Guaranteed to make a positive impact on your next event, our Vintage Airstream Gin Bar has over 50 different gins and mixers to cater for anyone's taste.
16th Century
Most of people think Gin comes from England or Ireland, but it actually comes from the Netherlands. Since the Middle Ages people knew about the medical effects and the disinfectant healing power of juniper berries which they ate to fight against fever and pestilence.
The Dutch doctor Franciscus Sylvius de la Boe invented gin in the 16th century, making a schnaps distilled with juniper berries called 'Genever' the Dutch for juniper berry - which was consumed for medical purposes. During the Eighty Years War (1568-1648) Dutch soldiers drank “Genever” to feel brave. In the 17th century “Genever” came to England, where the originally “Genever” developed to the today’s “Gin”.
17th Century
In England, Gin became very popular, not least because anyone was allowed to distill their own gin. This got around the increasing import taxes on alcoholic drinks from foreign countries and high taxes for local beers and wines. It seemed as if everyone was trying to get in on distilling their own gin, some even mixing the ingredients in bathtubs.
Drunkenness became rife, some bars even had steps so children could get up to order their gin, the super low price enabling anyone to be able to afford it. Quality dropped even lower and it was often distilled with cheap cereals or diluted with turpentine or sulphuric acid, with sugar and rose water added to give flavour and make it taste (slightly) better.
18th Century
The Gin consumption grew quickly and by 1733 England was drinking 47 million litres a year. All this came at a high social cost, crime, prostitution, lowered birth rate and early death.
Something needed to be done to save English society from collapse and alcoholism and so the government passed eight different Gin Bills between 1729 and 1751, the so-called 'Gin Acts', which regulated Gin consumption. Quality improved and prices rose, the reputation of Gin was saved and the Gin epidemic petered out by the end of the 19th century.
19th Century
When Britain occupied India in the beginning of the 19th century, soldiers took quinine every day to help prevent Malaria. As quinine has a bitter taste, they added water, sugar and lime. Then, one day, someone had a bright idea and added Gin to the mix - the first Gin and Tonic was born.
The British tradesman Erasmus Bond created a Tonic Water including carbondioxide and sold this new long drink Gin Tonic in 1858.
20th Century - and onwards
The last years Gin became something of a cult. In Germany, hundreds of distillers followed the British lead, only in 2018, 180 different Gin types popped up in the market – convincing by great quality and unique tastes. The small Belgium surprises with 430 local Gins and Spain is with astounding 463 local Gins full of big Gin lovers.
The most interesting fact of Gin: We drink it almost exclusively in long drinks and cocktails, but the predominant taste of Gin isn’t lost. Contrary to other spirits, Gin has its everlasting individual taste which can be very diversified – sweet, lemon, bitter – you will find the perfect taste you love.
The Gin from England is strong, with predominant juniper taste, containing little botanicals. The Spanish Gin is mostly smooth, mediterranean, sweet and French cherish their bloomy, fresh Gin with lots of lemon.