GIN...

Christina said...

hey jim,

I was curious as to why gin has such a piney taste. Is it just the cheap gin that I am used to, or is all gin like that? How is gin processed?

Well Christina, welcome aboard. Gin is a little on the fringe of my expertise but I can get you going in the right direction.

The reason Gin has that "piney" taste is that its' main flavoring ingredient is Juniper (the name Gin is derived from Juniper). And no, it is not just the cheap stuff, it is all Gin. From what I understand, one of the things that separates a good Gin from a great Gin is the added "botanicals" used for a more complex flavor. These would include other herbs such as coriander and licorice.

As far as how it is processed, you start with a clear, flavorless grain alcohol (not unlike Everclear, but probably higher quality). You then add the juniper and the botanicals and re-distill it. Two things I'm not clear on is if the juniper only contains the berries or if other parts of the plant are used. The other thing is I'm not sure how long the flavors are steeped in the grain alcohol. In any case, after the second distillation, water is added to dilute it to a 75 proof mixture. Again, I'm not sure if it is aged or not. I'm sure it lends itself from quick inferior brands to expensive quality brands.

Here is a website that will give you more details.... THE GIN & VODKA ASSOCIATION