All About Gins

“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 genever – made by distilling grape wine macerated with juniper berries. Over time, grape wine was replaced by malted spirit, creating the rich genever we know today. 

So how did it get to England? The story goes that English soldiers were exposed to genever when they were helping the Dutch out in the Eighty Years’ War in the late 16^th century. Dutch soldiers would down the drink and charge into battle, giving rise to the drink’s moniker, ‘Dutch courage’. 

By the time those soldiers returned home, they had acquired a taste for genever, and brought it back to England. 

However, the rise of gin’s popularity in England is commonly attributed to one William II of Orange, an English king responsible for heavy restrictions on French imports such as cognac. In its place, England turned to producing its own spirit: gin.

1600s – early 1700s: Rise and Fall of English Gin

William passed several laws – like lowered tax on grain alcohol, and license-free alcohol distillation – to encourage locally produced alcohols made from local grains. Botanicals (often juniper) and sugar were used to mask the unpleasant flavours of poorly made spirit. The name ‘genever’ eventually degenerated into gin, which was publicised for the first time in printed media in 1714.

Gin became so cheap and widely available that alcoholism ran rampant among the English. This era, known now as the Gin Craze, was marked with social vices associated with overconsumption of cheap gin. Satirical depictions of women neglecting their families in favour of gin drinking fuelled the notorious nickname “Mother’s Ruin.”

This led to The Gin Act of 1751, which imposed hefty license fees and taxes to gin makers and sellers. Along with the rising price of grain, the Gin Craze slowly came to a halt.

1700s – mid 1800s: Old Tom Gin

The Gin Act brought greater regulation to production, yet gin remained commonly sweetened with sugar. From this tradition emerged Old Tom gin — a style defined by its gentle sweetness, sometimes further enriched through ageing or post-distillation maceration.

Old Tom gin is most famously tied to Boord & Son, whose 19th-century “Cat & Barrel” logo helped cement the spirit’s association with the tomcat. The name itself likely dates back to 18th-century gin houses, where carved plaques of a tomcat marked places selling this sweeter style of gin — patrons could slip a coin into the slot and receive a dram through a hidden pipe beneath the cat’s paw. While its exact origins are uncertain, Boord’s branding ensured that the Old Tom name and the feline image became inseparable in the public imagination.

Late 1700s: Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin first emerged in the late 18th century in the naval port city of Plymouth. Softer and earthier than London Dry, but less sweet than Old Tom, it’s often regarded as rounded and approachable. Today, Plymouth Gin remains unique as the only brand representing this style, distilled in the same Black Friars Distillery that has operated since 1793.

One of Plymouth Gin’s lasting claims to fame is its role as the British Navy’s gin of choice, supplied from the naval port where countless ships set sail.

1700s-1800s: Navy Strength Gin

By the late 18^th century, gin replaced cognac as ration for Royal British Navy officers (sailors drank rum). The gin issued to the Navy was stronger than the standard 40%, distilled to 100° proof — or 57% ABV — a potency that became known as “Navy Strength Gin.”

The higher alcohol content gave the gin greater shelf life on long voyages and was even thought to ward off disease with its herbal botanicals. Crucially for sailors, if spilled, it would not render the ship’s gunpowder useless, since the powder could still ignite at 57% ABV.

Navy gin was often mixed with lime juice to combat scurvy (a common disease among sailors caused by vitamin C deficiency), and the practice contributed to the development of one of the most iconic gin-based drinks: the gimlet.

Other cocktails, such as Gin & Tonic and Malaysia’s own Gin Pahit also have stories tracing back to the Navy’s gin tradition. 

Late 1800s – early 1900s: Sloe Gin

In rural England, gin took on a different form. Cheaply produced gin was macerated with wild fruits to create a variety of homemade brews. Among those was sloe gin, made by macerating the fruits of the widespread blackthorn bush – known as sloe berries – in cheap store-bought gin. 

The berries were tart and almost unpalatable, so they would be macerated in gin sweetened with copious amounts of sugar. The sloe gin today is still infused with sloe berries and sugar, resulting in a sweet, deep red liqueur bottled within the range of 20% ABV.

Mid 1800s – present: London Dry Gin

The London Dry gin that we are accustomed to today is attributed to Gordon’s in 1769, but it didn’t become a common style until the 1830s when column stills were used to create cleaner tasting gin compared to those made in traditional pot stills. 

The gin distilled this way required little to no sugar added to mask the unpleasant flavours, so the ‘Dry’ in London Dry Gin that we know today refers to the lack of sugar added to the final product. This style became the global benchmark for “classic” gin, with popular brands like Gordon’s (1769), Tanqueray (1830), Beefeater (1863), and Bombay Sapphire (1987) leading the charge.

Gin became a staple spirit, with ads highlighting the dry gin as a sophisticated drink for social elites. Riding on the popularity of London Dry came the Dry Martini and its numerous spinoffs, such as Dirty Martini and Espresso Martini.

Late 1900s – present: Contemporary Gin

In addition to London Dry, there’s a new category of ‘distilled gin’ which permits the addition of flavourings or sweeteners after distillation, which gives makers more creative flexibility. Many modern craft gins fall into this category, such as Hendrick’s (flavoured with cucumber and rose) and The Botanist (with 22 Islay botanicals).

The 2010s further brought the idea of regional gin – from countries like Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia – into the drinking experience. Newer gin brands highlight unique flavours of local botanicals, highlighting unique identity for different brands and giving old classics new flavours. 

While you don’t often find people sipping gin neat – the spirit's intense botanical flavour can be overwhelming – it’s therefore usually enjoyed in mixed drinks, from the popular gin and tonic, to a whole range of unique cocktails.

Text by Chris Chai (The Drink Archivist)

Illustrations by Shen 升 (Instagram)