Genever, created by Flemish chemist Franciscus Sylvius in the 1600s, was initially prescribed as a cure for ailments like heartburn and gout. Soldiers in the Thirty Years' War brought the drink back to England, where its popularity soared, leading to the establishment of local distilleries as laws restricted French brandy imports. Consequently, the term 'gin' emerged. Similarly, tonic water, invented in the 1800s by Johann Jacob Schweppe, also originated as a medicinal elixir due to its quinine content, further establishing a strong link between gin and its mixers.
"Genever... became a self-prescription for soldiers during the 17th-century Thirty Years' War, who claimed it gave them strength and calmed their nerves."
"Schweppes Tonic Water, one of the world's oldest soda makers, began producing tonic water in the 1800s, linking it back to its historical medicinal roots."
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