Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a root in the Fabaceae family native to the Middle East, southern Europe, and parts of Asia, such as India and Nepal. It is 50 to 100 times sweeter than sucrose, and has long been used as a powerful sweetening agent in gin.

The word licorice comes from the Greek word __________ (glukurrhiza), meaning "sweet root." And that's exactly what it is - a sweet root that grows deep in the dirt of well-drained soils in deep valleys with full sun. It has long been lauded for its medicinal properties, used in traditional Chinese medicine to "harmonize" ingredients in a formula. In Ayurveda, it's used to treat a whole host of diseases, and was long used in Europe as cough medicine because of its anti-inflammatory effects.

In The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic, Emperor Shennong ordered that licorice be listed as a magic plant that rejuvenated aging men. That was in 2300 BCE. In the time between then and now, the botanical has featured prominently throughout history.

The Egyptians made a sweet drink using licorice root called "Mai sus," which they believed to be a cure-all for an array of afflictions. The bitter botanical was found bundled in King Tut's tomb, as to be buried with the plant meant one could enjoy a sweet drink in the next world. Later, Roman and Greek soldiers chewed on licorice to quench their thirst and enhance their stamina. Napoleon Bonaparte was said to be a fan, and to have chewed on the root habitually.

Fast forward to the 19th century, when the botanical got a bit of a rebrand and began to be sold and marketed as a candy. This wasn't anything new though, really: some evidence shows usage of licorice as a candy dating back to as early as the 13th century. It makes sense-licorice is 50 to 100 times sweeter than sucrose, and its sugary sweetness is detectable in water even when diluted to 1 part licorice candy to 20,000 parts water.

These days, big name candy brands (you know the ones) use the term licorice to sell candy that doesn't really have any licorice in it at all. Instead, these mass-marketed treats are laden with artificial strawberry and cherry flavors that don't taste a thing like the bitter anise flavor of licorice.

A common sweetening agent in gin, licorice is used in AMASS Dry Gin both for its distinctive flavor as well as for its ability to alter texture and mouthfeel.

Found in: AMASS Dry GIn