History
The first documented appearance of Ginger wine occurred with the foundation of 'The Finsbury Distillery Company' based in the City of London in 1740. The Finsbury Distilling Company, like other distillers, was required to build a retail network in compliance with the Gin Act 1751. Joseph Stone, a grocer of High Holborn, was one of the most prominent and important customers of the Finsbury wines division, and as such, had his name given to their Ginger wine.
In 1832, sales were boosted by a cholera epidemic and a widely held belief that ginger offered protection against the disease; it has also been hailed as an aid to digestion and as an effective aphrodisiac. Today it is still produced and is widely available through most licensed premises (though its use as an aphrodisiac today is less well-documented).
Ginger wine can be drunk on its own or over ice, but the best known means of consumption is as a 'Whisky Mac', a combination with whisky. Ginger wine can also be drunk with lemonade or other mixers such as ginger ale or bitter lemon.
Read more about this topic: Ginger Wine
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