World Gin Day is a global celebration of gin, held on the second Saturday of June. This year, it falls on 10 June.

It’s on days like World Gin Day we are grateful for the Dutch who brought us, among other things, the telescope, the fire hose and Bluetooth. But today we pay homage to their miracle essence – gin.

Certain plants have always been used to produce medical substances. One of them is the juniper, whose Dutch name is “Jenever”.

Some believe a Dutch physician named Franciscus Sylvius invented gin in 1550. The doctor treated fever patients with juniper distillate, which became known as “genever”.

In the 16th century, the Dutch already knew that one can drink this spirit without suffering from physical discomfort and refined the alcohol so skilfully with herbs or fruits that even their king became a fan of this spirit.

The English soldiers who supported the Netherlands during the Dutch war against Spain brought the genever to England, where it was abbreviated as “gin” and produced according to a Dutch recipe.

Gin was often mixed with quinine, an anti-malarial agent. Quinine became a key ingredient in tonic water, which formed the basis for the Gin & Tonic. Thanks in part to its affordability, gin eventually became known as the most popular spirit in the world. It became so popular that employers paid wages with it.

Gin lover Neil Houston created World Gin Day in 2009. His desire was to get together with his friends in Birmingham, England, and drink gin.

Currently, about 200 million gin lovers in over 30 countries around the world celebrate the day.

Stock up on Caorunn gin available at aeclub.com.my for this weekend’s celebration!