Join Lesley Jacobs Solmonson at the Pacific Palisades Library for “Gin, from Rotgut Booze to Cocktail King.”

Whether it was called Mother’s Milk or Mother’s Ruin, Dutch Courage or Cuckold’s Comfort, the nicknames for gin only hint at its transformations. Though the ancient Greeks and Romans made elixirs using juniper berries, gin as we know it was created in Holland as the medicinal 17th century “genever”. British soldiers fighting in Holland discovered this potent liquor, which they dubbed “Dutch Courage” for its powerful effects on the battlefield psyche. What started as a medicinal tincture became a public health disaster, as mass indulgence in low-quality alcohol led to what was called gin mania. In later times times gin was the characteristic drink of Prohibition-era bootleggers, the genteel toast of British naval officers, and the favored cocktail of the ultra-suave James Bond. Lesley Jacobs Salmonsen will chart the surprising story of the rise and fall and rise of gin, including the rise of and reason for different styles, historic cocktail recipes, and other information.

About the speaker: Lesley Jacobs Solmonson is a food/drink writer and journalist whose work has been published in Gourmet, Wine Enthusiast, and other publications, She is the co-founder of 12bottlebar.com, a site that focuses on cocktail history and classic drinks. Her book “Gin: A Global History” was released in spring of 2012 by Reaktion Books; she has been featured on BBC’s Food Programme and KCRW’s “Good Food”.