gin

Gin is a generic category for neutral (or relatively neutral) grain spirit infused with juniper berries and other botanical flavorings during or after the distillation process. Principal varieties of gin include Old Tom and London Dry Gin, both of English origin. Old Tom is at least vaguely sweetened and generally rich and round, whereas London Dry is distinguished by being resolutely unsweetened—“dry gin”. Generally, when the term “gin” stands alone, London Dry Gin is what is implied. Novel gin styles exist, most of which draw from the same pool of botanical flavorings but emphasize or deemphasize flavors or seek a particularly strong (or particularly mild) overall character. Another spirit is mentioned in the context of gin: genever. Genever, a tradition of Dutch, Belgian and German origin, kind of straddles a line between whiskey and gin, and it can be correctly pointed at—in a general way—as the antecedent and inspiration for the English gins. However, genever is not gin. Much of the confusion stems from 18th and 19th Century English-speaking Americans calling it “gin” or “Hollands gin”, referring to it as such in many early bar manuals.