Gin is a clear alcoholic drink produced from grains undergoing fermentation and double pot still distillation. Many herbs and edible plants are then added to the alcohol which give it a unique flavor, that is dry, bitter and refreshing. Among the most popular spices that are added to the gin - juniper, coriander, wormwood and even extracts of roses and cucumbers. It is thought that gin is based on the Dutch jenever, and became popular in Great Britain after William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Republic, occupied the English, Scottish and Irish thrones. Gin was used to mask the bitter flavour of quinine, which was the only effective anti-malarial compound in tropical British colonies.
