All you need to know about Gin – is it italian?

Gin is a colourless alcoholic beverage obtained by distillation of a fermented beverage usually made from cereals in which a mixture of various botanicals (up to 80) is macerated. Among spirits, it is the most popular especially for preparing Negroni, Gin lemon and tonic.
The Negroni, in fact, is a symbolic drink of Italy.

The origins:

According to the tradition, the invention of this distillate is due to a Dutchman named Franciscus De La Boë. He was a physician and began distilling juniper in search of a diuretic as a remedy for fatigued kidneys. Most American, English and Italian authors since the late 19th century, identify this doctor from Leyda as the inventor of gin.
However, in recent years, an author named Gary Regan has advanced the hypothesis that the origin of the distillate should be traced back to Italy.

Why the origin can be Italian?

First, because the cultivation of juniper is an Italian excellence of Tuscany– Siena.
It is very likely that the doctors of the School of Salerno tried their hand at distilling anything from grape pomace to beer to cider and that they probably flavored it with juniper as a result. Supporting this theory are also several references in Italian and foreign texts from the Middle Ages to the present, where it turns out that juniper distillates and liqueurs were widely used in Italy.

These were alchemical school flavored spirits and waters for medicinal purposes, with a long and difficult manufacture.

The School of Salerno was the most important medical institution in Europe during the Middle Ages. It also created first botanical garden that would later spread to the rest of Europe.

Italian Cocktail

This distillate is used in the preparation of many cocktails. Some of the most famous are:

• Gin Lemon – a long drink made from gin and lemonade (one of the most popular);
• Gin sour – a cocktail made from gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup;
• Gin tonic – long drink made from gin and tonic water;
• Martini Cocktail – cocktail made with gin and dry vermouth;
• Negroni – gin, bitter and red vermouth;
• Blue Angel – cocktail made with gin, Cointreau, blue curaçao and lemon juice.

If you want to try it and you are not in Italy, order all the ingredients on Vico Food Box.