3 minute read
Gin is a Trending Tonic
from February/March 2023
The botanical-forward booze once known for its medicinal benefits has been the fastest growing spirit for at-home consumption since the beginning of the pandemic
By Jeff Joseph
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For centuries, gin has captured the imagination and soothed the spirit. But it got its start as a medicine used to treat or even prevent illness.
Medieval healers in Holland and Belgium called gin by another name— jenever—and employed it in their attempts to remedy everything from coughs and colds to strains and ruptures.
By the early 1700s, the libation had become widely available in Europe and was used to combat ailments that included respiratory problems and rheumatism. In the 1800s, the English were exploring gin’s medicinal properties and using it to address fevers, jaundice and smallpox.
Were those early medical practitioners onto anything? Apparently, yes.
Studies show the juniper berries used as an ingredient for gin contain compounds rich in essential oils and flavonoids that function as potent antioxidants that protect against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Juniper berries have also been found to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and they may help protect against gastrointestinal disorders and liver diseases.
Long before science supported the belief that gin held medical properties, word spread of its use as a cure-all. The wealthy were soon partaking of it, often mixing it with other ingredients such as lemon juice, honey and spices. It became commonplace to supplement gin with hot tea, lemon or honey to relieve cold and flu symptoms.
The public often associates gin with the British. The liquor’s popularity skyrocketed there after King William III, known as William of Orange, banned the import of French brandy. As the British administered their colonies in the tropics, they relied on it to mask the bitter taste of the quinine they drank to fight malaria. Gin even helped provide “Dutch courage” to English troops during the Thirty Years’ War.
Like all good things, gin has its downside, too. It earned the sobriquet of “mother’s ruin” in the days when people mixed it themselves in bathtubs. Licensing has long since regulated the distilling process and made the spirit safe for consumption.
Tonic or not, gin is hot right now—revenue is expected to reach $2.9 billion in the United States, and $15.5 billion globally this year.
