Drink gin: recipe, composition. How to drink gin. Gin Cocktails

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Perhaps every country has its own traditional alcoholic drink. For example, many people associate Russia with vodka, the United States of America with whiskey, and England with gin. In this article, we will consider the English national drink.

What is gin?

Under this name lies an alcoholic drink with a strength of 37 degrees and above. Very often it is also called juniper vodka. A real good gin is the result of a double distillation of alcohol from cereals and berries. It is the fruits of juniper that give this alcohol such an unusual tart taste. Gin is infused after adding some spices:

• anise;
• coriander;
• almond;
• lemon zest;
• violet root, etc.

Juniper and spices make gin an appealing drink. Due to its dryness, it is practically not consumed in its pure form. So, basically it is diluted with something less strong. It is an excellent base for making various cocktails.

Historyoccurrence

During its existence, gin has gone through a thorny path from a drink with a dubious taste and aroma to elite alcohol. His homeland is not England at all, as it may seem, but Holland. It was first obtained in 1650. But historically, it was in England that gin was most widely used. It was used for warmth by British soldiers during the Thirty Years' War and eventually brought it home with them. In 1689, gin with the addition of alcohol began to be produced in England. It was a low-quality drink of poor quality. But this did not stop him from becoming very popular among the lower strata of society. Most likely, this demand for an alcoholic drink called gin was influenced by the price, because it was very low, and even people with low incomes could afford it. At this time, the king signed a decree banning the import of alcoholic products, which led to the fact that almost every household could make their own gin. This technology is practically no different from conventional home brewing. Soon the government brought order to this industry, introducing new taxes and licensing. Over time, the quality of the drink has increased, and the taste has improved a lot. Gin firms emerged and began to produce elite drinks in the struggle for the global market.

Gin and medicine

Juniper brought popularity to the future alcoholic drink, because this plant is the main flavoring in gin. In ancient times, it was used by people as a healing agent inthe fight against a mass of ailments, among which, even bubonic plague was present. Gin has some preventive properties, but they will only appear if the drink is consumed in small doses. It has also been used as a diuretic and a cure for malaria. Gin also helps with colds, sciatica and arthritis. Reviews of people who use it in traditional medicine are only positive. However, with the systematic use of this drink, alcohol dependence appears, which leads to a malfunction of the cardiovascular system. Individual intolerance to juniper can lead to allergic reactions. Also, gin is not recommended for people suffering from hypertension and kidney disease.

Basic types of gin

The modern composition of this drink has up to 120 components. The classic recipe for gin provides for the presence of at least two ingredients in its composition: alcohol (wheat or barley) and juniper (its berries). The drink is divided into two main types:

• British;
• not British.

The first version of gin can be obtained by distilling alcohol from wheat, while barley alcohol is used in the Netherlands. The most common is London dry gin.

British gin is obtained by adding flavorings to ready-made wheat alcohol. After mixing everything is distilled again. The resulting products are diluted to a strength of 43-50 degrees and purified from impurities and s alt with water.

The Dutch way to get gin is as follows: all components are added to barley wort, then the composition is fermented and distilled. After that, flavors are added, and the procedures are repeated. The resulting composition is diluted with water to the desired strength. The Dutch alcoholic drink - gin - after its distillation from barley alcohol is still aged in oak barrels. This gives it a special aroma and color, similar to cognac. Depending on the time of storage in barrels, gin is obtained in different price categories.

Interesting about gin

In the Belgian city of Hasselt there is a national museum, which presents interesting facts about strong alcohol, which is the drink gin. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that after swallowing, a feeling of coolness remains in the mouth, and not a burning sensation, as is the case with vodka or whiskey. And the aroma of juniper berries, pine needles or citrus fruits, which are added as additional components, contributes to this feeling.

In 2009, a special bar was opened in England where gin and tonic is not drunk, but sniffed. Special equipment evaporates this drink, and guests of the establishment in protective suits inhale its vapors. The "steam" gin, whose average price is 5 feet, is considered not the cheapest, and only people with a decent income can afford it.

How to drink gin properly?

There is no unequivocal opinion on how to drink a gin drink correctly. It is a strong alcohol, so it can be consumed both in its pure form and diluted. ATIn its pure form, it is not drunk so often, due to the dry taste of gin. The drink is swallowed in small piles like vodka, while having a plentiful snack on hot dishes, for example, fried meat. To weaken the characteristic burning taste, you can eat gin with game, cheese, smoked meats, fish, olives, lemons, pickled onions, etc. Literally everything, including fruits, is suitable as an accompanying drink. It all depends on personal preference and taste. Before drinking, it is recommended to cool alcohol, many drink it with ice cubes. Usually, the undiluted drink is served at the beginning of the feast as an aperitif, because both store-bought and homemade gin stimulate the appetite in every possible way.

Glasses for undiluted drink should be small, with a characteristic thick bottom. Basically, gin is drunk with cola, soda, soda, fruit drinks. This method allows you to reduce the fortress and soften its taste. There are no specific proportions, usually all ingredients are taken in equal parts. The unusual aroma of gin makes it an excellent basis for creating a variety of cocktails. In this case, tall glasses with a thick bottom are used as dishes. The most popular cocktail is the gin and tonic.

How to make a gin and tonic cocktail?

Let's consider the main ingredients for this drink:

1. Ice. For its preparation, distilled or mineral water is used. If the ice is frozen in large cubes, it must be crushed into smaller pieces.
2. One lemon. Its necessarycut just before making a cocktail.
3. Jin.
4. Tonic. It is advisable to use Schweppes in 200 ml bottles or cans.

When everything is at hand, you can start making a cocktail. The recipe for a gin and tonic is as follows: the glass is filled with crushed ice about a third. Next, add a slice of lemon. Then gin is slowly poured into the glass. You need to wait a bit and mix all the ingredients. Next, tonic is poured into the glass, the recommended proportion to gin is 2: 1, but you can experiment to your liking. Drink the finished cocktail slowly, enjoying the juniper-lemon aroma and taste.

Alcoholic drink gin. Main varieties

There are a great many varieties of this drink. The most popular high-quality gin drink is produced under the Beefeater brand. It is made from juniper, grain alcohol, citrus fruits, coriander, almonds. "Gordon's" is a strong drink with the addition of cinnamon, angelica, lemon zest. It is produced according to the recipe of the founder Alexander Gordon. Gin "Bombay Sapphire" has a wonderful soft taste and a rich bouquet of aromas. It contains components such as cassia bark, dandelion root, licorice. This type of gin is indispensable for a Martini cocktail.

Martini Cocktail

This drink is named after its creator. The method of preparation is as follows: dry white vermouth is mixed in equal proportions with strongly chilled gin and a few olives are added tolong skewer. There is a "female" and "male" version of the cocktail. We considered the second option above, but we will learn how to cook the “female” variety right now. So, you need to take 1/3 of gin, 1/3 of vermouth and 1/3 of citrus juice. All ingredients are mixed. A delicious cocktail is ready!