Mother’s ruin

Mother’s ruin as a nickname for gin dates from the late 19th century although the ruinous social repercussions of cheap gin, particularly on women, was already well established during the 18th century, when it was called ‘mother’s milk’. The consumption of cheap gin in Britain led to the Gin Acts of 1736 and 1751, which imposed heavy taxes on the sale of gin in an effort to curb consumption.