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The Chemistry of Gin (And Tonic!)

April 21, 2015 8Comments 0Likes 243Views

Infographic on the chemistry of gin. Gin comes in three main types: compound gin, where the botanicals are added without redistillation; pot-distilled gin, where botanicals are soaked in a spirit which is then redistilled; and column-distilled gin, where a highly concentrated spirit is redistilled with botanicals. Most gins are primarily flavoured by juniper berries, and these and other botanicals contribute a range of terpene compounds which give woody, piney, sweet and spicy aromas and flavours. Coriander seeds are also commonly used, with linalool a key compound. Tonic water adds a bitter flavour, due to the presence of the anti-malarial compound quinine. — Click to enlarge

For the fifth in the ‘Alcohol Chemistry’ series, we turn to gin. As with other types of alcohol, there are a huge number of different chemical compounds present, but it’s possible to identify a range of significant chemical contributors to its aroma & flavour. Here, we take a look at those compounds and where they come from.