Gin Gin Gin is liquor which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries ("Juniperus communis"). Gin is one of the broadest categories of spirits, all of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles that revolve around juniper as a common ingredient. From its earliest origins in the Middle Ages, the drink has evolved from a herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin was developed based on the older Dutch liquor, jenever, and became popular in Great Britain (particularly in London) when William of Orange became King William III of England. The earliest known written reference to genever
Gin illustrated by William Hogarth in his engravings "Beer Street and Gin Lane" (1751), described by the BBC as "arguably the most potent anti-drug poster ever conceived." The negative reputation of gin survives today in the English language, in terms like "gin mills" or the American phrase "gin joints" to describe disreputable bars, or "gin-soaked" to refer to drunks. The epithet "mother's ruin" is a common British name for gin, the origin of which is the subject of ongoing debate. The Gin Act 1736 imposed high taxes on retailers and led to riots in the streets. The prohibitive duty was gradually