Stuff You Should Know Selects: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Gin
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Mar 21, 2026 A spirited tour of gin’s wild past and flavorful present. It explores juniper, botanicals, and how distillation changes the drink. There’s a stop at London dry, Old Tom, Navy strength, and Dutch genever. The story also swings through the Gin Craze, Parliament’s crackdowns, the rise of gin and tonic, and the modern craft revival.
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Use Botanical Gin For Better Martinis
- For a gin martini, choose a more botanical gin instead of the plainest London dry you can find.
- Josh Clark recommends bottles like The Botanist or St. George Botanivore because a martini is mostly gin, so the botanicals should shine.
How Old Tom Gin Was Sold Through Cat Plaques
- Old Tom gin got its name from London cat plaques that marked places selling sweeter gin.
- Chuck Bryant says some had a slot under the cat's paw and a lead pipe, so passersby could drop in a coin and get a shot anonymously.
Why Navy Strength Gin Had To Burn
- Navy strength gin got its reputation from sailors testing whether their rationed gin had been watered down.
- Chuck Bryant says they drizzled it on gunpowder and lit it; if it burned, it counted as navy strength.