How to drink gin

Gin or cocktails based on it have become popular not so long ago. Due to its novelty, unique taste, rich smell and exquisite appearance, the drink finds its aesthetes every day. The strongest drink was invented in Holland, but it achieved fame thanks to the British. Another alcoholic drink is called "juniper vodka."

The expression "gin" came from France, from the word "genievre" - heather, juniper berries. The Dutch altered it to genever, and the British shortened it to gin.

What is gin

Dzhenever (gin) - alcoholic drink, with a strength of at least 37.5%. It is made by sedimentation of alcohol from wheat and other aromatic ingredients. It can be coriander, lemon or orange zest, violet root, hazelnuts. Also, rosemary, juniper and tea tree berries, angelica, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, licorice, kava-kava - herb and other ingredients are usually included. Sometimes barley is used instead of wheat distillate: pure or corn and rye are added.

History

Gin is considered a pharmacy alcoholic drink. In the 16th century, Dutch doctor Franciscus Silvius intended to invent a potion to improve the digestive system, but genever, an infusion of alcohol from juniper berries, became much tastier than the strong drinks of that time.

Some believe that the British stole the genever from the Dutch when the war was on. The rest say that William of Orange, who came to the English throne, brought it with him. Since at that time British laws allowed the sale of alcohol, gin became one of the cheap temptations, causing massive drunkenness of the population. British magazines wrote about cases of ignition of living people that were saturated with this alcohol.

1630 in London is famous for its gin sales. Almost every fourth house was engaged in alcohol trading. In 1736, the government decided to increase sales taxes in order to reduce consumption and the ability to sell gin. But such measures caused the construction of clandestine places. Then in 1752 an act on licensing sales was issued, which at least put things in order.

A more civilized and legal way of selling alcohol only at the end of the last century made this drink an image. And only then did gin production begin to develop.

How to make gin

The technology for making a tart beverage is not too heavy or complicated. To prepare a jenever, you need water, alcohol, aromatic spices. Gene can be cooked in two ways.

1. First, the alcohol solution is diluted with water so that it is not too strong. Then it is transferred to a special apparatus for distillation and various aromatic herbs are added. Distill can from one to three times. It all depends on the types of herbal elements that are added there.
2. The second way to prepare a genever: a mixture of an alcohol solution, water and herbs is placed in an oak barrel container and insisted.

The British prepare the gin in the first way, the Dutch use the second. But this does not mean that the drink is prepared only in these states. They use technology all over the world.

Generator Hold Time

Dutch gin is aged necessarily. Depending on the fermentation time, alcoholic gins are divided into 3 types:

1. Zhong - very young and very cheap.
2. Old - medium fermentation time. He wanders more than one winter and not one summer in oak barrels. It has a yellow color.
3. The oldest.Probably one of the most expensive drinks of all kinds of gins. Sometimes bottled in ceramic bottles. Most popular brands: Bols, Bokma and De Cooper.

Of the British species (not including the yellow dzhenever) only Sigr in Extra Dry is kept in oak barrels for three months, other brands do not use this technological stage.

Varieties

If we talk about the types of gin, then you need to start with history. The inventor invented a drink, which until now is produced by the method of distillation of barley malt. He mixed it with heather and kept it in oak barrels. However, this drink is not quite similar to true gin, although it became a prerequisite for its discovery.

The British gin "Old Tom" has become the central title between the drink "Geniver" and modern gin. It was made without vertical distillation, so the taste and concentration were inferior to the current one. Sugar was added to the Old Tom alcoholic drink. Modern technologies, various techniques allow you to make an elegant drink, with an exquisite smell and taste.

The variety of gins depends on the manufacturing techniques. Distinguish between Dutch and English booze, which are also divided into several types.

There are three types of British gin:

• Dry London.
• Plymouth.
• Yellow.

The first type of gin, also called dry gin, is translated into English as London Dry Gin. It appeared with the advent of vertical distillation. The drink is absolutely sugar free, has a cold, “metallic” flavor. This alcoholic drink can be attributed to high-quality gins. The concentration of the fortress is 40–47 °.

Plymouth Gin - Plymouth Gin - is made only in the county of Devonshire. The manufacturing technology is a bit like dry gin, it is made from wheat. The concentration of the strength of the drink is due to the amount of distilled water. It has a floral aroma, soft taste.

Yellow gin is a very rare drink. Translated into English - Yellow Gin. Unlike previous tinctures: aged in oak barrels from sherry, as in the good old days. Due to this, the drink has a yellowish color and strength 39–45 °.

Several varieties of Dutch gins are also distinguished. They differ from the British in that they are aged in large barrels. These include:

1. Genever (Jonge). Traditional drink of the Netherlands and Belgium. Fortress - 30–48 °. This is the newest type of tincture and at the same time inexpensive. It is prepared on alcohol malt. Juniper berries and other spices are added to it.
2. Old Gin (Oude). Oude means long aging in barrel containers. It has a golden color and medium strength.
3. The oldest (Zeer Oude). Very old and most aged gin drink. Due to this, it is considered the most expensive. It has a pleasant aroma and straw color. Poured into clay bottles.

Popular brands

1. Beefeater. On a quiet street in the Kennington district, today you can see the last London winery, which produces a gin drink. One distillery in the English province. Beefiter is made here, following a specific top-secret prescription technology invented by the resourceful pharmacist James Borrow. The pharmacist created a genever, combining omnipotence and airiness. He called him the Beefeater in honor of the London Tower of Sentry, thinking that they best embody the patriarchal spirit of gin from London. Powerful and aromatic Beefiter includes 40 or 47% alcohol, depending on which state is sold.
2. "Bombay Sapphire." The rich bouquet taste of gin is due to a special distillation method: alcohol vapors are saturated with the aromas of spices. The perfect transparency of the drink is determined by the use of water from Lake Vernui. This characteristic dzhenever is drunk "pure", as the impeccable basis for martini cocktails or a bit "elongated" tonic. The percentage of alcohol is 47.
3. Sigrem’s. Appeared in 1857. It is filtered at low temperature and stand in barrels of white oak wood.So he saves amazing aromatic power and a light golden amber shade, which distinguishes it from other brands of alcoholic beverage. It is used both in low alcohol “long drinks” and in very alcoholic “short drinks”. Alcohol coefficient of fortress - 40%.

Composition and calorie content

Composition

This is the strongest drink. Naturally, the alcohol core is the most important part of the generation. Often, wheat and barley alcohols are used. It is also made from corn, grape, potato stems, a mixture of erysipelas and barley. Further, juniper berries are important and mandatory components. They give astringency to the drink, which distinguishes it from other alcoholic varieties.

In the last time, they experimented a lot on this infusion and added ingredients unusual for it: anise, coriander, cinnamon, violet roots, angelica, cassia, grapes, almonds, coriander, licorice and others. Lemon or orange zest is often added as flavoring agents.

The composition of the drink does not include proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Therefore, the energy value is 0.

Alcohol in gin is 39.7 g. Water is 60.3 g. Some vitamins are also present: PP - 0.01 g, B1 - 0.01 g. Minerals: zinc and iron, 0.04 g each, copper and manganese, each 0.02 g, phosphorus - 4 g, potassium - 2 g, sodium - 1 g.

Why does gin have such a specific smell

Often, in addition to juniper berries, from 6 to 20 herbal supplements are added, each of which has a certain aroma. For example, the French gin Citadel has 15 additives in its composition. The multicomponent gin of 17 aromatic additives broke all records - this is a Dutch drink called Damrak Amsterdam. Therefore, it is not surprising that many drinks have not only a specific smell, but also different color shades. For example, the shade of olive in gin “Dirty Olive”. Kava-kava and tea tree fruits are added to the South Gin drink, and its color is transparent.

Fortress

Gin has a high percentage of strength - approximately 45%, sometimes higher. Fans of this drink have learned to dilute it with non-alcoholic drinks or just ice.

In ancient times, gin was diluted with infusions and decoctions of a quinine tree. Since the bark of this plant contains acetylsalicylic acid, gin and tonic did not cause headaches in the morning. Due to this discovery, a lot of alcoholic drinks were made in the form of vermouth, ale, vodka and others.

Now a popular dry gin, and before it was drunk semi-dry or semi-sweet. Therefore, in the present tense many cocktails with a genever are invented. It is difficult to use it in a “pure” form, because for some time the manufacturers tried to lower the percentage of strength to 10. True, the genever lost its appearance and taste. And in the twentieth century, a legal project was adopted, which prohibited the reduction of the percentage of alcohol in the drink. Therefore, the strength should range from 37.5 to 47%.

The strongest gin is considered to be the British gins “Old Raj Kadenhead” (46–55% strength) and “Gin bell” (47.2% alcohol).

Calorie content

The calorie content of gin is about 275 kcal.

How to drink gin

There is no special rule for drinking various alcoholic beverages. However, gin is a very specific alcoholic beverage. If the Genever is not drunk correctly, you can stay with an unpleasant aftertaste. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to drink gin, what to drink and what to eat, whether it can be consumed in a “pure” form.

Main rules

First-class Genever - first-class gin. It must be drunk with full honors. They recommend drinking alcohol chilled by putting it in the refrigerator for several hours before drinking. The optimum temperature is about 5 degrees.

Properly drink tincture from small piles up to 50 ml. Drink should not be savored, it must be drunk in one gulp. So you will feel the real taste of magic gin. Immediately experienced chill and freshness in the mouth. Then there is a burning sensation. To reduce it, it is recommended to add a slice of lemon to the stack.

In what form can you drink gin

Drink an alcoholic drink in three ways:

1. In the "pure" form. Before the feast they cool and drink in one gulp.
2. In diluted form.Dilute with mineral water, Coca-Cola, juices.
3. As a part of cocktails. There are many cocktail drinks that include gin. Most often, English gins are used to make cocktails, since the Dutch are too strong.

What to drink with

Gin can be bred with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Lovers breed gin in different ways, here are a few options:

1. Throw four packets of bergamot tea into a 0.7 bottle. Leave for a couple of hours at a temperature of 37 degrees. Then take out all the packages and drink the genever with ice or mix with tonic. Instead of bergamot, you can use chamomile tea, honey and squeezed lemon juice in the same way.
2. Mix the genever with cola 1: 1, add ice to the glass.
3. Focusing on your taste, add lemon juice and a drop of sugar to the gin.
4. Pour 50:50 grapefruit juice into a gin drink.
5. Those who appreciate the pure taste of gin can add still water or, conversely, mineral water.

Gin is combined with various alcoholic drinks:

• Genever and champagne.
• Genever and vermouth 1: 2.

Gin is used to make various cocktails. Therefore, it is combined with vodka, liquors, brandy.

Than have a bite

1. Genever goes well with hearty cooking. Often the British relish gin and sweet toast in the morning, and someone makes a gin and jam cocktail.
2. Alcohol goes great with baking, although it sounds weird.
3. Cucumber perfectly masks the aroma of grass, so this vegetable is often used instead of fruit to decorate cocktails.
4. Delicious gin with shrimp, dishes with them.
5. An English traditional gin appetizer is fried fish and potatoes.
6. Dutch gins go well with mold cheeses.
7. Belgians seize the genever with salmon, seafood, hard cheeses.
8. Olives, lime, onions under the marinade, cakes, dark chocolate, various sweets, pastes with caviar also serve as a good snack.

Is it possible to drink in pure form

Dzhenever can be drunk in "pure" form. The taste of gin is sometimes compared with the taste of a good collection of cognac. But caution should be exercised, because a drink can be with a strength of not 40, but 50 °.

Glorious gin is obliged to bring a vivid sense of frost ("cold as a metal object" - this is how they are said in Britain). This serves as a counterweight to the burning effects of alcohol.

The aroma of juniper berries should be brighter than the smell of other spices, but also not to extinguish the shades of citrus, coriander, almonds and other plant ingredients.

The "purest" gin should be drunk in one sip and preferably chilled, but pieces of ice can be added. A pure alcoholic drink should not be washed down, only a snack of lemon, orange, olive, pickled onions.

Gin cocktails: recipes

Gin and tonic

This is one of the most famous cocktails. Although it consists of only two ingredients, there is still debate about what the ratio should be. To prepare a gin and tonic, you need to pour 30 ml of gin into a glass with ice. Add 60 ml of tonic there. Decorate the glass with a slice of lime.

Beefiter Negroni

This cocktail was invented back in 1920 by an Italian. The highlight of the drink was considered an orange slice. To prepare this cocktail, you will need to mix 30 ml of Beefiter gin with 30 ml of sweet vermouth. Then add 30 ml of Campari bitter. Be sure to decorate the glass with an orange and add ice.

Dry martini

This cocktail was invented in 1912 by the bartender of a hotel in New York. To prepare dry martini, you need to mix 55 ml of gin with 55 ml of vermouth "Martini Extra Dry" Add ice and a slice of lemon.

Singapore Loop

Invented in 1911–1915 by the bartender. To prepare this delicious cocktail, you need to mix 30 ml of gin with 10 ml of Triple Sec liqueur.Then add 10 ml of Benedict liquor, 15 ml of cherry liquor and 1 ml of Augustura bitter. Then pour 120 ml of pineapple and 15 ml of lime juice. Garnish with cocktail cherries, a slice of orange or pineapple. And naturally add ice.

"Kiss of a rose"

Great cocktail on Valentine's Day. Served with rose petals. Cooking is very easy. You need to mix 30 ml of gin, 10 ml of rose syrup and 30 ml of pomegranate juice. Squeeze a little juice from the lemon and embellish the glass with rose petals.

Tropical Gin

In a shaker, beat with ice 20 ml of gin, 20 ml of lemon juice, 10 ml of orange juice, 20 ml of mango juice. Strain into a glass, add 20 ml of soda water, mix gently, pour liquor on top. Serve with a cocktail straw.

"White Jack"

To prepare, you need to whip 50 ml of gin, 30 ml of lemon juice, 20 ml of Maraschino liquor and 2 ml of Augustura bitter in a shaker. Filter into chilled cocktail goblet. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

The Blue Lady

Place 20 ml of Blue Lady liquor in a shaker, then add 20 ml of gin and 20 ml of lemon juice, ice. Shake everything. Pour the drink into a glass, garnish with a lemon. You can also make a sugar rim on a glass.

The benefits and harms of gin

Benefit

Like all other alcoholic drinks, gin should not be consumed in large quantities. Only small doses of the drink will help to heal or conduct proper prevention.

Historical records state that the genever was created for medicinal purposes and had a diuretic effect. It was sold in pharmacies. In India, gin and tonic was used as a cure for malaria. Now it is used for grinding, for the prevention of colds.

1. Prescription for bronchitis: 2 tbsp. gin add honey and some onion juice. Drink 1 tsp. three times a day.
2. If you brew a chamomile and mix it with gin (2 tablespoons per 100 ml of flowers and 50 g of gin), you will get an excellent expectorant that will help with bronchitis.
3. You can do compresses for radiculitis. On gauze, put the juice of white radish, onion and 2 tbsp. gin, attach to the lower back, cover with polyethylene. Keep it up for 30 minutes. Then remove the gauze and wipe the area with a soft cloth material with warm water.
4. With a sore throat, a similar compress helps. Only moisten gauze with pure gin, apply to a sore spot for 3 hours. Then anoint the area with a cream with a moisturizing effect.
5. Decoction, which includes gin, will help to cure swelling or redness of the throat. You need to take the onion and place it in a saucepan. To him add 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 cups of water. Boil all this until the onions are ready. Then add 50 ml of gin. Drink this mixture for 1 tsp. during the day.

Harm

With the systematic use of a genever, diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as alcohol dependence, can occur.

If a person has intolerance to juniper berries, then there is a likelihood of an allergy. It is forbidden to drink gin to people with kidney disease and hypertension.

Poor gin or fake can harm the human body, even death. Note! If the gin is sweet, then it is of poor quality, which may also indicate a fake.

What is important to know about gin and tonic

Real gin and tonic can only be prepared. In no case should you buy a factory one. After all, it includes such components that slowly kill the human body. The carcinogens that make up the finished drink destroy internal organs. This drink is even banned in some countries. It includes quinine, and it can cause malignant neoplasms.

Fact! One can of gin and tonic from the factory is equal to 5 cups of strong coffee, several pieces of sugar and 50 g of average quality vodka.

First, you cannot store a mixture of alcohol and sugar in cans.Secondly, due to the processing of not only ethanol, but also sugar, the liver is very affected, the gastrointestinal tract is constantly irritated. These irritations result in ulcers, gastritis, and digestive upsets. If the body has at least one organ that suffers from alcohol, then this is reflected in the heart: the pulse jumps, blood pressure rises. This leads to tachycardia. Due to the violation of the tide of blood, the brain activity of a person decreases. With the frequent use of canned gin-tonic, brain cells die off, and we all know where this leads. Excessive accumulation of preservatives leads to allergic reactions: edema, itching, peeling, redness of the skin. Sometimes excessive consumption of this drink can lead to anaphylactic shock.

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