A Most Noble Water: Revisiting the Origins of English Gin

In this radical retelling of the history of English Gin by historian Anistatia Miller and distiller Jared Brown, the first thing we learn is that everything we know on the topic is wrong. 

The authors apologize for the inconvenience this may cause before they proceed to refute many of the talking points typically shared across bars and in tasting rooms around the world. Those, they explain, were borne from early 19th century fabrication.  Luckily, the story they have to tell in its place is just as interesting. 

Their primary concern surrounds the origin of English gin production. Tradition connects it to a wave of immigration from the Netherlands; Miller and Brown argue it arrived through earlier exchanges with distillers from what is now Germany. 

Also in their sights: overblown stories of the pernicious Gin Craze and the idea that British laws called the Gin Acts were motivated by anything other than the government's need to raise revenue.

Both authors are accomplished spirits industry figures in their own right; together they have written multiple books, on drinking and its history, utilizing Miller's academic research (for example, this book is an extension of an article written for the academic journal Brewing History) and their shared love of drinking culture. Brown is also a co-founder and master distiller of London's Sipsmith Gin. 

A great read if you are a gin enthusiast who wants to add depth to your knowledge of this history, or a lover of English culinary and social history looking to shake things up a bit. 

Paperback. Black-and-white illustrations.