GIN

Syn. Gene′va . Corn spirit flavoured with either oil of juniper or oil of turpentine. Gin was originally and, for some time, wholly imported from Holland, and was a rich, soft spirit, flavoured, chiefly, with juniper berries; on which account it had obtained the name of ‘ GENEVA ,’ from ‘ GENIÈVRE ,’ the French for juniper. After a time the distillation of an imitation geneva sprung up in this country, when the foreign spirit came to be called ‘ Hollands ,’ or ‘ Hollands geneva ,’ to distinguish it from the spirit of home manufacture. The English monosyllable ‘ GIN ’ is a corruption of geneva, the primary syllable of which, as in numerous other instances, was seized on by the vulgar, and adopted as a short and convenient substitute for the whole word. The liquor at present known by the name of ‘gin’ in this country is a very different article to that imported from Holland, and consists of plain corn-spirit, flavoured with oil of turpentine and small quantities of certain aromatics. The you sand and one receipts for this article, which have from time to time been printed in books, produce a flavoured spirit bearing no resemblance to the more esteemed samples of English gin; and, if po ible, the products are even more unlike genuine Hollands. Any persons may easily satisfy himself of the truth of this a ertion by actual experiment on the small scale. The cause of this incongruity has arisen chiefly from the writers not being practically acquainted with the subject, and from the disinclination of well-informed practical men to divulge, gratuitously, what they conceive to be valuable secrets. Hence the utter failure of any attempts to produce either gin or Hollands from the receipts usually published. The authors appear to have all imbibed a juniper-berry mania—probably from the imbibition of their favourite beverage. Oil of juniper, in the hands of these gentlemen, appears to be a perfect aqua mirabilis, that readily converts whisky into gin, and imparts the rich creamy flavour of ‘Schiedam Hollands’ to crude corn or mola es spirit. But theory and experiment sometimes disagree. In practice, it is found that the true flavour of foreign geneva cannot be imparted to spirit by juniper alone, and that the English gin of the present day depends for its flavour on no such a substance. The following formulæ are merely given as specimens; and it is proper to remark, that every distiller has his own receipt for this notorious beverage. Hence it is that the gins of no two distillers are of precisely the same flavour; and this difference is still more marked when the distillers reside in parts of the country remote from each other. Booth’s, Smith’s, and Nicholson’s gins have each a characteristic flavour, readily perceived by their respective votaries; whilst the difference between ‘Plymouth’ or ‘Bristol gin,’ and the ‘gin of the metropolis,’ is as remarkable as that between ‘Barclay’s XXX’ and ‘Guinne ’s bottled stout.’ These variations in flavour generally depend on the use of more or le flavouring matter, or of a spirit more or le clean or free from taint; and, le frequently, on the addition of a small quantity of some peculiar aromatic, which exercises a modifying influence on the chief flavouring ingredient. In many cases the flavour has originated from accident, but the consumers having become accustomed to, and hence relishing, that particular ‘palate,’ it is found to be unwise or commercially impo ible to alter it. Any change in these matters is therefore looked upon in every distillery as a dangerous innovation, which would prove more prejudicial to the prosperity of its exchequer than the repeal of the duty on French wines and brandy, or even a frightful conflagration. The distillers, like the brewers, are thorough conservatives in all matters connected with the flavour of their liquors. In the preparation of gin, both sweetened and unsweetened, and indeed of liquors generally, the greatest po ible care must be taken to avoid an exce of flavouring. The most esteemed samples are those that consist of very pure spirit, slightly flavoured. Prep. 1. Clean corn spirit, at proof, 80 galls.; newly rectified oil of turpentine, 1 1 ⁄ 4 pint; mix well by violent agitation, add culinary salt, 14 lbs., di olved in water, 40 galls.; again well agitate, and distil over 100 galls., or until the faints begin to rise. Product. 100 galls. of gin 22 u. p., besides 2 galls. contained in the faints. If 100 galls. at 17 u. p. are required, 85 galls. of proof spirit, or its equivalent at any other strength, must be employed. 2. Proof spirit (as above), 8 galls.; oil of turpentine, 1 fl. oz.; salt, 1 1 ⁄ 2 lb., di olved in water, 4 galls.; draw over 10 galls., as before. 22 u. p. 3. Clean corn spirit, 80 galls.; oil of turpentine, 1 pint; pure oil of juniper, 3 fl. oz.; salt, 21 lbs.; water, 35 galls.; draw over 100 galls., as before. 22 u. p. 4. To the last, before distillation, add, of oil of caraway, 1 ⁄ 2 fl. oz.; oil of sweet fennel, 1 ⁄ 4 fl. oz.; cardamoms (ground), 8 oz. 5. To No. 3 add, of e ential oil of almonds, 1 dr.; e ence of lemon, 4 dr. 6. To No. 1, before distillation, add of creasote, 3 fl. dr. 7. To No. 3 add of creasote, 2 dr. 8. Proof spirit, 80 galls.; oil of turpentine, 3 ⁄ 4 pint; oil of juniper, 1 ⁄ 4 pint; creasote, 2 dr.; oranges and lemons, sliced, of each 9 in no.; macerate for a week, and distil 100 galls. 22 u. p. 9. To No. 1 add of rectified fusel oil, 1 ⁄ 2 pint. 10. To No. 1 add of oil of juniper, 1 ⁄ 2 pint. Concluding Remarks. The oil of turpentine for this purpose should be of the best quality, and not that usually vended for painting, which always contains resin and often fixed oil. Juniper berries, bitter almonds, and the aromatic seeds, may be used instead of the e ential oils; but the latter are the most convenient. Turpentine conveys a plain-gin flavour,—juniper berries or oil gives a Hollands flavour,—creasote imparts a certain degree of smokine , or whiskey flavour,—lemon and the other aromatics, a creamine , fulne , and richne . The flavour imparted by cardamoms, when used judiciously, is peculiarly agreeable and appropriate. That from caraways is also in general esteem. Ca ia in extremely small proportions also tells well. Fusel oil gives a whiskey-gin flavour; and in conjunction with creasote or crude pyroligneous acid, a full whiskey flavour. The only danger in the employment of all these articles is using too much of them. When this misfortune happens, the remedy is to add sufficient plain spirit to reduce the flavour to the proper standard. The creamine and smoothne so much admired in ‘foreign geneva’ results chiefly from age. The English rectifier endeavours to imitate this by the addition of a little sugar. A rich mellowne , that combines well with gins turning on the ‘Hollands flavour,’ is given by a very small quantity of garlic, and with Canadian balsam or Strasburg turpentine. The peculiar piquancy, or the property of ‘biting the palate,’ regarded as a proof of strength and quality by the ignorant gin-drinker, is imparted to the liquor by the addition of a little caustic pota a. Sliced horseradish gives piquancy as well as mellowne . Grains of paradise, cayenne pepper, and sulphate of zinc, are also commonly added by fraudulent dealers. Although gin is always prepared on the large scale by distillation, it may also be made by the simple solution or digestion of the flavouring ingredients in the spirit; but it is, of course, better for distillation. the above formulæ is that denominated in the trade ‘ UNSWEETENED GIN ,’ ‘ GROG GIN ,’ .; but the gin usually sold in the metropolis is a sweetened spirit, and hence is technically distinguished by the terms ‘ SWEETENED ,’ or ‘ MADE UP ,’ The generality of London gin-drinkers prefer the latter article, even when weaker and inferior, which it usually is, as the addition of sugar permits adulteration and watering to an enormous extent with absolute impunity. Sweetened spirit cannot be easily tested for its strength, and is taken by the Excise at the strength which it is declared to po e by the dealer. To ascertain whether gin is sweetened or not, a little may be evaporated in a spoon, over a hot coal or a candle, when, if it is pure, it will leave the spoon scarcely soiled; but if, on the contrary, it has been sweetened, a small quantity of syrupy liquid, or sugar, will be obtained, the sweetne of which may be easily recognised by tasting it. The whole of the casks and utensils employed for gin should be perfectly clean, and properly prepared, so as not to give colour; as, if this spirit acquires the palest coloured tint, its value is le ened, and if much coloured it is rendered unsaleable. When gin has once become much stained, the only remedy is to re-distil it; when it is only slightly stained, the addition of a few lbs. of acetic acid (B. P.) to a pipe or butt, a spoonful or two to a gallon, or a few drops to a decanterful, will usually decolour it, either at once or as soon as it is mixed with water to make grog. See Alcoholometry , Casks , Distillation , Hollands , Spirits , ., and below .