GIN, the spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries, is growing increasingly popular.
Because Saturday is World Gin Day, SunFood has stories for Mzansi gin lovers.
According to www.ginvodka.com, the first confirmed date of gin production was the early 17th century in Holland.
It was apparently produced as a medicine and sold at chemists to treat stomach complaints, gout and gallstones. From there it moved to England where, as one historian nicely put it, London went completely crazy for gin on a 50-year-long party.
Over the centuries, experimentation developed different varieties and flavours of gin.
Gin is basically flavoured vodka and its signature bitter taste is made by infusing the vodka with juniper berries, coriander and other ingredients.
The two major types of gin are London dry gin – or dry gin – and Bombay gin. A dry gin has a heavier flavour while Bombay gin has a lighter taste.
Dry gin is made by adding the botanicals – or plant ingredients – directly to the mash before distillation while the Bombay botanicals enter the spirit during the condensation part of the distillation process.
Dry gins may not contain added sweetening of more than 0,1g of sugars a litre, nor colourants or any other ingredients other than water.
Gin must not have an alcohol by volume lower than 30%.
Other types of juniper-flavoured spirits may also be sold as Wacholder or Genebra.
The Guardian newspaper reported that in Europe, the tax revenues from sales of spirits have overtaken beer for the first time and gin was one of the spirits making record sales.
British drinkers downed 12% more gin last year while beer sales are flat, despite the craze created by craft beer.
People bought 40 million bottles of gin in the UK last year – enough to make 1,12 billion gin and tonics, or 28 for every UK person of legal drinking age or older.
There are also some Mzansi gins that you may enjoy:
- Time Anchor
- Distillery 031
- New Harbour
- Triple Three
- Hope on Hopkins
- Musgrave
- Woodstock GIN CO
