Gin Renaissance in City of London

Not for the first time there is a gin renaissance in the City of London, fuelled by people’s desire to sample something original, new and different. So what is the history behind gin and what has lead to its current popularity?

Originally created for medicinal purposes the distinctive taste of gin derives its flavour from juniper berries. The Dutch are often falsely credited with the invention of gin in the mid 17th century but it seems that ‘genever’ as it was known can be traced back to Italy as far back as 1623. We are also told that in 1585 English soldiers who provided support in Antwerp against the Spanish during the Eighty Years’ War, were already drinking ‘genever’ for its calming effects before battle. It is from this event the term Dutch Courage is believed to have originated.

By 1663 numerous small Dutch and Flemish distillers (some 400 in Amsterdam alone) had popularized the re-distillation of malt spirit or malt wine with various herbs including juniper, anise, caraway, coriander, etc. to treat such medical problems as kidney ailments, lumbago, stomach ailments, gallstones and gout.

Gin emerged in England in varying forms in the early 17th century and during the time of the Restoration there was what could be described as a gin renaissance in the City of London and across Britain. By the mid 17^th century William of Orange, ruler of the Dutch Republic, occupied the British throne with his wife Mary. This period became known as the Glorious Revolution and during this time gin became very popular because  the Government allowed unlicensed gin production and at the same time imposed a heavy duty on all imported spirit. As a result the production and drinking of gin in England rose significantly and the gin Renaissance in the City of London blossomed.

However much of the quality of the gin could be questioned. Often it was unlicensed poor-quality grain that was deemed unfit for brewing beer that was used to make gin. It was also produced in particularly crude, inferior forms, where it was more likely to be flavoured with turpentine as an alternative or supplement to juniper. During the ‘Gin Craze’ as it was known thousands of gin-shops sprang up throughout England. It is believed that of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, not including coffee shops and drinking chocolate shops, over half were gin shops.

It appeared that the gin renaissance in the City of London and throughout England was largely fuelled by price. Compared to other drinks available around the same time gin was very cheap, and as a result began to be consumed regularly by the poor. Beer was viewed as much healthier than gin and maintained a healthy reputation. Gin was blamed for various social problems, which resulted from heavy consumption. It is believed that gin may have been a factor in the higher death rates, which stabilized London’s previously growing population. The epithet “mother’s ruin” is a common British name for gin, the origin of which is the subject of ongoing debate. However, the well known phrases “gin mills’ or the American phrase “gin joints” which were used to describe disreputable bars, or “gin-soaked” to refer to drunks, hark back to these times.