English troops fighting in the Low Countries were perhaps the first importers of gin to British shores. In 1585 the Earl of Leicester’s troops took some Dutch Courage—a tot of gin—prior to battle as they allied themselves to The Netherlands in their conflict with Philip II of Spain.

The English were in need of this courage once again before fighting in Holland, this time during the 30 Years War. These troops undoubtedly returned home with some gin. In the 1660’s the famous diarist Samuel Pepys wrote of “strong water made with juniper” used as a treatment for colic; although whether this was for his own ailment or for infants remains unclear!

William of Orange ascended the British throne in 1689, immediately banned French imports, and passed laws encouraging all his new subjects to distil—an edict that was wholeheartedly endorsed! It is hard to over-estimate the effect this had on the country. In London by 1720 a quarter of all houses were actively distilling lethal concoctions masquerading as gin. The working classes seemed permanently without their faculties, public health suffered, people became simply unemployable, vice reigned and an early death paradoxically came none too soon as illustrated by the satirist Hogarth. Read more