Ginger Wine is a fortified wine made from a fermented blend of ground ginger and raisins that was first produced in England.
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The first documented appearance of Ginger Wine occurred with the foundation of 'The Finsbury Distilling Company' based in the City of London in 1740. The Finsbury Distilling Company, like other distillers, had to build a retail network in order to comply 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.[1]
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 it is most famously drunk as a 'Whisky Mac' when mixed with whisky. Ginger Wine can also be drunk with lemonade or other mixers such as ginger ale or bitter lemon. In Australia, a mixture of ginger wine and Toohey's Old dark beer is drunk, particularly among university students.