Green’s Dictionary of Slang

gin; thus read Geneva print v., to drink gin; been at Geneva phr., drunk.

1608		Merry Devil of Edmonton II i: I see by thy eyes thou hast been reading a little Geneva print.
c.1617		Fletcher Chances III i: ’Twere not for abusing thy Geneva print.
1623		Massinger Duke of Milan I i: And if you meet an Officer preaching of sobriety, Unless he read it in Geneva Print, Lay him by the heels.
1656		Mennis & Smith et al. Wit and Drollery 153: To pickle pancakes in Geneva print.
1728		T. Walker The Quaker’s Opera I i: He’s gone to give Blueskin a Quartern of Geneva.
1737		B. Franklin ‘Drinkers Dictionary’ in Pennsylvania Gazette 6 Jan. in AS XII:2 (1937) 91: They come to be well understood to signify plainly that A MAN IS DRUNK. [...] Been at Geneva.
1740		Ordinary of Newgate His Account 6 Aug. 6/1: She was excessively given to drinking Geneva [and] she was continually fuddled, and constantly out of her Senses.
1911		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 6 June 2/2: ‘Why ,John, [...] You have been reading Geneva print this morning already.’ ‘I have been reading the Litany,’ said John with a look of drunken gravity.