alcoholic drinks, in 1606, eight years before Sylvius was born.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Van Schoonenberghe |first1=Eric |title=Genever (Gin): a spirit drink full of history, science and technology |journal=Sartoniana |date=1999 |volume=12 |page=94 |url=https://libstore.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/000/170/842/BIB-G-024341-12_2010_0001_AC.pdf |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> It is further claimed that English soldiers who provided support in [[Antwerp]] against the Spanish in 1585, during the [[Eighty Years' War]], were already drinking jenever for its calming effects before battle, from which the term ''[[Dutch courage]]'' is believed to have originated.<ref>{{citation |title=Genever: 500 Years of History in a Bottle |last=Van Acker – Beittel |first=Veronique |isbn=978-0-615-79585-0 |publisher=Flemish Lion|date=June 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.bluecoatgin.com/history_orgins.html |title=Origins of Gin |access-date=5 April 2009 |publisher=Bluecoat American Dry Gin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213205501/http://bluecoatgin.com/history_orgins.html |archive-date=13 February 2009 }}</ref>

By the mid-17th century, numerous small Dutch and Flemish distillers had popularized the re-distillation of [[malt]]ed [[barley]] spirit or malt wine with juniper, also [[anise]], [[caraway]], [[coriander]], etc.,<ref>{{cite book |first=R.&nbsp;J. |last=Forbes |title=A Short History of the Art of Distillation from the Beginnings up to the Death of Cellier Blumenthal |publisher=Brill Academic Publishers |year=1997 }}</ref> which were sold in [[Pharmacy|pharmacies]] and used to treat such medical problems as [[kidney]] ailments, [[lumbago]], [[stomach]] ailments, [[gallstone]]s, and [[gout]]. Gin emerged in England in varying forms by the early 17th century, and at the time of the [[Stuart Restoration]], enjoyed a brief resurgence. Gin became vastly more popular as an alternative to brandy, when [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] became co-sovereigns of England, Scotland and Ireland after leading the [[Glorious Revolution]].<ref name="nb">{{cite book|last=Brownlee|first=Nick|title=This is alcohol|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|year=2002|pages=84–93|chapter=3&nbsp;– History |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lFMAAAAACAAJ |isbn=978-1-86074-422-8}}</ref> Particularly in crude, inferior forms, it was more likely to be flavoured with [[turpentine]].<ref name="Gin definition">{{cite web|url=http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=246150|title=Gin (definition)|access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> Historian [[Angela McShane]] has described it as a "Protestant drink" as its rise was brought about by a Protestant king, fuelling his armies fighting the Catholic Irish and French.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Bragg |first1=Melvyn |last2=Tillotson |first2=Simon.|title=In Our Time : the companion.|date=2018|publisher=Simon & Schuster Ltd|isbn=978-1-4711-7449-0|location=[Place of publication not identified]|pages=16|oclc=1019622766}}</ref>

===18th century===
[[Image:William Hogarth - Gin Lane.jpg|thumb|Hogarth's ''[[Gin Lane]]'' (created 1750–1751).]]

Gin drinking in England rose significantly after the government allowed unlicensed gin production, and at the same time imposed a heavy [[duty (economics)|duty]] on all imported spirits such as French [[brandy]]. This created a larger market for poor-quality [[barley]] that was unfit for brewing [[beer]], and in 1695–1735 thousands of gin-shops sprang up throughout England, a period known as the [[Gin Craze]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b084zk6z|title=The Gin Craze, In Our Time – BBC Radio 4|website=BBC}}</ref> Because of the low price of gin compared with other drinks available at the time and in the same location, gin began to be consumed regularly by the poor.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Complete English Tradesman: In Familiar Letters; Directing Him in All the Several Parts and Progressions of Trade ... Calculated for the Instruction of Our Inland Tradesmen; and Especially of Young Beginners|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Iqs_AAAAYAAJ&q=%22good%20old%20days%22%20defoe&pg=RA1-PA91|publisher = Charles Rivington|year = 1727|language = en|first = Daniel|last = Defoe|quote = ...&nbsp;the Distillers have found out a way to hit the palate of the Poor, by their new fashion'd compound Waters called Geneva}}</ref> Of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, not including coffee shops and drinking chocolate shops, over half were gin shops. Beer maintained a healthy reputation as it was often safer to drink the brewed ale than unclean plain water.<ref>{{cite web|last1=White|first1=Matthew|title=Health, Hygiene and the Rise of 'Mother Gin' in the 18th Century|url=https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/health-hygiene-and-the-rise-of-mother-gin-in-the-18th-century|website=Georgian Britain|publisher=British Library|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-date=28 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428234757/https://www.bl.uk/georgian-britain/articles/health-hygiene-and-the-rise-of-mother-gin-in-the-18th-century|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gin, though, was blamed for various social problems, and it may have been a factor in the higher death rates which stabilized London's previously growing population.<ref name="nb" /> The reputation of the two drinks was illustrated by [[William Hogarth]] in his engravings ''[[Beer Street and Gin Lane]]'' (1751), described by the [[BBC]] as "arguably the most potent anti-drug poster ever conceived".<ref name=finlo>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28486017|title=When gin was full of sulphuric acid and turpentine|first=Finlo|last=Rohrer|date=28 July 2014|access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> The negative reputation of gin survives in the English language in terms like ''gin mills'' or the American phrase ''gin joints'' to describe disreputable bars, or ''gin-soaked'' to refer to drunks. The epithet ''mother's ruin'' is a common British name for gin, the origin of which is debated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Origin of the phrase "mother's ruin?"|url=https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/163917/origin-of-the-phrase-mothers-ruin|website=English Language and Usage|access-date=18 January 2016}}</ref>

The [[Gin Craze|Gin Act 1736]] imposed high taxes on retailers and led to riots in the streets. The prohibitive duty was gradually reduced and finally abolished in 1742. The [[Gin Act 1751]] was more successful, but it forced distillers to sell only to licensed retailers and brought gin shops under the jurisdiction of local magistrates.<ref name="nb" /> Gin in the 18th century was produced in [[pot still]]s, and thus had a maltier profile than modern London gin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Martin |first=Scott C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ANm5BgAAQBAJ&dq=The+18th+century+gave+rise+to+a+style+of+gin+referred+to+as+Old+Tom+gin,+which+is+a+softer,+sweeter+style+of+gin,+often+containing+sugar.+Old+Tom+gin+faded+in+popularity+by+the+early+20th+century&pg=PA613 |title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives |date=2014-12-16 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4833-3108-9 |pages=613 |language=en}}</ref>

In London in the early 18th century, much gin was distilled legally in residential houses (there were estimated to be 1,500 residential stills in 1726) and was often flavoured with [[turpentine]] to generate resinous woody notes in addition to the juniper.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/history/0,6121,725676,00.html | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Distil my beating heart | date=1 June 2002|access-date=3 May 2010}}</ref> As late as 1913, ''[[Webster's Dictionary]]'' states without further comment, "'common gin' is usually flavoured with turpentine".<ref name="Gin definition"/>

Another common variation was to distill in the presence of [[sulfuric acid]]. Although the acid itself does not distil, it imparts the additional aroma of [[diethyl ether]] to the resulting gin. Sulfuric acid subtracts one water molecule from two ethanol molecules to create [[diethyl ether]], which also forms an [[azeotrope]] with ethanol, and therefore distils with it. The result is a sweeter spirit, and one that may have possessed additional analgesic or even intoxicating effects&nbsp;– see [[Paracelsus]].{{cn|date=July 2022}}

Dutch or Belgian gin, also known as ''jenever'' or ''genever'', evolved from malt wine spirits, and is a distinctly different drink from later styles of gin. [[Schiedam]], a city in the province of [[South Holland]], is famous for its ''jenever''-producing history. The same for [[Hasselt]] in the Belgian province of Limburg. The ''oude'' (old) style of ''jenever'' remained very popular throughout the 19th century, where it was referred to as ''Holland'' or ''Geneva'' gin in popular, American, pre-Prohibition bartender guides.<ref>Johnson, Harry; "Harry Johnson's New and Improved Bartender's Manual; 1900.";</ref>

The 18th century gave rise to a style of gin referred to as ''[[Old Tom gin]]'', which is a softer, sweeter style of gin, often containing sugar. Old Tom gin faded in popularity by the early 20th century.<ref name=":0" />

===19th–20th centuries===

[[File:The Gin shop - Cruikshank, Scraps and sketches (1829), f.9 - BL.jpg|thumb|[[George Cruikshank]]'s engraving of The Gin Shop (1829).]]

The invention and development of the [[column still]] (1826 and 1831)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stillcooker.com/patent-still.php|title=Coffey still&nbsp;– Patent Still&nbsp;– Column Still: a continuous distillation|publisher=StillCooker & Friends|access-date=29 March 2013}}</ref> made the distillation of neutral spirits practical, thus enabling the creation of the "London dry" style that evolved later in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheppard |first=Julie |date=2021-01-21 |title=What is London Dry gin? Ask Decanter |url=https://www.decanter.com/spirits/what-is-london-dry-gin-ask-decanter-451865/ |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Decanter |language=en}}</ref>

{{anchor|Gin and tonic|Gin and Tonic}}
In tropical British colonies gin was used to mask the bitter flavour of [[quinine]], which was the only effective anti-malarial compound. Quinine was dissolved in carbonated water to form [[tonic water]]; the resulting cocktail is [[gin and tonic]], although modern tonic water contains only a trace of quinine as a flavouring. Gin is a common base spirit for many [[mixed drinks]], including the [[martini cocktail|martini]]. Secretly produced "[[bathtub gin]]" was available in the [[speakeasy|speakeasies]] and "blind pigs" of [[Prohibition]]-era America as a result of the relatively simple production.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Moses |title=Gin: A Short History |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2019 |isbn=978-1784423438 |pages=40–41}}</ref>

[[Sloe gin]] is traditionally described as a liqueur made by infusing [[Blackthorn|sloe]]s (the fruit of the blackthorn) in gin, although modern versions are almost always compounded from neutral spirits and flavourings. Similar infusions are possible with other fruits, such as [[damson]]s. Another popular gin-based liqueur with a longstanding history is [[Pimm's|Pimm's No.1 Cup]] (25% [[alcohol by volume]] (ABV)), which is a [[fruit cup (cocktail)|fruit cup]] flavoured with citrus and spices.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

The National Jenever Museums are located in [[Hasselt]] in Belgium, and Schiedam in the Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nationaal Jenevermuseum Hasselt (Hasselt) – Visitor Information & Reviews – WhichMuseum |url=https://whichmuseum.com/museum/nationaal-jenevermuseum-hasselt-1385 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=whichmuseum.com |language=en}}</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:Bee's Knees.jpg|thumb|A Bee's Knees cocktail made with gin, honey, and lemon juice]]
Since 2013, gin has been in a period of ascendancy worldwide,<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/12/world-spirits-report-2024-gin/ | title=World Spirits Report 2024: Gin | website=The Spirits Business | access-date=19 March 2025 | date=12 December 2024}}</ref> with many new brands and producers entering the category leading to a period of strong growth, innovation and change. More recently gin-based liqueurs have been popularised, reaching a market outside that of traditional gin drinkers, including fruit-flavoured and usually coloured "Pink gin",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/dec/06/pink-terror-how-sweet-gins-muscled-in-on-the-artisan-market-pink-gin|title=Pink gin is booming – but here's why many purists loathe it|last=Naylor|first=Tony|date=2018-12-06|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-01-24|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[rhubarb]] gin, Spiced gin, [[Viola odorata|violet]] gin, [[blood orange]] gin and [[sloe gin]]. Surging popularity and unchecked competition has led to consumer's conflation of gin with gin [[Liqueur|liqueurs]] and many products are straddling, pushing or breaking the boundaries of established definitions in a period of genesis for the industry.