Gin has enjoyed a colorful yet ignoble history, making it the perfect spooky spirit for the Halloween season. From swashbuckling pirates to James Bond, many throughout history have imbibed in gin cocktails. Learn about the history of gin, and enjoy our Halloween cocktails inspired by this liquor’s history!
The Early Days of Gin
In the Middle Ages, 11th-century Italian monks distilled spirits with juniper berries. During the Black Death era from 1346-53, these spirits were given ineffectively to patients as a Bubonic Plague remedy. Franciscus Sylvius was a physician and scientist at the University of Leyden, Netherlands, who was considered the father of gin. In the mid-1700s, Sylvius harnessed the “medicinal properties” of gin’s juniper botanicals for bladder and kidney ailments to be sold in pharmacies. The term “Dutch Courage” came from Dutch sailors taking a sip of gin before going into battle, making it difficult to find a sober sailor to climb a mast in those days.
In England, gin was made in back-alley stills and was called “liquid madness.” It was credited with creating major social depravity in England. In the mid-1800s, British sailors spread gin to the rest of the world. The British East India Company promoted the world’s best-tasting anti-malarial medicine made with tonic/quinine water and London Dry Gin. The cocktail was used to mask quinine’s bitter taste, and thus, the Gin & Tonic (G&T) was born.
Gin in the 20th Century
The Roaring 20s brought us flappers drinking “bathtub gin” in speakeasies. Ian Fleming’s James Bond made us love the sophistication of the martini, “shaken, not stirred.” Virginia Wolff and President Franklin Roosevelt were avid gin drinkers.
Then the 60s saw the Vodka craze and its proliferation of sweet mixes soar, while gin’s image became tarnished as the older generation’s drink.
Yet, a renaissance of gin also occurred in the late 1990s. Drinkers sought the retro-cool authenticity of a spirit with real intrinsic flavors. The organic, farm-to-bottle movement prompted craft distillers to infuse exotic, local botanicals for their new, premium gins.
Gin Today
Gin is produced from a neutral spirit double distilled with a mix of botanicals. Botanicals in six categories are used in the production of gin: seeds, herbs, bark, citrus peel, and others such as almond and clove. Historically, the dominant botanical was juniper. Recently, some of the top-selling gins (for example, Hendricks) use botanicals infused with roses and cucumbers.
Today’s ambitious and skilled bartenders admire the complex flavors of gin. These bartenders have revitalized the Martini, Gibson, Gimlet, Negroni, and G&T and have created new venturesome cocktails like the Gin Basil and the Gin-Gin Mule.
Gin bars have become famous: NYC’s Bathtub Gin, Washington DC’s Wisdom, and Positano Coast’s 1 Tippling Place. These bars and spirit retailers are stocking more and more premium gins.
Halloween Cocktails that Feature Gin
This Halloween, try one of the exceptional premium sipping gins: Hendricks, Monkey 47, SipSmith, or Star of Bombay. For drama, make a Swamp Demon or simply drop some food-grade dry ice in your cocktail to create a smoky, creepy spectacle. Cheers to conjuring up a wickedly delicious gin cocktail!
Hendricks Corpse Reviver
- 1 part Hendricks’ Gin
- 1 part Cointreau
- 1 part Lillet
- 1 part lemon juice
- Dash of absinthe
Preparation: Combine all ingredient in a cocktail shaker and shake briskly over cubed ice. Double strain into a cocktail glass.
Swamp Demon
This is a gimlet with lime marmalade, giving it that swampy effect.
- 2 shots gin
- Half shot fresh lime juice
- Half shot simple syrup
- I bar spoon lime marmalade
Preparation: Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice until ice-cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with lime zest.
Black Widow Gin Cocktail
- 2 parts gin
- 1 part blackberry liqueur
- 1 part lemon juice
- ½ part simple syrup
- Fresh blackberries for garnish
Preparation: Combine gin, blackberry liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake briskly and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh blackberries.
Witching Hour Gin Martini
- 2 parts gin
- 1 part dry vermouth
- ½ part blue curaçao
- Dash of orange bitters
- Orange peel for garnish
Preparation: Combine gin, dry vermouth, blue curaçao, and orange bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
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