The Gin Craze

created by AsnoT

(thing) by AsnoT (3.7 y) (print) ? (I like it!) 2 C!s Sat Jan 26 2002 at 10:16:26

in the first half of the 18th century, drinking gin was endemic in England. In 1750-51 over 11 million gallons were consumed - and this number does not take moonshined gin into account.

Origins of gin: the dutch probably invented the flavouring of grain spirit with juniper berries, calling it 'Genever'. Visiting British soldiers found the drink to their tastes, and took the idea with them, shortening the name to 'Gin'.

Gin was an instant success in London, helped by the fact that producing it also got rid of surplus grain, which kept the grain price high. In 1720 Parliament passed the Mutiny Act, which absolved owners of a still from having soldiers put up in their houses. Soon, nearly every shopkeeper was selling gin if only to keep the unwanted military house-guests away.

In 1730, nearly 7 million gallons of gin were consumed, sold in at least 5000 shops around that time - and it got worse. By 1750, the percentage of houses selling gin was as high as 25 in some parishes, and 12% in Westminster, the centre of government. The purity of the drink was far from guaranteed, either, it was flavoured with anything that was readily available, including turpentine.

Henry Fielding blamed a crime wave on the excess consummation of hard liquor, stating that over 100,000 persons in London alone used it as their 'principal sustenance'. Gin was made and sold in hospitals, prisons and poor-houses. The parish records show over 9,000 children dying of gin in 1751.

William Hogarth published his two famous etchings 'Gin Lane' and 'Beer Street' in the same year, contrasting 'good' beer with 'bad' gin*. The most prominent feature of Gin Lane is a mother dropping her child over the rails of the stairs she sits on, more intent on taking a dose of snuff than safekeeping the kid

The governing classes began to see that drunk labourers were not labouring that well, and efforts were made to curb the extent of the problem. Gin Acts were passed that limited the circle of persons allowed to sell gin, and fines imposed on non-compliance.

By the late 1760ies, consumption was down to a fourth of the worst excess, to 'only' 3,5 million gallons. After that, the problem seems to have pretty much disappeared from the public eye's gaze.

*The Hogarth prints can be found here:
http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/beerst.html
http://www.haleysteele.com/hogarth/plates/ginlane.html

printable version
chaos

Gin makes a man mean	Gin	Heads of Six of Hogarth's Servants	Winter's Tale I.i
London Dry Gin	Turpentine	Parliament	Royal London Hospital
krunk	William Hogarth	Westminster	Gin Lane
Acts of Union 1536-1543	Gin and Tonic	Geneva	juniper
THC	London	Henry Fielding	Hrothgar

Y'know, if you log in, you can write something here, or contact authors directly on the site. Create a New User if you don't already have an account.

Login
Password

remember me
password reminder
register

Everything2 Help

Look at this mess the Death Borg made!
flirting
Sex in ancient cultures
warning label
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Broadway
It's cold today, but not cold enough for an ice storm
two-handed tapping
Hugh Hefner
George Washington's Inaugural Addresses
HOT DAMN!: Drinking, Debauchery, and Dastardly Deeds
Business Casual
A sandwich is not a sammich
Scary, xenophobic subtexts in The Matrix

Heitah
Why I love Everything2	(person)
trixingee
Dungeon Mastering for the first time	(idea)
Netrat0
It's Called Subtext, Honey	(person)
eyeofthebeholder
The Dragon	(idea)
Heitah
consist, comprise, constitute, or compose	(idea)
Meezzio
Gotlandssnus	(thing)
argv
Astral Plane	(idea)
Madara
One Winged Angel	(fiction)
Tom Rook
Talk is cheap	(poetry)
shaogo
Adelle Davis	(person)
Aerobe
race car g sfjsgsd	(poetry)
Binah
Dream Log: July 5, 2008	(dream)
StrawberryFrog
Forgotten things in space	(idea)
antigravpussy
velvet revolution fairy tale	(idea)
Heitah
Nerve agent VX	(thing)

E2 is a by-product of the existence of The Everything Development Company