Stuff You Should Know

Selects: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gin

March 21, 2026

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  • True gin requires redistilling a neutral grain spirit with botanicals, with juniper berry flavor being the defining characteristic, though some modern gins eschew juniper entirely. 
  • The base spirit for gin can be derived from various sources, including wheat, rye, corn, barley, or even milk whey, as the high-proof distillation process neutralizes the original source flavor. 
  • The history of gin is marked by significant cultural events, including the 18th-century 'gin craze' in the UK caused by cheap, adulterated 'bathtub gin,' and the development of the Gin and Tonic as a way for British soldiers to consume malaria-preventing quinine. 

Segments

Introduction and Host Banter
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(00:00:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode is a December 2019 selection focusing on gin, appreciated by host Josh Clark.
  • Summary: Host Josh Clark introduces this selection as a December 2019 episode about gin, noting that it covers history, distillation, laws, and juniper. He expresses his continued appreciation for the spirit, suggesting he might have a martini later.
Gin vs. Whiskey Laws
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(00:05:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Gin production is loosely regulated, requiring only a neutral grain spirit distilled at 80-proof or higher with added flavorings to be legally called gin.
  • Summary: Unlike whiskey, which has many laws defining its type, gin’s legal definition is broad, allowing almost any flavor to be added to a high-proof neutral spirit. Technically, gin must have a taste of juniper, but many modern gins are eschewing this traditional requirement.
Smoked Gin and Tonic Idea
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(00:07:02)
  • Key Takeaway: A smoked gin and tonic can be made by smoking juniper berries with a chef’s torch and trapping the smoke in the glass before mixing the drink.
  • Summary: Ben Harrison reportedly invented a smoked gin and tonic by smoking juniper berries and smoking the glass before serving. The discussion also praised high-quality tonic water made from real cinchona bark, contrasting it with standard commercial tonic.
Gin Distillation Process
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(00:08:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Authentic gin is made by redistilling a base spirit with botanicals, with juniper being the primary flavor component.
  • Summary: Gin production starts with a base spirit (ethyl alcohol at 96% ABV) which is then redistilled with chosen botanicals. The primary botanical is the juniper berry, which gives gin its unmistakable piney, evergreen flavor profile.
Base Spirit Variety and Whey Gin
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(00:09:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The base spirit for gin can be made from almost anything, including wheat, corn, or even milk whey, which is used to produce Bertha’s Revenge gin in Ireland.
  • Summary: The neutral grain spirit base for gin can originate from wheat, rye, corn, barley, or even potatoes and grapes. An Irish gin called Bertha’s Revenge is made by fermenting and distilling sweet whey, a byproduct of cheese-making.
Gin Botanical Listing
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(00:12:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Bombay Sapphire proudly displays its ten botanicals, which include licorice, juniper, angelica root, coriander, and grains of paradise.
  • Summary: Bombay Sapphire showcases its ten botanicals on the bottle, which contribute to its flavor profile. The hosts also shared their personal preferences for gin brands when making martinis, favoring more botanical gins like The Botanist or St. George’s Botanivore.
Distillation Methods: Steeping vs. Vapor
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(00:14:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Gin can be flavored using steeping, where botanicals simmer in the spirit, or vapor infusion, where vapor passes over botanicals in a basket, as done by Bombay Sapphire.
  • Summary: Steeping involves heating the base spirit with botanicals so their oils release and infuse directly. Vapor infusion uses steam rising through a basket containing the botanicals to impart flavor. Some gins, like St. George Terroir, combine both methods.
Gin Categories: London Dry vs. Old Tom
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(00:20:27)
  • Key Takeaway: London Dry Gin is a subcategory of distilled gin characterized by being unsweetened, contrasting with the sweeter Old Tom Gin, which historically used sugar to mask poor base spirit quality.
  • Summary: Distilled gin means it underwent the proper distillation process, while ‘gin’ can simply mean flavored vodka. Old Tom Gin’s name originates from pub signs featuring a cat’s head with a slot for anonymous gin purchases during early illegal sales.
Navy Strength Gin Origin
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(00:23:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Navy Strength Gin is at least 50% ABV (sometimes standardized at 57.1%) and earned its name because sailors tested its potency by drizzling it over gunpowder; if it flashed, it was strong enough to not be watered down.
  • Summary: Navy Strength Gin is significantly stronger than standard gin, often starting at 50% ABV or higher. The test involved lighting gin over gunpowder to ensure it met the required proof for naval rations.
Geneva as Gin’s Predecessor
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(00:25:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Geneva (Dutch for juniper) is the direct predecessor to modern gin, originating in Holland as a spirit made from malted wine flavored with juniper, which the English adopted during the 16th century.
  • Summary: Geneva is considered proto-gin, based on malted wine and flavored with juniper. English soldiers brought a taste for it back from the Netherlands, and the name ‘Geneva’ was eventually shortened to ‘gin.’
The 18th Century Gin Craze
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(00:30:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The 18th-century ‘gin craze’ in Britain was fueled by cheap, dangerous ‘bathtub gin’ adulterated with turpentine and sulfuric acid, leading to social depravity and subsequent restrictive Gin Acts.
  • Summary: The craze was largely a product of urbanization and poverty, where people drank rotgut gin flavored with toxic substitutes like turpentine to mimic juniper. Parliament passed eight Gin Acts to regulate production, ultimately making legal small-batch gin production nearly impossible for 200 years.
Continuous Stills and London Dry
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(00:37:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1830 invention of the continuous still allowed for the creation of purer, high-ABV neutral spirits, which led to the development of less sugary, drier gins favored by the Victorians, known as London Dry Gin.
  • Summary: Continuous stills (Coffey stills) allowed for continuous distillation, yielding a purer alcohol (around 96% ABV) that didn’t require heavy flavoring to mask off-tastes. This purity enabled the shift away from sugary gins toward the drier style.
Gin and Tonic Imperial Origins
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(00:42:18)
  • Key Takeaway: The Gin and Tonic was created when British soldiers in tropical colonies combined gin with tonic water, which contained quinine derived from chinchona bark used to combat malaria.
  • Summary: British imperial power facilitated access to botanicals globally, including chinchona bark from South America, which contains quinine. Soldiers consumed large amounts of quinine for malaria prevention, mixing it with gin and adding citrus to combat scurvy, thus inventing the G&T.
Martini Cocktail Origins
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(00:45:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The Martini cocktail, born in the late 19th century, is described as an embodiment of American diversity, mixing Dutch/English gin with French vermouth and garnished with ingredients from around the world.
  • Summary: Cocktails like the Manhattan, Gin Fizz, and Gimlet arose post-Prohibition (1930s) to mask the taste of low-quality spirits. The Martini combines gin, vermouth, and garnishes like olives or lemons, representing a confluence of European and American culinary influences.
Gin Resurgence and Listener Mail
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(00:50:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Gin is currently experiencing a resurgence, potentially kickstarted in the US by Bombay Sapphire in the late 1990s and Hendrick’s in 2003, leading to the current ‘Genesance.’
  • Summary: The episode concludes by noting the ongoing ‘Genesance’ in the gin market. A listener wrote in detailing how the podcast inspired his father to become a beekeeper and invest in CRISPR stocks, highlighting the real-world impact of the show’s content.