Juniper berry Juniper berry A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially "Juniperus communis", are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries may be the only spice derived from conifers. All juniper species grow berries, but some are considered too bitter to eat. In addition to "J. communis", other edible species include "Juniperus drupacea", "Juniperus phoenicea",
Gin gang These are not to be confused with the uncovered ones which were called "gin−circle", "ginnyring", "horse−course", "horse−gang", "horse−path", "horse−track" and "horse−walk". In Scotland, Wales, and Warwickshire a gin gang was commonly called a "horse engine house". In 1976, 1,300 gin gangs were identified in Great Britain, and a few others in Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and East Germany. Most gin gangs were built from around 1785 to 1851, peaking in 1800 to 1830. The most recent ones were built in the Isle of Wight and Cornwall from 1845 to 1868. In the 19th century there were 575 gin gangs in