Page 2 - LP Gin Festival
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A Brief History of Gin
The word gin derives from an English shortening of Genever, meaning Juniper in Dutch. In the late 1580’s a juniper flavoured spirit was found in Holland by British troops who were fighting against the Spanish in the Dutch war of independence. They gratefully drank it to give them what they soon came to call “Dutch Courage” in battle.
When high trading barriers were set for spirits such as brandy, the government encouraged the production of grain spirits such as gin. As a consequence over 25% of households in London were producing gin, leading to its popularity.
