“It would be nice to have a Gin & Tonic to beat today’s heat .” Such a thought may have crossed the mind of a British navy officer going on a patrol in the Indian port in the 19th century. In fact, we could probably attribute the spread of gin around the world to the Royal British Navy, who were tasked with securing the British colonies around the world. But what is gin and how did it come about? 1500s – 1600s: Genever It is said that gin originated from a Dutch spirit named