A Brief History of Gin

Compendium Legend and lore

Gin originated in the Netherlands in the 17th century, and came to England when William of Orange succeeded to the throne.

Gin became popular in England after the government allowed unlicensed gin production and imposed a heavy duty on all imported spirits. This created the emergence of thousands of gin-shops throughout England. By 1740 the production of gin had increased to six times that of beer, becoming the cheaper alternative.

The Gin Act 1736 imposed high taxes on retailers and led to riots in the streets. The prohibitive duty was gradually reduced and finally abolished in 1742. The Gin Act 1751 was more successful, forcing distillers to sell only to licensed retailers and bringing gin-shops under the jurisdiction of local magistrates. This resulted in an improvement in both the quality and the reputation of gin.

Gin in the 18th century was produced in pot stills, and was sweeter than the London gin known today. The column still was invented in 1832, and the ‘London dry’ style was developed later in the 19th century. In tropical British colonies, gin was used to mask the bitter flavour of quinine, a protection against malaria, which was dissolved in carbonated water to form tonic water. This was the origin of today’s popular gin & tonic combination.