Glossary: gin

Made from grain (such as barley, corn or rye), gin is first distilled (see distillation) to a desired alcohol level, then re-distilled with juniper berries and other botanicals (such as angelica, anise, caraway seed, cardamom, cassia bark, citrus peel, coriander seeds, ginger, licorice and orris root) to extract the desired flavors. Distilled water is then added to adjust the alcohol concentration to somewhere between 80 and 95 proof. The two primary styles of gin are Dutch and dry. Dutch gin, also known as Hollands, Genever, Jenever and Schiedam gin, is typically made from equal parts of malted (see malt) barley, corn and rye. It has a slightly sweet, malty character and is generally fuller flavored than dry gin. There are two styles of Dutch gin: Oude ('old'

From THE NEW FOOD LOVERS COMPANION, Fourth edition by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1995, 1990 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.