Harrogate bars highlighted in fascinating new book Gin and the English

Published by Historic England, author Paul Jennings’ Gin and the English – An Illustrated History tells the story of a drink once known as “Mother’s Ruin” before the new era of ‘designer gins’.

The intention, said the Harrogate writer, is to be entertaining as well as informative, to tell the story of the spirit in cultural and social terms.

"Gin is so much more than a drink in a glass, it is embedded in our economy, society and culture,” said Mr Jennings, who is a member of The Drinking Studies Network, an international research group.

"A lot of research has gone into the book; it is scholarly and it does have proper footnotes.

"But the aim is to offer a lively and accessible account.

"There is no point in writing a book that no one is going to read.”

The new book, the writer’s fifth, confirms gin’s unique history, one which has seen many changes in the last 400 years, from the Gin Craze of the early 18th century to its reputation in the 1940s as a little old-fashioned, to the recent fashion for flavoured gins and craft gins.

Far from academic, Mr Jennings research took him to real bars and distilleries, including a visit to Whittakers Gin in Nidderdale.

And the 114-page hardback book reveals the small role played by Harrogate.

The Hales Bar, for example, was created in the gin palace style and in the 19th century had its own ‘spirit vault’.

Nuggets of gold include the fact that gin’s past reputation for being medicinal is rooted in the juniper berries which give it its distinct flavour.

"We have always had an ambiguous relationship with alcohol,” said Mr Jennings.

"People love it for the pleasure it brings and others hate it for the harm it can do to individuals, families and the wider society."

Gin and the English – An Illustrated History is published by Historic England in association with Liverpool University Press.

More information at: https://pauljenningshistorian.wordpress.com/