A spirit distilled from grain or sugar cane molasses; the Dutch genever is considered the forerunner. The name is derived from the French "genévrier" (juniper). The first mention of a juniper schnapps called genever was made in the 17th century by the Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius (1614-1672). When William III of Orange-Nassau (1650-1702) ascended the English throne in 1689, he brought genever with him from his homeland. He made the production of juniper brandy tax-free and at the same time imposed heavy taxes on the import of French alcoholic beverages. English soldiers who supported the Dutch in the Dutch-Spanish War also brought this liquor to the British Isle, where it was given the name gin. By decree in 1690, it was stipulated that gin could only be produced from English grain. In 1697, the first written record of a gin distillery in England was found in a former monastery in Plymouth.
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