What is Gin?

Shaken or stirred, there are few cocktails more posh than the classic martini. While some martinis are made with vodka and vermouth, purists argue that the only way to make a martini is with its traditional staple ingredient – gin.

Like many spirits, gin was first created for an entirely different purpose: as a medicine to help treat kidney disease, stomach problems and even gout. In its early years, around the mid-17th century in Holland, you’d be more likely to find gin in a pharmacy than a liquor store. Of course, like many spirits, gin distinct flavour quickly became an acquired taste and grew into international popularity.

Gin is flavoured by the juniper; the fruit after which the spirit is named. While juniper provides the flavour, gin’s base comes from a neutral grain such as corn or barley. This base liquid is then distilled, allowing its components to pass through juniper and a number of other flavouring agents – lemon, orange peel, cinnamon, and even coriander – to transfer their aromas and tastes into the final product.

So is the martini served better shaken or stirred? While James Bond would try to convince you that shaken is the only way to go, true gin connoisseurs say that martinis should be stirred so as to not “bruise the gin.” Essentially, they claim that tiny air bubbles result from the shaking that restrict the gin’s taste; a stirred martini offers a stronger, more layered taste that brings out the spirit’s true aroma.