“Dive into the history and culture of juniper spirits in this fun and informative book . . . a must-read for marketers and gin lovers alike.” —The Spirits Business Gin is a global alcoholic drink that has polarised opinion like no other, and its history has been a roller coaster, alternating between being immensely popular and utterly unfashionable. The Weird and Wonderful Story of Gin explores the exciting, interesting, and downright curious aspects of the drink, with crime, murder, poisons, fires, dramatic accidents, artists, legends, and disasters all playing a part. These dark themes are also frequently used to promote brands and drinks. Did you know that the Filipinos are the world’s biggest gin drinkers? And even that Jack the Ripper, Al Capone, and the Krays all have their place in the history of gin? Not to mention Sir Winston Churchill, Noel Coward, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and James Bond! “Gin was the original Dutch courage and mothers’ ruin and there is drama, disaster, crime and royal patronage in its story as its fortunes lurch from being hugely popular to deeply unfashionable—and back again.” —Great British Life

“An absorbing popular history of one of history’s most popular drinks.” —Booklist Gin has been a drink of kings infused with crushed pearls and rose petals, and a drink of the poor flavored with turpentine and sulfuric acid. Born in alchemists’ stills and monastery kitchens, its earliest incarnations were juniper flavored medicines used to prevent plague, ease the pains of childbirth, and even to treat a lack of courage. In The Book of Gin, Richard Barnett traces the life of this beguiling spirit, once believed to cause a “new kind of drunkenness.” In the eighteenth century, gin-crazed debauchery (and class conflict) inspired Hogarth’s satirical masterpieces “Beer Street” and “Gin Lane.” In the nineteenth century, gin was drunk by Napoleonic War naval heroes, at lavish gin palaces, and by homesick colonials, who mixed it with their bitter anti-malarial tonics. In the early twentieth century, the illicit cocktail culture of Prohibition made gin—often dangerous bathtub gin—fashionable again. And today, with the growth of small-batch distilling, gin has once-again made a comeback. Wide-ranging, impeccably researched, and packed with illuminating stories, The Book of Gin is lively and fascinating, an indispensable history of a complex and notorious drink. “The Book of Gin is full of history that will make you grin . . . An enchanting read.” —Cooking by the Book

Mother’s Milk, Mother’s Ruin, and Ladies’ Delight. Dutch Courage and Cuckold’s Comfort. These evocative nicknames for gin hint that it has a far livelier history than the simple and classic martini would lead you to believe. In this book, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson journeys into gin’s past, revealing that this spirit has played the role of both hero and villain throughout history. Taking us back to gin’s origins as a medicine derived from the aromatic juniper berry, Solmonson describes how the Dutch recognized the berry’s alcoholic possibilities and distilled it into the whiskey-like genever. She then follows the drink to Britain, where cheap imitations laced with turpentine and other caustic fillers made it the drink of choice for poor eighteenth-century Londoners. Eventually replaced by the sweetened Old Tom style and later by London Dry gin, its popularity spread along with the British Empire. As people today once again embrace classic cocktails like the gimlet and the negroni, gin has reclaimed its place in the world of mixology. Featuring many enticing recipes, Gin is the perfect gift for cocktail aficionados and anyone who wants to know whether it should be shaken or stirred.

'Excellent' - Susy Atkins, the Telegraph For everyone and anyone who wants to understand more about gin, this is the definitive guide - covering the best gins the world has to offer, history and production methods, and the countries that have helped make gin a global success story. Never has there been a more striking revolution in the world of distilled spirits than the current renaissance of gin. With small craft distilleries popping up all over the world, from Texas to Tasmania, more varieties and techniques being used than ever before, and a tapestry of tastes from light and citrusy to big bold savoury notes, gin's appeal is extraordinarily wide and varied. From gin made in small batches from local botanicals, through to large facilities which make some of the world's most recognized gin brands, World Atlas of Gin looks at everything from the botanical to the bottle: how and where botanicals are grown and harvested and their role within the flavour of gin; producers and the stories behind their brands; exactly where, and how, gins are made; and, country by country, the best examples to try. Global cocktails are covered too, including the history and country of origin of some of the best-known mixed gin drinks.

Gin Glorious Gin is a vibrant cultural history of London seen through the prism of its most iconic drink. Leading the reader through the underbelly of the Georgian city via the Gin Craze, detouring through the Empire (with a G&T in hand), to the emergence of cocktail bars in the West End, the story is brought right up to date with the resurgence of class in a glass - the Ginnaissance. As gin has crossed paths with Londoners of all classes and professions over the past three hundred years it has become shorthand for metropolitan glamour and alcoholic squalor in equal measure. In and out of both legality and popularity, gin is a drink that has seen it all. Gin Glorious Gin is quirky, informative, full of famous faces - from Dickens to Churchill, Hogarth to Dr Johnson - and introduces many previously unknown Londoners, hidden from history, who have shaped the city and its signature drink.

Few, if any, alcoholic drinks have the dramatic and multi-faceted history of gin. In this fascinating new installment of the British Library's pocket philosophies, gin is explored through its origins in Holland, where it was popularized by William of Orange; its roots in medicine; its capacity to provide an albeit destructive escapism during the Gin Craze; its influence on language--responsible for the coining of "dutch courage;" and its current status as a popular social beverage and a pastime for those keen to experiment with flavoring their own gins. The Philosophy of Gin covers the historic transformation of the beverage, ideal flavor pairings for the gin connoisseur, and how a spirit once given a wide berth by the middle and upper classes now attracts such a large proportion of the public to choose gin as their tipple of choice.

Nominated for Tales of the Cocktails Spirited Awards 2021 Updated with more than 80 new gins. This is a book about how to drink gin of all kinds. It's about classic gins and new-generation gins, about gins from all over the world. It's about gin enjoyed with tonic and Sicilian lemonade. About the perfect martini gin and the best gin for a negroni. It's about juniper-heavy and delicate aromatic gins. About gin cocktails that ooze style and personality. Above all it's about enjoying your gin in ways you never thought possible. With more gin brands available than ever before, it is the time to set out what makes gin special, what its flavours are and how to get the most out of the brands you buy. For this new edition, Dave has revised more than half of the entries to include the best gins available today. Praise for the first edition of Gin: The Manual: 'You could not write a more sophisticated book or pack more detail onto each page...it is rocket science impressive'- Huffington Post