What is Gin?
Clear, unaged ethyl alcohol
- Juniper berries
- Neutral Spirits - unaged ethyl alcohol e.g. vodka
- Botanicals - flavourings added to Gin, mainly plant based products
Relies on the discretion of the distiller rather than scientific measurement - this is how we get such variations
What are the EU regulations on Gin?
- Predominant flavour must be juniper
- Minimum strength 37.5% ABV
- Standards don’t apply in Australia
- Minimum strength 37.5% ABV
What is agave?
Tequila in Australia
Brief History of Gin creation
- Benedict monks in Italy distilled tonics with juniper berries
- They then added herbs and spices for flavour
- Was used as medicine- Surplus crops (potato, wheat, rye, barley) used for spirits
- Genever made using malt wine 50% ABV and Juniper
- English discovered Genever during war, “Dutch courage”
- King banned banned wine & brandy = spirit popularity
- Gin Craze
- U.S Prohibition
- Production diverted WW11 - molasses used
- 1970s Vodka popular
- Gin innovation - flavoured tonics
What was the English Gin Craze?
- The government introduced Gin Act, which forced it underground
- London was awash with noxious gin due to being unregulated
- Reputable Gin industry developed
*Noxious Gin - high alcohol, toxic
Why did cocktails become so popular from 1960s-1980s?
- 1860s: Gin is the ultimate cocktail alcohol
- 1870s: Brandy and wine knocked out by phylloxera
*Phylloxera - insect that chews on roots of grape vines, killing them within 5-10 years
What happened during U.S Prohibition?
- Increased the demand for English Gin
- US bartenders moved to England and made cocktails popular over in England
List 3 types of Gin?
London Dry Gin:
- Traditional still by redistilling alcohol with natural flavourings (Juniper)
- Sweetening added after distillation - cant taste this amount however adding the sugar can change the feel
Distilled Gin:
- Traditional still by redistilling alcohol with natural flavours and other additives
- during distillation natural flavours can be added
- after distillation natural & unnatural can be added
Gin:
- not redistilled but artificial flavours used
- They don’t have to use Juniper, can just add juniper flavouring
- No real restriction
What is Genever?
Technically not a gin
A clear, botanically rich, multi grain based spirit.
Blend of 2 or more distillates:
1. Whisky triple distillate made of corn, wheat and rye (malt wine)
2. Juniper-infused distillate
3. Possibly third part malt wine redistilled together with differ
What are the 3 types of Genever?
Jonge
Oude
Korenwijin - Most like the original style of Genever, usually deep in colour (could be oak aged)
Other Distilled Styles of Gin?
- London Plymouth
- Old Tom Gin
- Navy >57.1% ABV
- Aged or Barrel rested gin - takes on the bourbon taste
Other Gin Styles?
- Flavoured & Coloured gins: one of a kind botanical flavours
- Compound: botanicals added via maceration not distilled
- Cold compound: flavoured with extracts, essences
How is Gin distilled?
- Steam - oils with aromatic compounds go with the steam
- Pot heated to 70-80C using steel coil
- Heat vaporises the wash, alcohol then rises
- The shape at the top of the pot, causes the steam to condense.
- Vapour rises into the neck (lyne arm)
- Vapour passes through cold water condenser
- Spirit safe, cut into heads, hearts and tails. Heart kept. Waste leaves.
Why is the shape of the pot important?
The shape really determines the flavour, how much extraction we get. We want reflux - important! Pot stills are often custom.
Why is the shape of the arm (lyne) important?
The angle determines a lot of the flavour, smoothness and quality of the gin
Steep Ascent: • Vapours fight up - so cool slower, higher the proof and smoother distillate Parallel: • Slightly smooth Steep descent: • Higher risk of wash presence • Less smooth distillate
*Most distilleries have it neutral or slight descent
What is the ABV of the NS put into the gin distillation?
96% ABV
What is Maceration?
Botanicals are left in the NS to steep for 24 hours for several days
What are the two maceration methods?
One-shot method:
- Grain neutral spirit - Water & botanicals macerated in exact proportions of recipe
Two-shot method:
- Still used an exact measurement but concentration might be higher - twice, three
times as much etc.
- More leeway in adjusting the product at the end
What is vapour infusion?
Imparts flavours from botanicals by passing the NS vapour through botanicals
Use baskets layering in pot above vapours
What is vaccuum (cold) distillation?
Infusion cooks them, if you want more sensitive method use cold method
It uses pressure - this preserves the fresh flavour of the botanicals more
Boiling lower, 30C, not the same damage that you would get from cooking otherwise
What effects the reflux and thereby spirit quality?
As they move away from heating coil they slow down and get caught in the bulb, then drop down, the bulb determines amount of reflux
The more reflux = cleaner the distillate
Where is the spirit cut? How do they determine the cut?
Cut in the spirit safe
Use time and alcohol level to determine the cut
Alcohol level determined using hydrometer - they indicate density of liquid
What are the three parts in the cut?
Heads:
Harsh chemical compounds like acetone or toxic methanol
Hearts:
Low alcohol and unpleasant sulphates, fatty acids
Tails:
Holds the most alcohol, 62-65% ABV
3 steps in spirit reduction?
- Gin comes out at 80-85% ABV
- reduced to minimum of 37.5% ABV
- Water added, must be pure
