In Our Time The Gin Craze
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Dec 15, 2016 Exploring the 18th-century gin craze in Britain, the podcast discusses the rise of gin consumption, the negative effects on society, the disparities between the treatment of the poor and the wealthy, the decline of gin drinking, the government's efforts to regulate gin, and the role of women in bars during the gin craze.
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William III Sparked The Gin Boom
- William of Orange's policies unlocked large-scale gin distilling by removing barriers and imports of French spirits.
- That legal and military influx made gin widely available and culturally tied to Protestant identity.
Gin Supported Grain Farming Interests
- Large-scale spirit production supported barley farming and preserved crop rotations needed for wheat.
- Landowners and farmers thus had economic incentives to lobby for distilling's continuation.
Gin Brought Women Into Public Drinking
- Gin uniquely attracted women as sellers and consumers, changing public drinking norms and intensifying moral panic.
- Female-run gin shops opened novel public spaces where women could socialize and be visible.