Are you a gin genius? Find out in our gin quiz!

Question 1:

The Juniper plants that produce the berries used to make gin are a species of what?

A: Conifer

B: Weed

C: Fern

D: Deciduous tree

Need a clue?

Question 2:

What is the second most popular botanical used in gin after juniper?

A: Cloves

B: Coriander

C: Heather

D: Cassia bark

Need a clue?

Question 3:

Jenever (or genever), the precursor to modern gin, originated in which country?

A: France

B: Austria

C: America

D: Holland

Need a clue?

Question 4:

What’s the name of the sweet style of gin that is sometimes described as the ‘missing link’ between jenever and London Dry?

A: Old Man

B: Old Annie

C: Old Tom

D: Old Age

Question 5:

When did London’s “gin craze”, which saw an epidemic of extreme drunkenness in the capital (provoking moral outrage and a legislative backlash) take place?

A: 17th century

B: 18th century

C: 19th century

D: 20th century

Need a clue?

Question 6:

What is the name of this famous illustration by William Hogarth?

A: Gin Lane

B: Gin Market

C: Gin & Sin

D: Gin for everyone!

Need a clue?

Question 7:

In March 2020 - March 2021, a record number of gin bottles were sold in the UK. How many bottles of gin did we buy, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association?

A: 64 million

B: 90 million

C: 10 billion

D: 80 billion

Question 8

What does it mean if a gin is called ‘London Dry Gin’?

A: A particular production method has been followed to make the gin.

B: The gin was made somewhere within the Greater London area.

C: The gin was produced within the boundaries of the City of London.

D: The gin is less sweet than other types of gin.

Need a clue?!

Question 9:

Tonic water was drunk by colonial soldiers in 19th-century India because the quinine it contains helps stave off which disease?

A: Mumps

B: Influenza

C: Malaria

D: Chlamydia

Need a clue?

Question 10:

The classic Martini is a cocktail made by combining gin with which other ingredient?

A: Vermouth

B: Vodka

C: Champagne

D: Campari

Need a clue?

Question 11:

What does a dry shake mean?

A: Shaking a cocktail without a spirit

B: Shaking a cocktail without ice

C: Shaking a cocktail with dry vermouth

D: Shaking a cocktail with egg white

Question 12:

What makes a Martini dirty?

A: Olive brine

B: A dirty glass

C: A chilled glass

D: Angostura Bitters

Question 13:

What cocktail named after an animal does NOT include gin?

A: Bee's Knees

B: Monkey Gland

C: Moscow Mule

D: Salty Dog

Question 14:

What is a common nickname for gin?

A: Mother's Undoing

B: Mother's Delight

C: Father's Fancy

D: Mother's Ruin

Question 15:

What’s the Queen’s favourite cocktail?

A: Gin and Dubonnet

B: Gimlet

C: G&T

D: Sloe Gin Royale

ANSWERS!

Question 1: A: Conifer

Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus. The so-called berries are in fact seed cones with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give them a berry-like appearance.

Question 2: B: Coriander

Coriander appears in almost nine out of ten gins, the vast majority of the time in the form of its seeds, which bring citrus notes along with a warm, spicy tang.

Question 3: D: Holland

Also known as Dutch gin, jenever is the traditional liquor of the Netherlands and is available in two different styles - oude (old) and jonge (young).

Question 4: C: Old Tom

Popular in 18th-century England Old has experienced a resurgence in the craft cocktail movement. It is slightly sweeter than London Dry, but slightly drier than the Dutch Jenever.

Question 5: B: 18th century

At the beginning of the 18th century, the banning of French brandy imports combined with relaxed laws on distilling sprits, led to a huge increase in gin production – and a huge drop in prices. In 1721 Middlesex magistrates described gin as "the principal cause of all the vice & debauchery committed among the inferior sort of people."

Question 6: A: Gin Lane

William Hogarth issued the Gin Lane print in 1751 along with another called Beer Street. Designed to be viewed alongside each other, they depict the evils of the consumption of gin as a contrast to the merits of drinking beer.

Question 7: D: 80 billion

The latest figures from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) reveal that in the 12 months to 27 March 2021 total UK gin sales inched over £2bn, with 80bn bottles sold in supermarkets, shops and online, worth £1.3bn, against £1bn in the preceding 12 months.

Question 8: A: A particular production method has been followed to make the gin.

As long as the botanicals are added during the distilling process rather than being added later as flavourings, and providing no sugar or colourings have been added, gin from anywhere can be called a London Dry.

Question 9: C: Malaria

In the 1700s it was discovered that quinine could be used to prevent and treat malaria, although the bitter taste was unpleasant. The gin and tonic originated in India in the 19th century, when officers in the army of the British East India Company used their gin rations, combined with sugar and lime, to improve the flavour the tonic water they were ordered to drink.

Question 10: A: Vermouth

A classic Martini contains gin (lots), vermouth (a little) and nothing else. It should be very cold, stirred (not shaken, no matter what Bond says) and garnished with either a lemon twist or an olive. Perfection in a glass…

Question 11: B: Shaking a cocktail without ice

A dry shake is when you shake a cocktail without adding ice to the shaker! All the liquids to make the drink are in the shaker, but there’s no ice to chill or dilute it.

Question 12: A: Olive Brine

The term 'dirty' means that olive brine, usually from a jar of cocktail olives, has been added to the drink. If you like savoury drinks, you’ll love this.

Question 13: C: Moscow Mule

The only cocktail made without gin is the Moscow Mule - this cocktail is made with only vodka, spicy ginger beer, and lime juice.

Question 14: D: Mother’s Ruin

By 1733, the average person was apparently drinking 14 gallons of gin per annum! Gin joints allowed women to drink alongside men for the first time and it’s thought this resulted in many women neglecting their children and turning to prostitution, hence gin being known as 'Mother's ruin'.

Question 15: A: Gin and Dubonnet

The former royal chef Darren McGrady has previously reported that the Queen’s favourite tipple of all time is the simple, two-ingredient cocktail: the gin and Dubonnet. Want the recipe? Click here!

How many did you get right?

1-5: You’re a Juniper Junior

6-10: You’re a Spirits Scholar

11-15: You’re a Gin Genius