Scribd
Upload
82 views1 page

The Chemistry of Gin

The document discusses different types of gin including compound gin, pot-distilled gin, and column-distilled gin. It then describes some of the key chemical compounds found in gin from botanical ingredients like juniper berries and coriander. These include terpenes, esters, and the bitter compound quinine from tonic water.

Uploaded by

sairyusu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
82 views1 page

The Chemistry of Gin

The document discusses different types of gin including compound gin, pot-distilled gin, and column-distilled gin. It then describes some of the key chemical compounds found in gin from botanical ingredients like juniper berries and coriander. These include terpenes, esters, and the bitter compound quinine from tonic water.

Uploaded by

sairyusu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

THE CHEMISTRY OF GIN

COMPOUND GIN POT-DISTILLED GIN COLUMN-DISTILLED GIN


In compound gins, the botanical ingredients are Neutral spirit is distilled, botanical ingredients Column distillation creates a highly concentrated
added to a spirit without any redistillation. are soaked in it, and it is then redistilled. spirit, which is then redistilled with botanicals.

Gin comes in a number of diferent varieties, with widely varying chemical compositions. This stems from the
diferent botanical ingredients that can be included. All gins must be primarily lavoured by juniper berries, but
many other ingredients, including coriander, dry citrus peel, almonds, and nutmeg, can also be incorporated.

JUNIPER BERRY COMPOUNDS CORIANDER COMPOUNDS


HO

LINALOOL
floral, slightly spicy

-PINENE & LIMONENE Coriander seeds are commonly used along


woody, piney; sweet, citrus with juniper berries in the manufacture of
gin. Linalool is the major compound in their
essential oil, and one of the most abundant
volatile compounds in gins where coriander
is used. Geranyl acetate is another coriander
compound also detected in gins.

ß-MYRCENE GER ANYL ACETATE


woody, herbaceous floral, rosy

Many diferent terpene compounds can be O


found in gins, a large number originating
from the juniper berries used. Some, such as
limonene, are also present in other botanical O
ingredients used in gin’s manufacture. Other
members of the monoterpene family of
compounds that have been detected in gin
include p-cymene, sabinene, and ß-pinene.

TONIC WATER
O

O HO
N
OH O

OH N
BORNYL ACETATE (TOP LEFT) QUININE
woody, camphoreous principal bitter component of tonic water

1,4-TERPINEOL (R), & -TERPINEOL The bitter lavour of tonic water comes
pine; woody, spicy from quinine, which was originally added
for medicinal reasons rather than those of
Juniper berries also contribute oxygenated lavour. It was added to water to act as an
monoterpenes to the gin, with -terpineol anti-malarial compound, and gin and tonic
one of their main volatile compounds. As originated in India, where members of the
well as these, sesquiterpenes, which include British colonies would mix medicinal tonic
cadinene & caryophyllene, are also present. water with gin to make it more palatable.

© COMPOUND INTEREST 2015 - WWW.COMPOUNDCHEM.COM | @COMPOUNDCHEM


C Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence.
BY NC ND

You might also like