Juniper, with its distinctive blue-black berries, is much more than just a plant. From its medicinal properties to its key role in gin production, learn all about this fascinating shrub.
From Scandinavia to the United States
Juniperus, if we choose to call it by its scientific name, comes from the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. This small coniferous tree grows mainly in moors and forests, and occasionally in rocky regions. From North America to Europe and parts of Asia, it flourishes in every corner of the globe. Among the countries where it is most widespread are Canada, Great Britain and Scandinavia as a whole, Russia and the United States. It likes poor, well-drained soil, which explains its presence in hills and mountainous areas. In the heart of forests, it benefits from the protection of larger trees. Resistant to both cold and drought, juniper is a resourceful plant capable of surviving in a wide range of environments.
Botanicals with a wide range of properties
It has been used since ancient times for its therapeutic properties. It was highly prized by healers and herbalists for its antiseptic qualities, but also for its beneficial influence on digestive disorders. Traditional medicine recognizes its rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while aromatherapy hails its relaxing and purifying effects.
However, as you may have guessed, it’s in the distillation sector that juniper has left its most lasting mark. And this has been the case since the Middle Ages, when we first heard of alcoholic beverages flavored with juniper berries in the Netherlands. They were consumed as medicine and crossed the border when English soldiers stationed in Holland found them to their liking. Success was immediate, and gin never stopped growing. First mixed with tonic in the British colonies to make the taste of the quinine used to prevent malaria more palatable, then gaining in quality thanks to theinvention of the column still, which marked the birth of London Dry Gin, it diversified and became indispensable. Today, juniper berries are enhanced by a host of other botanicals, varying according to production region and the creativity of distillers in search of unique profiles.
From medieval monasteries to today’s distilleries, genever has had a fascinating history. By becoming the main ingredient of a timeless drink, it has had a major cultural and gastronomic impact.
