Gin is a type of alcoholic beverage that derives its flavour mainly from Juniper berries. Interestingly enough, most people will confidently say Gin is one of England’s national spirits.
Majority of the Gin found today trace back their origins to the United Kingdom, so it can be easy to confuse that Gin originated from there. However, it was first discovered by the English men in the Netherlands, and most Dutch soldiers drunk it to boost their mood during battles.
That gave rise to the term ‘Dutch courage,’ and the English men took the idea of drinking Gin with them to their homeland.
On the other hand, Palinka is a type of Hungarian brandy, and the brewing of this drink is usually a fruit-based process.
Making this drink is not just like any other process; it is an art form that dates back to the Middle Ages. In most cases, Hungarians make this drink at hoe. However, in the past few years several professional or „commercial” distillers have earned their name in the industry.
What are the similarities between Gin and Palinka?
In the European Union, Gin has an alcohol content of 37.5%, which is the same alcohol content as of the Palinka. More to that, both beverages are fermented and distilled from fruits, that is, Palinka is distilled from either cherry (sour cherry Palinka), pear (pear Palinka) and plum (plum Palinka), among others and Gin is a re-distillation of alcohol from juniper berries, which give its unique taste.
Moreover, both alcoholic drinks were first introduced for medicinal purposes. Gin was used as a kind of herbal medicine in the Middle Ages, while Palinka was useful for King Charles I of Hungary since both him and his wife suffered from arthritis.
Both Gin and Palinka are “origin protected”, which means their production is strictly regulated.
What is the difference between Gin and Palinka?
Interestingly, palinka is more like a brandy kind of drink, while Gin can be categorised as a spirit. Furthermore, Palinka is predominantly produced in Hungary, while Gin is produced in many different countries, for example, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and France.
All in all, one thing is for sure, if you drink Gin and Palinka, you will see that both drinks have a unique, incomparable taste that no other drink on Earth has.