Gin

Gin, alcoholic liquor, distilled from grain, and deriving its flavor principally from an infusion of juniper berries. The name is an abbreviation of the word geneva, a corruption of either the French genièvre or the Dutch junever, both meaning “juniper.” The two principal kinds of gin are the American or English variety, usually described as London gin or dry gin, and the Dutch type, called Geneva schnapps or Hollands. Dry gin is prepared from grain alcohol that has been purified by fractional distillation. The purified alcohol is then mixed with juniper berries and other flavoring agents, distilled once more, and diluted to approximately 80 or 90 proof. Dutch gin is prepared in much the same way as dry gin, except that the grain alcohol is less highly purified, and thus retains more of the flavor of the grain. Sugar syrup is sometimes added to the final product. Gin drinking became a social evil in Britain early in the 18th century, when it was so cheap that one could get “drunk for a penny, dead drunk for twopence.” Increasingly heavy taxes, however, were levied on gin, beginning with the Gin Act of 1736. Gin is a popular beverage in the United Kingdom and the United States.