In 1650 at the University of Leiden Dr Sylvius created the recipe (albeit very crude) of the infamous gin and tonic, to deal with malaria. The recipe wanted to give life to a potion based on juniper berries capable of curing malaria to be used on the eastern front of the colonial Indies.

This first recipe underwent a subsequent evolution by the English, who during the seventeenth century were together with the Dutch in the fight against the Catholics, during this period the English met the Dutch JENEVER. The British produced their own version which took the name of GIN.