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Lifestyle // Crazy for Gin? The Spirit that Cleaned Up its Act

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Hyde Park Gine lane 3 001Forget Justin Bieber and Craig David, the biggest comeback of recent years has been of the alcoholic kind. Dubbed a ‘boom’ in the media, the rise of gin as the trendiest tipple of choice shows little signs of slowing, despite many calling it a ‘bubble’ that is destined to pop. Alliteration aside, the facts show that gin has quickly become the most popular spirit on the shelf. In the last two years, no fewer than fifty-six new distilleries have opened in the UK, putting Britain in the position of the world’s biggest exporter of the good stuff. And it’s not just about having a G&T while we’re out on the town- gin themed events are becoming more and more common, with gin festivals, pop up gin nights and gin-specialist bars opening across the country, and the launch of the UK’s first gin tour, ‘The Gin Journey’ in Manchester this year. Both the Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater brands have opened their own distilleries to the public and have been drawing in hordes of tourists and gin connoisseurs ever since. Last year a survey of bars nationwide found that gin is now the most popular spirit of choice, rather than the traditional vodka.

This is by no means the first time Britain has seen a ‘gin boom’ however, as the spirit has certainly cleaned up its bad reputation since its first heyday- the so called ‘gin craze’ of the 1500’s. Although the London Dry variety is now a British icon, the drink has an international past. It originated in Holland as ‘Jenever’ and was brought over to England by soldiers during the early sixteenth century, quickly made popular by its easy method of production. Its popularity soared during wars with France, during which time imports of French Brandy were severely restricted and the production of London Gin widely encouraged by the government. But the tipple also quickly earnt a somewhat seedy status, inspiring a nickname that remains prevalent today, ‘mother’s ruin’, and a reputation which is captured best in Hogarth’s iconic 1751 ‘Gin Lane’. The drawing presents a shocking picture of starvation, crime, infanticide and depravity, and reflected a much wider effort to curb gin consumption. From the mid sixteenth century, a wide variety of measures were taken, from government legislation to anti-gin campaigns by the elites, to economic incentives such as higher taxation and minimum prices. Nonetheless, gin remained popular, and even after the original ‘gin craze’ fizzled out the spirit enjoyed a resurgence in the Victorian era with the massive expansion of gin-specific bars, or ‘Gin Palaces’. Across the pond, ‘bathtub gin’ became a staple during the American prohibition, quite literally due to the fact people could easily produce it in their own bathtubs.

Today it is difficult to deny that gin is well and truly back in business, although there are key differences between gin crazes past and present. Its popularity is similarly soaring; in 1743, average annual gin consumption was 10 litres per person, a figure that in student land doesn’t seem quite so shocking. It has however largely shaken off its reputation as the tipple of the rough and unruly, and today gin goes hand in hand with gentrification much more closely than crime in popular culture. While the older generations (or at least any parents I know) still seem to find it strange to drink gin, and insist that it makes people cry, the under 30s have undoubtedly embraced the spirit. Returning to Hogarth’s ‘Gin Lane’, a modern sketch would surely look quite different. Although it would undoubtedly feature many a second year stumbling home after a night at ‘Fruity’, it would also see young professionals having after work drinks, cocktail makers devising innovative new takes on the Tom Collins, tourists searching out historic distilleries and that unforgettable woman from the Aldi advert who preferred gin over tea.

Words: Charlotte Tomlinson


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