A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy.
Noel Coward
In my meander last week, I mentioned celebrating my 68th birthday. This week, I went to Newcastle Castle, an edifice celebrating its 847th birthday this year, which somewhat puts my achievement in the shade. I visited to listen to the 'Gin Craze and its Victims' talk by the Historian Dr Jo Bath. An engaging presentation that inspired me to look deeper into a drink that might be seen as being amid a modern-day 'craze.'
And I'll start by confessing that Gin is not an alcoholic spirit of my liking. I prefer mine darker and without the need for mixers. So, for me, it's a Scotch whisky (or whiskey - I’m also very happy with Irish - especially Jameson Redbreast) cut with a touch of water; or a cognac, Armagnac or dark rum, of which I don't mind some of the more recently developed spiced variety. In that regard, I like Kraken, although when I do order that, it's not Alfred Tennyson's sonnet nor John Wyndham's novel that comes to mind but the 'The Hofstadter Insufficiency' episode of 'The Big Bang Theory' comedy series in which a Kraken suddenly takes Leonard down into the watery depths.
As an Englishman, I am in the minority in my dislike of Gin, as it has been a popular alcoholic drink in England since it first appeared here in the late 17th century. A drink that was brought back by British soldiers who discovered it while fighting in the 'Low Countries' (modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) during the Thirty Years' War. In that war, the English and Dutch soldiers fought alongside each other against the Habsburg forces. On other occasions, the Dutch and English fought each other. Through these conflicts, English soldiers encountered a drink consumed by the Dutch called 'Genever' (or Jenever - Dutch for Juniper). The British soldiers caught a taste for the spirit, bringing it back on returning home.
Genever originated in the Netherlands in the early 16th century. It was developed by apothecaries who combined malt wine with juniper berries, believed to have medicinal properties for treating all sorts of illnesses, from gout and gallstones to constipation. Genever quickly became popular in the Low Countries for its taste and reputed therapeutic effects. Once it arrived in England, the drink found the same popularity with the English urban poor. However, after the Glorious Revolution, when Mary and her Dutch husband William of Orange assumed the throne, all classes in society began to enjoy the drink. William's Dutch court brought with it Dutch customs, including the consumption of Genever.
More than that, under King William's influence, the English government was keen to reduce the consumption of imported French brandy, boost the domestic economy and improve grain production. That latter ensured bread was always available to avoid the 'bread riots' seen in earlier times. However, the subsequent overproduction of grain meant that the cheap surplus found its way to Gin distilleries. The government also removed all restrictions on making Gin and any tax on the drink, which further encouraged increased production and consumption, especially among the urban poor. Not only shaping the drinking habits of the time but also significantly impacting the social and economic fabric of England.
And I now describe the drink as Gin, not Genever, as English distillers began to modify the original recipe, incorporating a higher percentage of grain alcohol (at the time, Gin was typically 80% proof) and a more pronounced juniper flavour. This evolution was influenced by both the availability of ingredients and the preferences of English consumers. By the early 18th century, English Gin had become distinct from its Dutch predecessor.
While Government policies did indeed begin to boost the English economy, they also backfired in creating the 'Gin Craze' beginning in 1720 when Gin, now widely accessible and affordable, saw massive and excessive consumption. During this time, a quarter pint of Gin was cheaper than a pint of beer and, like beer, safer to drink than water. Urbanisation and the Industrial Revolution also contributed to the rise of gin consumption. As people flocked to cities in search of work, the harsh living conditions and long working hours created a demand for cheap and potent alcohol. Gin, often referred to as "mother's ruin," became a popular means of escape from the difficulties of daily life with a particularly devastating effect on the urban poor. The widespread consumption of Gin led to numerous social and health issues. Chronic alcoholism became rampant, resulting in severe health problems, including liver disease and other alcohol-related illnesses. The intoxicating effects of Gin also contributed to an increase in crime, domestic violence, and public disorder. Distillers of quality gin could not keep up with demand, so everyone began making it. Buying grain alcohol then adding 'botanicals' of whatever came to hand. These included sulphuric acid (that didn't distil but extracted from it was diethyl ether, offering a sweet taste and smell) and turpentine, offering a pine flavouring. At one point in the early 1700s, it was estimated that one person in five in London (with a population of circa 600,000) was making Gin, and there were around 7,000 gin shops in London alone, plus many more distributors selling in the streets. By 1743, the people of England were consuming nearly 12 million gallons of Gin annually, and the vast proportion of that was in London.
It took a combination of events and several decades to bring the 'craze' under some control.
To begin with, the Government enacted a series of laws known as the Gin Acts to curb the now rampant consumption of Gin. These laws gradually increased in severity and effectiveness:
The Gin Act of 1729 imposed a license fee of £20 (around £2000 today) for gin sellers and a duty of two shillings (about £10 today) per gallon. However, it was largely ineffective due to weak enforcement and widespread evasion.
The Gin Act of 1736 aimed to be more stringent, raising the license fee to £50 (around £6,000 today) and increasing the duty to £1 per gallon (around £100 today). It also introduced harsher penalties for unlicensed selling, including imprisonment and whipping. Despite its severity, this act faced massive resistance and was largely unenforceable. The public outcry and widespread non-compliance forced the government to relax the act by 1743.
However, the Gin Act of 1751 was the most successful legislation. It reduced the duty on Gin to a more manageable rate but imposed strict regulations on the sale of Gin. Sellers were required to obtain a license, but more importantly, the act prohibited the sale of Gin in quantities less than two gallons, effectively targeting small, unlicensed gin shops. The government also restricted the number of licenses issued. This act significantly reduced Gin production, making the drink more difficult to obtain and expensive.
In addition to the legal constraints, the Gin Craze also prompted a moral backlash led by social reformers and religious groups who highlighted the detrimental effects of excessive drinking on society. It became a subject of ethical and social debate, with various pamphlets, sermons, and artworks produced to highlight the dangers of excessive gin consumption. The temperance movement gained momentum during this period, advocating for moderation and sobriety to solve the social ills caused by Gin. The debate over Gin reflected broader concerns about the effects of industrialisation and urbanisation on traditional social structures and values. Notable figures, such as the artist William Hogarth, produced influential works like 'Gin Lane' pictured above, which depicted the horrors of gin addiction and contrasted it with the more tenuously virtuous 'Beer Street.' These efforts raised public awareness about the negative consequences of gin consumption and garnered support for reform.
There were also public health campaigns led by medical professionals and social reformers on the health impacts of gin drinking, which included an increase in mortality rates and the spread of diseases exacerbated by poor living conditions and alcohol abuse. These campaigns changed public perceptions of Gin and encouraged more responsible drinking habits.
And, of course, economics also played its part. The availability and price of grain, a key ingredient in gin production, played a significant role in the rise and fall of the Gin Craze. When grain prices were low, gin production was cheap and plentiful. However, fluctuations in grain prices during the mid-18th century made Gin more expensive to produce, reducing its affordability and accessibility. In addition, England's economy improved by raising the standard of living for people, offering them more disposable income to spend on better-quality food and beverages, with people less reliant on cheap Gin as an escape from poverty and despair.
However, despite the negative aspects, Gin had firmly established itself in English society. In the 19th century, Gin experienced a revival with the emergence of 'Gin Palaces,' ornate establishments that offered a more refined drinking environment than Public Houses and Beer Houses (which at the time could not sell Gin). This helped shift Gin's image from a drink of the impoverished to a more respectable alcoholic beverage.
Advancements in distilling techniques, particularly the invention of the continuous still, improved the quality and purity of Gin. This led to the production of London Dry Gin, a style synonymous with a high-quality drink, further boosting its popularity as a drink for higher society.
Adding ‘Tonic’ to Gin became popular in the early 19th century with British colonists in India who mixed quinine (an anti-malarial) with water and sugar to make it more palatable, creating what we now know as tonic water. By the mid-19th century, tonic water became commercially available, making it easier for people to consume quinine regularly. The Schweppes Company began selling tonic water in the 1870s, providing a standardised and convenient way to enjoy the medicinal benefits of quinine.
Malaria plagued Indigenous people, European colonists and soldiers in tropical regions. The discovery of quinine as a cure for malaria has two serendipitous stories behind it. According to the first, which dates from the late 16th Century, a Native South American with a high fever was lost in an Andean jungle. Thirsty, he drank from a pool of stagnant water and found it tasted bitter. Realising that the water had been contaminated by the surrounding quinquina trees, he thought he was poisoned. To his surprise, however, his fever soon abated, and he shared this accidental discovery with fellow villagers, who used extracts from the quinquina bark to treat fever after that. This was then taken up in 1630 by Jesuit missionaries in South America who referred to the bark as the 'Jesuits' bark,' 'cardinal's bark, or 'sacred bark.'
The other story (there's always more than one) behind quinine's discovery involves the Spanish Countess of Chinchon, who, while in Peru, contracted a fever that was cured by the bark of a tree. Returning to Spain with the bark, she unknowingly introduced quinine to Europe in 1638, and in 1742, botanist Carl Linnaeus called the tree ‘Cinchona’ in her honour.
The Gin and Tonic quickly became a staple among British colonists, and its popularity then spread back to Britain, where it was embraced as a fashionable drink. While the quinine content in modern tonic water is much lower than during the colonial era, the drink still carries a legacy of its medicinal origins, and some people still believe in its questionable health benefits.
Come the early 20th century came the popularity of cocktails, with Gin a key ingredient in many classics, such as the Martini, Negroni, John Collins and Gin Fizz, but towards the end of that century, Gin drinking, especially among the younger drinks was on the decline. Then, in almost a repeat of what happened in the early days of the Gin Craze came a resurgence through small-scale craft distilling, with many producers experimenting with botanicals and creating unique gin varieties. This was in keeping with a growing consumer trend towards artisanal and locally produced goods, spurred by a desire for higher quality and distinctive flavours. This consumer movement a part of a broader backlash against mass-produced, homogeneous products. Craft gin producers capitalised on this trend by emphasising small-batch production, unique botanical blends, and traditional distillation methods. The early 2000s also witnessed a revival of interest in classic cocktails, driven by a new wave of mixologists and bartenders who sought to rediscover and reinterpret traditional recipes. Gin, a cornerstone of many classic cocktails, naturally benefitted from this renewed interest.
One of the pioneering craft gin distilleries was Sipsmith, founded in London in 2009. Sipsmith played a crucial role in the craft gin renaissance, becoming the first copper-pot distillery to open in London in nearly two centuries. Their success demonstrated the viability of small-scale gin production and inspired many others to follow suit. In the mid-2010s, an explosion in the number of craft distilleries occurred. In the UK alone, the number doubled between 2016 and 2019. The United States, Australia, and various European countries also experienced significant growth in the craft gin sector. In the United States, changes in state laws also facilitated the flourishing of craft distilleries with the ability to sell directly to consumers. Similar legislative changes in other countries further supported this burgeoning industry. Distillers also began experimenting with botanicals beyond the traditional Juniper, incorporating local and exotic ingredients to create distinctive flavour profiles. This experimentation led to a broader appreciation for Gin's versatility and complexity. Craft gin's popularity has become a global phenomenon, and countries like Japan, Australia, and South Africa are now developing their craft gin industries, often incorporating native botanicals to create unique regional expressions of the spirit. Despite its reputation as an English drink, England is no longer the largest consumer of Gin per person. That 'honour' goes to Singapore, Spain, and the USA, with the UK fourth.
Not bad for a drink that once had a reputation for the moral decay of a nation. And a drink that also gave us the term "Dutch courage" originating when those 17th century English soldiers observed that Dutch soldiers would often consume Genever before battle. The English noted that the Dutch seemed to fight with increased bravery after drinking it, which led to the association of alcohol with temporary courage. Something still thought some two hundred years later with the 'fortifying' of English soldiers facing mortal danger in the Great War, although it was no longer Gin on offer. My grandfather recounted that when in the front-line trenches, he received a double shot of dark rum daily. That measure was doubled if he and his comrades were about to ‘go over the top’. Like the early homemade Gin, the rum was eye-wateringly strong at 80% and was usually taken in tea or cocoa.
All I can say is that if I were about to face the barbed wire and German guns, my Dutch Courage would have needed to be half a bottle and undiluted!
LONG ISLAND ICED TEA..... It's fun to watch some neophyte drinker down one on the assumption that it's iced tea.....
My uncle & aunt had a champagne brunch one Christmas. a couple of sips & the kitchen starts spinning like a turntable.
That sounds delicious, I had to look it up. Cheers to Sarah!