A REAL TONIC

GIN HAS HAD MANY INCARNATIONS, FROM MUSE TO MEDICINE TO ‘MOTHER’S RUIN’. AUTHOR OF GIN: THE MANUAL DAVE BROOM EXPLORES THE CHEQUERED HISTORY OF THE SPIRIT LOVED BY PEASANTS, MERCHANTS AND KINGS

The story of gin is a tale of depravity and joy. A spirit of extraordinary complexity and depth, its praises have been sung by great writers and musicians. In its time, it has been blamed for society’s ills and been a symbol of middle-class respectability. We are now in gin’s second Golden Age. How we got here is quite a yarn. IN THE BEGINNING . . . . . . there was genever, the spirit of the Low Countries. It was a wealthy Dutch merchant who wrote down (in 1495) the earliest known recipe for a spirit flavoured with juniper, a plant that has long been valued for its medicinal properties. When the Dutch East India Company (1602–1799) dominated world trade, genever, or ‘Hollands’, was traded and bartered around the globe. Genever…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, 1-Dec-15

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