gin

Colorless distilled liquor. Made from neutral grain spirits, it acquires its distinctive flavour from juniper berries and aromatics (such as anise and caraway seeds). Its origin is attributed to a 17th-century Dutch medical researcher, Franciscus Sylvius. Two principal types are marketed: a malty-flavoured and full-bodied Netherlands type (alcohol content about 35% by volume) and a dry, purified type favoured in Britain and the U.S. (40–47% alcohol by volume). Dry gin, which has more flavouring ingredients, is served either unmixed or in cocktails. Dutch gins are usually served unmixed or with water.

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