Gin

Gin is a spirit whose predominant flavor is derived from juniper berries (Juniperus communis). Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories. Distilled gin is crafted in the traditional manner, by redistilling neutral spirits of agricultural origin with juniper berries and other botanicals. Compound gin is made by simply flavoring neutral spirit with essences and/or other 'natural flavorings' without redistillation, and is not as highly regarded. The minimum bottled alcoholic strength for gin is 37.5% ABV in the E.U., and 40% ABV in the U.S..

The chief flavoring agent in Gin is the highly aromatic blue-green berry of the juniper, a low-slung evergreen bush (genus Juniperus) that is commercially grown in northern Italy, Croatia, the United States and Canada. Additional botanicals can include anise, angelica root, cinnamon, orange peel, coriander, and cassia bark. All Gin makers have their own secret combination of botanicals, the number of which can range from as few as four to as many as 15.

Most Gin is initially distilled in efficient column stills. The resulting spirit is high-proof, light-bodied, and clean with a minimal amount of congeners (flavor compounds) and flavoring agents. Low-quality "compound" gins are made by simply mixing the base spirit with juniper and botanical extracts. Mass-market gins are produced by soaking juniper berries and botanicals in the base spirit and then redistilling the mixture.

Top-quality gins are flavored in a unique manner. After one or more distillations the base spirit is redistilled one last time. During this final distillation the alcohol vapor wafts through a chamber in which the dried juniper berries and botanicals are suspended. The vapor gently extracts aromatic and flavoring oils and compounds from the berries and spices as it travels through the chamber on its way to the condenser. The resulting flavored spirit has a noticeable degree of complexity.

Classifications of Gin

London Dry Gin is the dominant English style of Gin. As a style it lends itself particularly well to mixing. London Dry Gin is the dominant Gin style in the United Kingdom, former British colonies, the United States, and Spain.  Of the several distinct styles of gin, London dry gin, a type of distilled gin, is the most common. In addition to the predominant juniper content, London dry gin is usually distilled in the presence of accenting citrus botanicals, such as lemon and bitter orange peel, as well as a subtle combination of other spices, including any of anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, licorice root, cinnamon, almond, cubeb, savory, lime peel, grapefruit peel, dragon eye, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise, nutmeg and cassia bark. London dry gin may not contain added sugar or colorants; water is the only permitted additive.

Popular London Dry Gin Brands: Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Boodles, Gordon's, Gibley's, Miller's, Gordon's, Seagram and Tanqueray.

Plymouth Gin

Plymouth Gin is relatively full-bodied (when compared to London Dry Gin). It is clear, slightly fruity, and very aromatic. Plymouth Gin is a style of gin that by law can only be produced in Plymouth, England, it being a Protected Geographical Indication within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery (the Black Friars Distillery) is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431 and opens on to what is now Southside Street. It has been in operation since 1793. Originally the local Gin style of the English Channel port of Plymouth, modern Plymouth Gin is nowadays made only by one distillery in Plymouth, Coates & Co., which also controls the right to the term Plymouth Gin. Plymouth Original Strength is 41.2% alcohol by volume. It has a distinctively different, slightly less dry flavor than the much more commonly available London Dry Gin, as it contains a higher than usual proportion of root ingredients, which bring a more 'earthy' feel to the gin, as well as a smoother juniper hit.

Old Tom Gin

Old Tom Gin is the last remaining example of the original lightly sweetened gins that were so popular in 18th-century England. The name comes from what may be the first example of a beverage vending machine. In the 1700s some pubs in England would have a wooden plaque shaped like a black cat (an "Old Tom") mounted on the outside wall. Thirsty passersby would deposit a penny in the cat’s mouth and place their lips around a small tube between the cat’s paws. The bartender inside would then pour a shot of Gin through the tube and into the customer’s waiting mouth. Until fairly recently limited quantities of Old Tom-style Gin were still being made by a few British distillers, but they were, at best, curiosity items.

Old Tom Gin (or Tom Gin or Old Tom) is a lightly sweetened Gin popular in 18th-century England that now is rarely available. It is slightly sweeter than London Dry, but slightly drier than Dutch/Holland Gin/Jenever, and is thus sometimes called The Missing Link.[1]

The name Old Tom Gin purportedly came from wooden plaques shaped like a black cat (an "Old Tom") mounted on the outside wall of some pubs above a public walkway in the 18th century England. After a pedestrian deposited a penny in the cat's mouth, they would place their lips around a small tube between the cat's paws. From the tube would come a shot of Gin, poured there by the bartender inside the pub.

Old Tom Gin was formerly made under license by a variety of distillers around the world; however one was recently re-launched by Hayman's distillery based on an original recipe. Since then a number of other companies have followed suit such as, Both's, Secret Treasures, Jensens, Ransom and even The Dorchester Hotel. The first written record of Old Tom Gin being used in the Tom Collins cocktail was the 1891 book, The Flowing Bowl: When and What to Drink.

Other Gin Brands at Las Campanas

Hendrick's Gin is a brand of gin produced by William Grant & Sons in Girvan, Scotland. In addition to the traditional juniper infusion, Hendrick's uses Bulgarian rose and cucumber to add flavor. Hendrick's gin is bottled in a dark brown apothecary-style bottle.

Hendrick's uses a blend of spirits produced from a Carter-Head Still (constructed in 1948), of which there are only a small number in the world, and a small pot still, originally built in 1860 by Bennett, Sons & Shears. Both have been restored to working order after being bought at auction in the 1960s by current William Grant Life President, Charles Gordon. The two stills produce strikingly different styles of gin due to their different construction and methods of distillation.

The pot still is generally referred to as the Bennett still. The still itself is quite small, which in general will allow most of the flavor characteristics of the botanicals to pass into the spirit. The still is charged with neutral spirit and the botanical recipe added to the liquid, along with some water. This is left to steep for 24 hours, which begins the process of extracting the flavor from the botanicals. The still is then heated by means of an external steam jacket to boil the liquid. As the pot begins to boil, vapor moves up the short column of the still and eventually meets the condenser, where vapors are turned back to liquid and collected. First runnings can be as high as 92% alcohol, with a gradual decrease in the strength as the distillation progresses. Once all of the alcohol is collected, the final spirit will be approximately 75% alcohol v/v. This spirit is of a heavy, oily character with a strong juniper-flavor.

In contrast, the spirit derived from the Carter-Head still is much subtler with light floral and sweet fragrances. Its method of production is quite different, with only the neutral spirit and water added to the pot of this still. All botanicals used with the Carter-Head are added to a flavor basket at the very top of the still. Rather than boiling the botanicals, which produces the strong pungent spirit of the Bennett still, the Carter-Head bathes the botanicals in the alcohol vapors only. As these rise up through the still, they enter the base of the botanicals basket. Inside, the botanicals are contained in copper baskets, which hold them together while allowing the vapors to be fully exposed. As the evaporated alcohol moves through the botanicals it efficiently extracts flavors from them, which are carried out of the basket along with the alcohol until they reach the condenser. Only the lighter, sweeter and floral flavors are able to be extracted by this method, which gives the spirit its distinctive character.

The final Hendrick's gin is a blend of these two spirits with an addition of Cucumber essence and Rose petal essence.

Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin distributed by Bacardi that was launched in 1987. Its name originates from the gin's popularity in India in of the days of the British Raj and the sapphire in question is the Star of Bombay on display at the Smithsonian Institution. Bombay Sapphire is marketed in a flat-sided, sapphire-colored bottle that bears a picture of Queen Victoria on the label.

The flavoring of the drink comes from a recipe of ten ingredients (which the bottle's label boasts as "10 exotic botanicals"): almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. The spirit is triple distilled using a carterhead still, and the alcohol vapors are passed through a mesh/basket containing the ten botanicals, in order to gain flavor and aroma. This gives a lighter, more floral gin rather than the more-common 'punchy' gins that are distilled using a copper pot still. Water from Lake Vyrnwy is added to bring the strength of Bombay Sapphire down to 40.0% (UK).

In 2011 it was announced that the company is planning to move the distillation process to a new facility in Laverstoke, Hampshire. The plans include the restoration of the former Portal's paper mill, and the construction of a visitor centre.