World Monitor Magazine WM_Energy_ 2019_web | Page 36

Life style
Spirit of London
Legend tells us that the recipe for gin’s
ancestor was developed in the 17th century
by the Dutch chemist-pharmacist Franciscus
de la Boe Silvius. The initial purpose of this
drink was to cure infectious stomach diseases.
The Dutch fell in love with the potion so
much that after a while they elevated it to
a cult, and the drink itself received the very
uncomplicated name ‘Genever’ (Jenever is
written in the modern Dutch language), which
means ‘Juniper’ in translation. Admittedly, Burrough’s chemistry proved him an excellent
nerd, confirmation of this was the Beefeater gin, whose
composition highlighted about a dozen well-chosen herbal
ingredients; in addition to the unchanged juniper berries,
the soon-to-be-popular concoction included licorice,
coriander seeds, angelica root and seeds, German iris root,
almond nut, lemon zest and Seville orange. In particular,
the almonds, angelica and coriander are responsible for
the characteristic herbal aroma and bitterness that are
unique to Beefeater. Unlike many London Dry Gin gins, the
Beefeater is still being created in London to this day.
The English acquaintance with the ‘Dutch valor’ (the
English called it ‘Genever’ because of its blood-curious
properties) occurred on the battlefields during the Thirty
Years War. Gin would not have been so popular if Burrough had not at
the same time entered into a relationship with tonic water.
At a time when the British were developing tropical colonies,
they used gin to prevent dysentery, but later began to suffer
from another ailment – malaria. Later the bark of the
cinchona tree came to the rescue, from which a broth was
made (later it was called ‘tonic water’, because of its tonic
effect). It tastes so bitter that only gin could ‘ennoble’ it,
and later this mixture became a cocktail enjoyed with great
pleasure. By the way, modern tonic water also contains
quinine, but not at the quantities it used to be.
At the end of hostilities, the English soldiers returned to
their homeland and brought with them this strange drink.
For a long time, the British experimented and created their
own recipe; subsequently, Genever underwent a number
of changes, both in the recipe and in the method of
preparation, and for ease of pronunciation, it was decided
to shorten the drink’s name to Gin.
Further on, the story of gin takes a mostly negative color.
In 1832 London, using the latest, at that time, distillation
methods, they created a whole new classification referred
to as London Dry Gin. After that, the story of gin radically
changed its direction, and the drink itself grew in the eyes
of the British: fashionable establishments were opened all
over London, which were called Gin's Palaces, where senior
and wealthy guests enjoyed this trendy juniper drink.
Currently, gin is the fast growing liquor in Kazakhstan,
where the leader of the movement is an authentic English
brand – Beefeater.
One of the main reasons for this growth of gin in Kazakhstan
is the rapid development of the cocktail industry, where
such spirits as gin, rum and vodka are favorite among
bartenders for making unique cocktails.
So how do you drink Beefeater?
Then there’s the story of James Burrough who stands at the
dawn of gin’s great popularity. In 1863, Burrough returned
home from Canada with his savings of 400 pounds he
acquired a distillery in the Chelsea area of London.
Burrough was not only lucky but also ambitious. For the
next 13 years of his life he devoted himself to experiments
with various plant components, wanting to create the best
gin of all time. In 1876, Burrough’s gin first appeared in
central London, and he later renamed it Beefeater, after
the national nickname of these ceremonial guardians of
the Tower of London.
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It is surprising that the ‘old man’ is the not quite one-
hundred-year old gin and tonic, and he is still on trend.
What is his charm? Ice cubes in a misted glass, a unique
bitter and sweet coolness on the tongue and a long fresh
aftertaste – this is the flagship gin and tonic. This, in fact,
is the very combination of two absolutely irreplaceable
products, between which a true love chemistry occurs.
Gin and tonic is a real classic among mixed drinks, the
refreshing uniqueness of this duo can never lead to
boredom.