Gin is a
distilled spirit made from a based of
wheat or
rye most often. It is flavored with
juniper berries and other "
botanicals". The combination of various botanicals is what makes a
brand of gin taste
unique from other brands. Examples of
botanicals include
anise,
angelica root,
cinnamon,
orange peel,
coriander, and
cassia bark.
The
botanicals can impart their
flavor to the
spirit in two ways.
Cheap gins (called 'compound' gins) are made by mixing the alcohol with extracts and distilling the mixture. Higher-quality gins are made by
distilling the
vapor through a
suspension of botanicals, allowing them to impart their flavor on the gin.
Types of gin include:
London dry,
Plymouth dry,
Old Tom, and
Genever or
Hollands, which is made in
Holland and
Belgium.