Gin is one of the most loved and versatile spirits in the world, but its history is made of transformations, bans and comebacks that trace its passage from medicinal remedy to a symbol of elegance and craftsmanship. Let's retrace it, from the origins to the iconic cocktails that made it indispensable behind the bar.
The Origins: From Juniper to Medicine
Gin has roots going back to the Middle Ages, and its birth is tied to the use of juniper, the berry that still defines its aroma today. At the beginning, though, spirits made from herbs and berries weren't created for pleasure but for treatment: they were produced above all in European monasteries, where the therapeutic properties of plants were being put to work. Juniper in particular was credited with virtues against digestive complaints and, in times of epidemic, with a generic protective power.
The direct ancestor of gin is genever, the juniper spirit of the Low Countries, documented between the 16th and 17th centuries and sold in pharmacies long before it reached the bar. Compared with the gin we know today it was sweeter and cloudier, because it was built on a base of malted grain that left much of the cereal's character intact.
The English Rise: "Dutch Courage" and the "Gin Craze"
Gin arrived in England in the 17th century, carried by trade and by soldiers. It was English troops on continental campaigns who saw their Dutch counterparts drinking genever before battle: from there came the expression Dutch courage, the courage you find at the bottom of a glass.
At home, production was progressively deregulated and costs collapsed. The result was the period known as the Gin Craze, in the first half of the 18th century: mass, uncontrolled consumption concentrated in London's poorest districts, with heavy social consequences. The authorities responded with a series of restrictive laws — the Gin Acts — which within a few decades brought production back within legal limits. Gin, however, was by then part of English culture and was not going anywhere.
Refinement and the Birth of Modern Gin
The 19th century brought the technical turning point: column distillation made it possible to obtain a much cleaner, more neutral base spirit, and therefore a more elegant result than had been possible before. It changed everything, because on a clean base the botanicals come through for what they are. On the differences between methods we've written a dedicated piece on distilled gin.
It is in this context that London Dry Gin was born, dry and clean, perfect for mixing. It became the base of recipes that are still classics today: the Martini, the Negroni and the Gin Tonic — the last of these born, not by chance, as a way of making quinine drinkable in the British colonies.
Gin Today: Craft and Innovation
Gin is living through a new golden age. Production has gone back to being artisanal, with small distilleries championing local botanicals and recipes of their own. Alongside the classic London Dry, new categories have established themselves, from flavoured gins to territorial interpretations using ingredients unthinkable thirty years ago.
If you want to find your bearings among the definitions, the gin wiki lines up the categories; the guide to craft gin profiles explains instead how to recognise genuine craftsmanship, beyond what the label says.
Where This Story Arrives
The most recent chapter is the one about spirits tied to a specific place. GIN NIRO is an artisanal Sicilian Zibibbo gin, built around the infusion of an aromatic grape — Sicilian zibibbo from an island of volcanic origin — rather than on dried botanicals alone. In 2026 it won the Silver Medal at the World Gin Awards in the Flavoured Gin category.
If this history has made you thirsty, the best way to continue it is to taste it: GIN NIRO, 70 cl, with free shipping within Italy. Every sip is the last step of a journey five centuries long.
