Deriving its name from either the French Genièvre or Dutch Jenever, Gin is a shorthand designation for juniper, the critical ingredient in its production.  Unlike other spirit types, whose designations are carefully regulated, Gin is a rather welcoming category, requiring only that the spirit contain juniper and be above 40% alcohol by volume (37.5% in the EU).  While juniper is the only required ingredient, other botanicals and flavors are often added, allowing a very broad range of flavors to be expressed in the Gin category.

As far as spirits categories go, Gin is one of the younger variants.  It is generally considered to have been invented sometime in the mid-1500’s to early-1600’s.  In fact, the term “Dutch Courage” is supposed to have come from British soldiers consuming Gin before going to battle in the late 1500’s, during the 80 Years’ War.  Some accounts would place gin as even older still,  with the first known reference to “Genevere” coming from a 13th Century encyclopedia.

Regardless, by the mid-1600’s the drink was wildly popular.  In 1663, Amsterdam alone had around 400 distillers producing Gins.  At that time, Gin was largely sold as a medical treatment, offered as a remedy for many ailments, including kidney and stomach problems,  gout, and gallstones.  Around the same time, Gin migrated to England, traveling there alongside William of Orange at the time of the Glorious Revolution (however, at the time English Gins were often flavored with turpentine as an alternative to juniper).

Gin’s popularity likewise exploded in England, where it became sanctioned to produce the spirit without license at the same time as heavy tariffs were placed on all imported spirits.  As a result, thousands of Gin shops opened across England – it is estimated that half of all drinking establishments, alcoholic or otherwise, at this time were Gin shops – during a phase historically referred to as the “Gin Craze.”  In 1736 a Gin Tax was imposed which led to rioting and disapproval across England, with the tax being repealed 6 years later.  A follow-up regulation in 1751 reversed the permission of unlicensed gin distribution, requiring distillers to sell through licensed distributors under control of local magistrates.

In the 18th Century, Gin was typically produced in pot stills, giving it a slightly sweeter profile than typical “Dry” British Gins as we know them today (produced in column stills beginning in the late 18th Century).  In the 19th Century, “Old Tom” style Gin, which is sweeter still and often contains sugar, became the new popular variant – although Old Tom Gin went out of favor for much of the 20th Century, there has been somewhat of a revitalization in recent years.

Interestingly, Gin was also used to help mask the pungent taste of Quinine, an anti-Malarial commonly consumed in the British Colonies.  Mixing Quinine with carbonated water is the basis for Tonic Water, thus the ever popular Gin and Tonic originated as a palatable medical treatment.  While the medical benefit of a G&T stems from the Tonic, it seems a perfect continuation of the medicinal history of Gin, centuries later.

Souce: Wikipedia