Old Tom Gin

To understand what exactly Old Tom Gin is, you need to delve a little into the history of gin. The English first learnt about the Dutch spirit genever in the 17th century. By the time William III of Orange-Nassau ascended the throne in London, juniper brandy had become a big thing in England. In just a few years, the Dutch genever became the number one spirit in England, gin.

However, quality did not play a particularly important role for the English at the beginning of the 18th century. The cheapest alcohol of questionable quality and origin was mixed with herbs, spices and other plant parts, but also with extremely harmful substances such as turpentine and sulphuric acid. Although the result was intoxicating, it was also extremely detrimental to health and often had a terrible flavour. Sugar was added to the gin to compensate for these off-flavours in the spirit.

Mothers Ruin

The one just described is basically the Old Tom gin from the 18th century. This is how it was made. Cheap alcohol, botanicals and sugar. Today, gin of this type is produced much more elaborately and conscientiously. The ingredients are carefully selected and the consumer does not have to worry about the harmful effects of turpentine, sulphuric acid or other toxic ingredients. But the sugar has remained. It is the feature that characterises Old Tom Gin today. Old Tom Gin is therefore a well-made gin that is lightly sweetened with sugar. Don't expect Old Tom Gin to contain as much sugar as a liqueur. That is not the case. But compared to dry gin, the sugar is clearly noticeable.

The answer to the question of where gin got its name is also interesting. When gin consumption got out of hand in 18th century England, the rulers tried to put a stop to the abuse of the cheap spirit. The production and serving of gin was strictly regulated. Many pubs in London were no longer legally allowed to produce and sell spirits. However, some publicans were not deterred by the harbingers. They continued to produce their inferior gin. A black figure in the shape of a cat adorned the front of the pub as a covert sign recognising the serving of gin. Anyone who threw a coin into the figure could often get gin directly from the cat. Quasi: Old Tom gin to go. The black cat is called "old tomcat" in English. This is where the sweetened gin gets its name from.

Image source: Farther Along | Flickr