Gin is a hard alcohol flavored with the seeds of the juniper bush. Gin is a rather dry alcohol and is rarely drunk on its own, but used instead as a base for many different types of drinks. Good gin is very smooth, with a strong juniper flavor exciting the senses.The name gin is most likely a derivation of the Dutch word genever, which simply means 'juniper'. This word comes from the Latin juniperus via Old French genevre. Others hold that the name gin is a shortening of the city name.