That's an interesting observation, BDM. I'm not too knowledgeable about gin, other than I've recently learned that all gins aren't "British style" juniper bombs, like Tanq & Seagrams, but rather can be any kind of proprietary mix of herbs and whatnot.

I know Hendricks gin is all the rage now, and it's Scottish, of all things. It's delicious and doesn't have much juniper, if any.

Perhaps its just the tradition of gin being a gentleman's drink that infuses it with the calming 'tude?