{"id":4124,"date":"2019-05-15T09:52:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T08:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/?p=4124"},"modified":"2025-09-02T16:40:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:40:41","slug":"london-gin-craze-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/london-gin-craze-history\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of The 18th Century London Gin Craze"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everyone knows that we Brits love a good tipple every now and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, who doesn’t, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are times when a relaxing drink or two gets a little bit out of hand. That’s exactly what happened during the infamous London gin craze of the 18th century. This bizarre series of events in the first half of the 18th century is partially to blame for the success of one of Britain’s finest exports – gin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re generally interested in the history of this unique beverage, then you owe it to yourself to learn all about London’s gin craze and check the capital’s top gin distilleries<\/a>. Let’s hear the story before checking out a few of the capital’s best gin bars still in existence today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saying no to France<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the late 17th century, at a time when Britain and France were (once again!) in a spot of political strife, the crown attempted to curb imports of French Brandy into Britain. In doing so, they created a new market for Britain’s homegrown alternative and put in place laws to make it easier to brew and sell gin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in 1690, the London Guild of Distillers was disbanded, allowing independent retailers to enter the market. As the price of food dropped and incomes increased, people looked for new ways to spend their hard-earned gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destructive Liquors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gin quickly flooded the streets. What followed was a public outcry from the upper classes, complaining of strained relationships with the common folk. According to magistrates in Middlesex, gin was “the principal cause of all the vice & debauchery committed among the inferior sort of people” and insisted that the government “observe the strong inclination of the inferior sort of people to these destructive liquors”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/em>“[Gin was] the principal cause of all the vice & debauchery committed among the inferior sort of people” <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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By 1743, England was drinking ten litres of gin per person, per year. The government tried to stem the tidal wave of gin by introducing a tax in 1736, which quickly drove the market underground. They were finally successful in stemming gin consumption in 1751 with the Gin Licensing Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London’s Best Gin Bars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If you, like us, are amongst the ‘inferior sort of people’ and enjoy a good gin and tonic, there are a few great places in the capital for you to try. Check out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gin Bar, Holborn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A post shared by Holborn Dining Room (@holborndiningroom)<\/a> on