Gin and tonic is arguably
+
arguably:
posiblemente
Britain’s favourite cocktail and one of the most popular in the world. In the last few years, consumption has skyrocketed
+
to skyrocket:
dispararse
and, served in countless
+
countless:
innumerables
, imaginative ways, it has become known as a sophisticated yet
+
yet:
aun así
cool
+
cool:
guay
cocktail. It all began, however
+
however:
sin embargo
, centuries ago…
A DUTCH INVENTION The name ‘gin’ comes from ‘genièvre ‘, the French term for the juniper berry
+
juniper berry:
enebrina, baya de enebro
, and it is said that it was invented in 17th-century Leiden in the Netherlands by a professor of medicine called Franciscus Sylvius. He distilled the juniper berry with spirits
+
spirits:
licores
, producing an inexpensive medicinal drink with diuretic properties that was very well received
+
well received:
bien recibida
. By the middle of the century
+
by the middle of the century:
a mediados del siglo
, there were about four hundred distilleries in Amsterdam alone. The British soldiers who were serving
+
to serve:
servir
in the country tried gin, loved it and took it home. Its popularity quickly spread
+
to spread:
expandirse
in England, causing a so-called
+
so-called:
llamado
‘gin craze
+
craze:
moda
'. Many households
+
households:
familias
made their own
+
their own:
su propia
gin, and the excessive consumption became a serious social problem; it was known as ‘mother’s ruin
+
ruin:
ruina
’!
A GLASS A DAY... In the 19th century, the British officials in India used to take quinine
+
quinine:
quinina
, a substance extracted from the cinchona tree, native to Peru, to prevent
+
to prevent:
prevenir
malaria. In fact, it is said that the Spanish colonists in America introduced this remedy in Europe after seeing indigenous peoples
+
peoples:
pueblos
use it to treat fevers
+
to treat fevers:
tratar la fiebre
. But quinine was quite
+
quite:
bastante
bitter
+
bitter:
amarga
and, to make it more palatable
+
palatable:
agradable
, the British dissolved it in water with sugar, creating an early form of tonic water. Schweppes soon introduced the Indian Quinine Tonic, advertising
+
to advertise:
anunciar
it as the daily dose of quinine that Winston Churchill himself encouraged
+
to encourage:
animar
people to take. It was only a matter of time
+
matter of time:
cuestión de tiempo
before some spirit was added
+
to add:
añadir
to the mixture, and soon gin and tonic became the perfect refreshment
+
refreshment:
refresco
for Brits in the hot Indian climate.
THE 21st CENTURY GIN CRAZE
The worldwide
+
worldwide:
mundial
success of gin and tonic has led
+
to lead:
conducir
to the rise
+
rise:
aumento
of many new distillers and recipes
+
SPEAK UP EXPLAINS
"Recetas". En inglés existe una distinción clara entre una ‘receta’ (recipe) entendida como una serie de instrucciones para preparar ya sea un cóctel, una comida o incluso un medicamento, y la ‘receta’ (prescription) que entrega un médico al enfermo con las indicaciones del tratamiento.
; some bars even have a gin & tonic zone, with bartenders
+
bartenders:
camareros
making them all night. Although
+
although:
sebbene
the ingredients list has grown
+
to grow:
crecer
longer and longer
+
longer and longer:
cada vez más larga
, you really only need some gin, a a bottle of tonic water, some ice cubes
+
ice cubes:
cubitos de hielo
and a wedge
+
wedge:
trocito, gajo
of lime to make your own G&T.
