8 fun facts about gin

We’re getting in the mood for World Gin Day by celebrating some fun facts about this classic and universally loved spirit.

1. The “gimlet” is the name of a gin-based cocktail that was originally created to cure scurvy.
2. The most notable flavour in gin is a hard mountain berry called juniper. However, gin can be infused with any number of botanicals, including anything from rose petals to nettles. This is why specific regions can boast their own speciality gin flavours.
3. Whilst the origin of Gin has sparked much debate over the years… It was actually invented in England, inspired by an earlier medicinal Dutch spirit called jenever.
4. The first gin and tonic, however, originated in India as the British officers used to add quinine (the flavour in tonic water) to their water to make it more palatable and safer to drink.
5. The country that consumes the most gin in all the world is Spain, at an average of 1.07 litres per person per year.
6. Whilst in some ways gin appears to be a botanically-flavoured version of vodka, it differs in that it can actually be distilled from wheat, barley, potatoes and/or grapes.
7. ‘Bathtub gin’ (also sometimes compound gin) was illegally made at home during American Prohibition in the 1920s by infusing fruits, herbs, vegetables or spices (including juniper) in a neutral spirit base.
8. ‘Navy Strength’ is used to refer to any high-strength gin with an alcohol level of 57% or more — most gins sit around 41%!