The classiest of the clear liquors, gin is distilled from grain and flavored primarily with juniper berries. Its bite can be jarring and its extended use taxing, but like all things sublime, gin can truly transport. We're also convinced it makes you smarter.

Legend has it that gin was invented in the 17th century by a Dutch chemist named Dr. Sylvius. A professor of medicine, Sylvius divined this nostrum as a blood cleanser to be sold by pharmacists. Of course, it wasn't long until gin was favored as a relaxant.

Geneve (Geneva or Holland gin) is the original Dutch version and has a very full-flavored spirit. It has since sired many a derivation. The word gin is actually a contraction of the Dutch word genever, meaning juniper.

English dry gin is what's poured in most bars and what Brits and Americans consider regular gin. Forty years ago, a martini drinker would have been familiar with white and yellow versions of English gin. Today, white London gin dominates the market. Sloe gin, not any relation to "real" gin, is a sweet liquor made from the sloe plum of blackthorn.

English Old Tom is the only non-dry gin and is practically extinct now. This gin is produced by adding a sweetener to dry gin. Do note, however, that Pimm's Cup, a bottled gin sling, also contains a sweetener.

The original distillation process is the same for all gins but flavoring during redistillation separates the accomplished ginsmith from the novice - savory additives range from orange peel to bitter almond. (Bombay Sapphire boasts a blend of "no less than 10 botanicals." We're a bit skeptical about the necessity of about seven of them.) The golden age of gin was prohibition, as it was the easiest of liquors to manufacture.