See also Gin on Wikipedia, and the disclaimer.


Gin or Geneva, an alcoholic drink, distilled from malt or from unmalted barley or other grain and afterward flavored. The gin, which forms the common drink of the lower classes of London, is flavored very slightly with oil of turpentine and common salt. Usually about five ounces of spirit of turpentine and three and one half pounds of salt are mixed in ten gallons of water; this is then placed with 80 gallons of corn-spirit in a still and allowed to distill. Gin is an article of great manufacture in Holland, whence comes most of that used in the United States. Very little pure gin is found; it consists of 51.6 parts of alcohol in 100 parts.