Difference between vodka and gin
Vodka vs gin:
Vodka and gin being two extremely popular drinks all over the world, have quite a lot of characteristics that could be called as their own. Vodka and gin have been around for quite a long time, intoxicating people around the globe and yet, not everybody truly bothers to find out the real difference between these two popular drinks.
What is vodka?
Vodka is a distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. It is produced from fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, fruits or sugar. The origin of vodka is still debated over while some assume it to be produced since the early Middle Ages in Poland while other assume that it was produced in Russia in the 9th century. The traditional vodka had 38% of alcoholic content by volume whereas the European Union has established a minimum of 37.5% ABV for vodkas produced within Europe. However in USA, the vodka must possess an ABA of 40% or more. There exists two categories of vodka such as clear vodkas and flavored vodkas with flavors such as red pepper, ginger, fruit flavors, vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon. However in Nordic countries, vodka flavored with herbs, fruits and spices also exist.
What is gin?
Derived from the French word “genièvre” or the Dutch word “jenevere” both translating into juniper in English, gin is a spirit that gains its flavor from juniper berries. It was the Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius who was credited with the invention of gin in the 17th century. There exist several variations of gins such as the juniper-Flavored Spirit Drinks which are also the earliest class of gin produced by pot distilling alcoholic grain wash and redistilling it with botanicals to extract the aromatic compounds. There also exists a category referred to as distilled gins, with an initial strength of at least 96% ABV, while London gin obtained from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin has a maximum methanol content of 5 grams per hectoliter of 100% ABV. Compound gin on the other hand is a neutral spirit with essences and is not redistilled. However, the minimum ABV for gin in the European Union is 37.5% while it is 40% ABV in USA.
What is the difference between gin and vodka?
The difference between gin and vodka would lie basically upon the ingredients and the flavors that they bear. While these differences do not affect their popularity among people all over the world, these small facts do matter to a relative few. However, vodka is made up of water and ethanol derived sometimes from fruits and sugar, is flavored slightly while most of the time, it is not flavored at all. Gin on the other hand is a spirit distilled from grains such as rye or barley to which a mixture of herbs is added and redistilled in the process. Gin derives its flavor from juniper berries. Thereby, it can be said that while vodka is very much low in flavor, gin on the other hand is quite rich with regards to this aspect.
In fact, most of the difference between the two comes down to their flavors. While vodka is available in flavored and unflavored versions, the flavors contained in them are rather vague which makes them ideal for producing cocktails. Vodka is derived from the Russian word that translates in to “little stream” which suits the beverage well as it is colorless, odorless, pure and clear. Premium brands of vodka are being filtered through charcoal or quartz sand and therefore it has more in common with water which is also pure and clear. Gin on the other hand is flavored with a collection of herbs known as ‘botanicals’ which includes juniper berries, fennel, caraway, cardamom, ginger, citrus peel and zest, almond, angelica and coriander. However, it must be said that while gin and vodka were originated from different places, they are actually quite similar in nature.
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Tags: barley, booze, botanicals, canned heat, cocktail, cocktails, drink, ethanol, firewater, hard stuff, herbs, hootch, intoxicant, juniper berries, liquor, methanol, moonshine, palliative, red-eye, rotgut, rye, sauce, smoke, spices, spirits, tipple, toddy
