While gin and vodka are both crafted as neutral spirits, gin has additional ingredients—namely juniper berries—to give it its signature pine flavour. In fact, gin can only be called a gin if it has juniper in it. Without this, the spirit is technically vodka. The taste also hugely differs between the two spirits.
No, gin and vodka are not the same thing.
In the (relative) world of spirits, they probably could be considered more alike than they are different -- but both have distinct tastes, chemical differences, and disparate origin stories. This is why gin and vodka, are decidedly different.
Gin (/ˈdʒɪn/) is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (Juniperus communis). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Netherlands, to provide aqua vita from distillates of grapes and grains.
Gin and vodka are both clear distilled spirits, lighter and more versatile than brown or aged spirits like whiskey and rum. Due to vodka's neutral taste, it can be used interchangeably in many gin cocktails.
Taste: Although both drinks are clear and colourless, it is a different case when it comes to the palate. Gin has a distinctive herbal taste, while vodka is generally tasteless and neutral. Vodka is water-based, while gin is distilled with juniper berries and botanicals giving them their distinct flavours.
The standard ABV (alcohol by volume) content for vodka is around 40% but can be as high as 90%, while the minimum ABV for gin in the United States is 40%, but it rarely climbs above 60% on average. Both drinks can vary wildly in alcohol content, so be sure to check the label before you sample.
Gin has less sugar and fewer calories than some other liquors. If you already consume alcohol, gin may be a slightly healthier option. Be careful with mixers, however. They can make the sugar content of your drink skyrocket.
Gin is one of the common alcoholic drinks that can get you drunk quickly. It has a high percentage of alcohol content (usually at least 40% ABV, sometimes as strong as 60%, dubbed 'Navy Stremgth') which makes it rank as one of the contenders to get you drunk within a very short period of time.
Getting "gin drunk" is often associated with crazy or mean behavior. Some people feel the spirit makes them "sad" or "weepy." In this narrative, gin is cast in the role of emotional instigator.
So I went digging to find where this widespread and seemingly nonsensical gin myths came from. Gincredibly, I found that there absolutely no basis for the myth that gin is any more a depressant than any other spirit.
The answer is yes – gin is a great sipping spirit! But you'll need to choose the right gin to avoid that abrasive 'mouth full of pine' feeling that poor quality bottles can leave.
gin, flavoured, distilled, colourless to pale yellow liquor made from purified spirits usually obtained from a grain mash and having the juniper berry as its principal flavouring ingredient.
For a gin to be a gin, there must be at least 37.5% of pure alcohol in the total volume of liquid. Look for the ABV percentage on the next bottle you pick up. Sing Gin sits at a nicely-rounded 40%. Vodka's minimum alcohol content is the same – around 35% – but note the word 'minimum'!
While both are neutral spirits with fast distillation processes, vodka easily takes on the flavors of whatever it's served with, whereas gin has various botanicals and an unmistakable juniper flavor that punches you right in the mouth. It's a more distinctive spirit, by any measure.
Easy compound gin recipe
700ml bottle good quality vodka (we used a rye vodka) 2 tbsp juniper berries. 6 cardamom pods. pinch dried rose petals.
There's also something to say about sticking to gin and vodka. When Supercall spoke with food scientists, gin and vodka proved to be the best alcohol to avoid the 17 stages of a hangover because they lack other dehydration-causing additives.
There is a short answer to the question: 'Is gin bad for your liver?' 'Yes it can be. ' As with any alcohol, you should drink gin in moderation.
The question of how much gin to get drunk is an interesting one that depends on multiple factors like a person's body weight and gender, and tolerance to alcohol, a different amount of gin will get a person drunk. However, on average, three to four shots of gin will result in a person becoming drunk.
The flavors of gin can be detected on the breath, but they are typically subtle. If a person is smelling gin on their breath, they are most likely drunk or inebriated. If you can detect a strong odor of gin on someone's breath, they most likely had too much to drink.
Why is this? Alcohol is a depressant which affects your brain's natural level of happiness chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This means that although you'll feel an initial 'boost' the night before, the next day you will be deficient in these same chemicals, which may lead to feeling anxious, down or depressed.
Gin had become the poor man's drink as it was cheap, and some workers were given gin as part of their wages. Duty paid on gin was 2 pence a gallon, as opposed to 4 shillings and nine pence on strong beer.
Gin martini drinkers know how to hold their liquor, and approach drinking as refined aficionados. Classic gin martini drinkers are also quite mysterious, intellectual, and have a way of capturing your attention, according to Brown, an admittedly biased source.
It can help fight kidney and liver disease
Gin is the best natural remedy for kidney and liver disease. Juniper berries help stop water retention in your body, allowing you to pass more water than any other alcohol. This means that more harmful toxins and bacteria are flushed out your system.