Gin and gin drinks

Did you know this about gin? The name gin comes from the English word genever, which has its roots in the Latin word juniperus, meaning juniper. The history of gin production is thought to have begun in the Netherlands in the 17th century, although references to its production date back even earlier. Originally, gin was made by monks and alchemists for medicinal purposes. From the Netherlands, the drink made its way to England, where it was called gin and spread around the world during the British Empire.

Gin is made by distilling grain and flavoured with juniper berry, a mandatory ingredient in gin. There are different types of gin, including Dry gin, London dry gin and Plymouth gin. Other types of gin include also genevers. Gin must have an alcohol content of at least 37.5%, genevers can be milder. Today, there are thousands of different types of gin, flavored with fruits, flowers, spices and herbs in addition to juniper berries.

Gin drinks

The most famous gin drink is surely the fresh Gin & Tonic. The drink was first produced in India in the 19th century, where quinine-containing tonic water was used to prevent and treat malaria. According to the story, Gin & Tonic was born when gin was used to flavor tonic water, which was considered to have a bad taste. Gin & Tonic is easy to make, all you need is good quality gin, good quality tonic water, ice and citrus fruits for garnish. Usually, the ratio of gin to tonic water is 1:3.

Another well-known gin drink made from gin is the negroni, usually enjoyed as an aperitif. The negroni is said to have been created in Florence in 1919 by Fosco Scarselli, a legendary barman at Caffè Cason. Traditionally, negroni is made from gin, Campari, and vermouth, but there are different recipes. On our website you will find the recipe for Kuopio Negroni.

The third traditional gin drink is Tom Collins, thought to have been born in London in the early 19th century. The traditional recipe involves gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar syrup shaken in a shaker. There are many different versions of Tom Collins today, ours being FINNA Collins.