Page 5 - LP Gin Festival

The New Gin Generation
For decades gin was dismissed as to be drowned in tonic and consumed by maiden aunts and grandparents.
Even that was a marked improvement on the spirit’s reputation in the 18th century, when gin was blamed for a whole host of social ills. It became known as “Mother’s Ruin”.
Now, however, gin is enjoying a revival. New distilleries and brands have sprung up, offering varieties bursting with a mix of different flavours and attracting younger drinkers.
Today you’ll find gins containing apples, lavender, ginger, tree bark, cherry blossom and gooseberry. It’s claimed that in skilled hands any plant can be used successfully and makers are also looking abroad for ingredients.
AN EXTRACT FROM ‘THE ECONOMIST’:
On 26th October 1764 William Hogarth, the English painter and printmaker, died suddenly from an aneurysm at his studio in Leicester Square, London. As an artist who portrayed both the tragic and the ridiculous with aplomb, Hogarth was one of the 18th century’s most sparkling talents. His most famous work is perhaps “Gin Lane” (1751) (pictured opposite), an intricate etching that vividly depicts London’s poor grappling with gin addiction. It demonstrates both his humour and his heartfelt concern for his fellow Londoners.
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