Packed with shareable anecdotes, this light cultural history title is the perfect gift for gin enthusiasts. It is illustrated throughout with beautiful gin-related imagery sourced from the British Library collection. This title continues with the successful Philosophy of... series – previously published titles cover Coffee, Tea, and Wine.

Few if any alcoholic drinks have the dramatic and multi-faceted history of gin. In this fascinating new instalment of the British Library’s pocket philosophies, gin is explored through its origins in Holland, where it was popularised by William of Orange; its roots in medicine; its capacity to provide an albeit destructive escapism during the Gin Craze; its influence on language – responsible for the coining of ‘dutch courage’; and its current status as a popular social beverage and a pastime for those keen to experiment with flavouring their own gins.

The Philosophy of Gin covers the historic transformation of the beverage, ideal flavour pairings for the gin connoisseur, and how a spirit once given a wide berth by the middle and upper classes now attracts such a large proportion of the British public to choose gin as their tipple of choice.