All About Gin, Generally

[Daddy-A]

I find Quintessential and Tanq Ten to be ultra smooth and more suited towards martini's than G&T. Citadelle is nice too.

Has anyone tried the South Gin from New Zealand? It's the most expensive gin available here on the Canadian west coast.

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I tried South at the Eat! show last year. Quite excellent from what I remember, which is why there's a bottle in my liquor cabinet ... think I'll use it tonight to toast Remembrance Day!

Remind me and you can try some at the Cookie Exchange

A.

Edited November 11, 2004 by Daddy-A (log)

[montrachet]

Hmm...should I have the port before the gin or afterwards. Decisions, decisions...oh well, go with the flow I suppose...

Whatever the casem I think I'd like to try it neat.

Cheers Daddy-A!

[winesonoma]

Go to Trader Joes buy Rear Admiral Joseph gin and try it. Our come from behind #3 place this year at the tasting.

[montrachet]

In the current Wine Enthusiast Best Buy issue, they recommend Boodles and Broker's for martinis and Seagram's Extra Dry Gin for G&T. All are $20 US or under according to the magazine. I remember trying Boodles years ago but have not tried the other two.

[alphaiii]

In the current Wine Enthusiast Best Buy issue, they recommend Boodles and Broker's for martinis and Seagram's Extra Dry Gin for G&T.  All are $20 US or under according to the magazine.  I remember trying Boodles years ago but have not tried the other two.

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I bought some Broker's gin for G&Ts and I think it's pretty good, especially for the price. I like Bombay Original a little better though. For comparison, I like both better than Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray. I haven't had Seagram's for years, but will never buy it again due to an extremely sick night thanks to it. Not that it would taste significantly different than most gins in a G&T, it's just a mental thing I guess. And the Broker's is only a litlte more expensive anyway.

[stephenc]

seagrams

[FoodMan]

From the TX Digest:

No longer forgotten, this drink is gaining on vodka and rekindling interest in the cocktails of yesteryear

Dai Huynh is talking about Vodka...er..I mean Gin in this article. Well I am not that far off as it turns out Gin is the first flavored Vodka!

Elie

What do you think about the article? I thought it was pretty interesting

Myself I prefer Grey Goose Vodka in my martini. Two olives please. I do have the occasional Gin martini though, as I will today when I get home .

My prefered Gin is "Broker's" and I normally either have it with tonic, Sprite, or in a Negroni.

Elie

edit: fixed link.

[slkinsey]

Very interesting article, entitled No longer forgotten, this drink is gaining on vodka and rekindling interest in the cocktails of yesteryear and mostly focusing on the growing popularity of gin rather than the choice of base liquor in a martini. Here's a little excerpt:

U.S. consumption of imported gins — mostly premium brands — grew 32 percent in 2003, says Jean-François Bonneté of Cognac Ferrand USA, which markets Citadelle gin.

"The premium-gin segment is being revitalized," says Jamie Rohlich of Bacardi USA, which owns Bombay Sapphire. "Because vodka — in particular, flavored vodka — has become so popular, consumers are looking to gin for a new taste experience."

Gin has long been the white liquor of choice for most cocktail afficianados. And I welcome any increase in popularity that might bring with it an increase in interesting new selections and imports.

[Mayhaw Man]

Juniper Organic Gin is pretty amazing.

Samplers at the Fancy Food Show in SF seemed pretty blown away by it. I heard some people saying that they had never tasted anything like it. They have an entire line of organic spirits (although I would be the first to question how something that is distilled to pureness is affected by using organic materials to begin with. What difference does it make, really, in terms of purity? It's distilled. Pretty much pure by definition). Nice package, as well.

[ladyyoung98]

neither one..... ...i cant stand the taste of either one of them

[sco-v]

My current favorite gin is Bombay Sapphire.

Speaking of a gibson I think it’s interesting that you can have essentially the same drink with a different garnish and it has it’s own name yet you change the base liquor, what makes up 90% of the beverage and it is still called a martini…

Ok I’ll stop ranting. ;)

And I’ll be having a martini tonight too – thanks for posting that article. :D

They have an entire line of organic spirits (although I would be the first to question how something that is distilled to pureness is affected by using organic materials to begin with. What difference does it make, really, in terms of purity? It's distilled. Pretty much pure by definition)

Well organic isn't a synonym for pure as it relates to distillation. When I think organic I think Natural, whole, unrefined, or untreated. Mainly I think no GMO’s and no harsh chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Starting with premium ingredients will always make a difference IMHO. With organic produce for example – the taste is just better, more vibrant. Pesticides and the like surely have an impact on flavor too; one I would think would be adverse. I am guessing but I think this might even become more apparent by distilling.

Anyway – thanks for dropping that link – I must try it soon!

[redfox]

I know that the popularity of gin is on the rise within the population of me! I think I may need to have a gibson tonight.

Meanwhile, I've been eyeing some other pickled goodies at the grocery store, and want to figure out what would go best in a Lillet martini. Clearly plenty of experimentation is called for. Do you think that the natural follow-up to a rise in the consumption of gin is a rise in the consumption of brined veggies?

[slkinsey]

We've already got a zillion threads on martini ingredients/techniques and the whole "gin versus vodka martini" thing. Let's not go down that path here.

I should hasten to point out that there are a multitude of wonderful gin cocktails besides the martini. Some of my favorites are the Aviation, the Twentieth Century, the Corpse Reviver #2 and the Pegu Club.

Gin makes a much more interesting mixing liquor than vodka, in my opinion, because you're adding flavor instead of just adding alcohol. Try a Cosmopolitan with gin instead of vodka some time. 100% better.

[Blondie]

Juniper Organic Gin is pretty amazing.

Samplers at the Fancy Food Show in SF seemed pretty blown away by it. I heard some people saying that they had never tasted anything like it. They have an entire line of organic spirits (although I would be the first to question how something that is distilled to pureness is affected by using organic materials to begin with. What difference does it make, really, in terms of purity? It's distilled. Pretty much pure by definition). Nice package, as well.

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My gin of choice. I’m almost out and have had a hard time finding another bottle. Has anyone seen it in NYC?

In my case, having this great bottle of gin definitely inspired me to start trying more gin cocktails, like the aforementioned Aviation and Twentieth Century, and vintage cocktails in general.

[Tengrain]

Gin for me!

Bombay Saphire is my house brand, with Citadel running a close second. But I reserve these only for Gibsons/Martinis -- the heavily scented botanicals are lost in a Monkey Gland (especially the American version) or other mixed drinks.

[slkinsey]

Hmmm... interesting. I'm not sure I agree, Tengrain. I think of both Bombay Sapphire and Citadelle as being fairly lightly flavored/scented gins compared to, say, Junipero or Boodles or Tanqueray.

Try tasting Bombay Sapphire alongside regular Bonbay. Even though Sapphire is made with a larger number of botanicals, I think you'll find Sapphire has a substantially less assertive aroma and flavor. There is a persistent rumor that Sapphire was specifically developed as a "less ginny gin" to appeal to vodka drinkers. I don't have a hard time believing that, and it's clear that Sapphire used the "Absolut model" in marketing their product (with great success). This is not to say that it isn't good (it is good), but simply to say that I don't think it has a particularly strong flavor or aroma.

I wonder what brands we would describe as real "gin lovers' gins." The brands often to be found at my house are Boodles, Tanqueray, Hendrick's, Junipero, Plymouth and Gordon's. Of these, I'm likely to use Hendrick's and Plymouth only in martinis or other very gincentric drinks; I'm likely to use Junipero never in martinis but rather in drinks where I want the strong presence of gin to cut through other strong flavors; Tanqueray and Boodles I'll use for just about everything; and Gordon's I use for just about everything except martinis. I'm currently experimenting with a bottle of Beefeater Wet, which has a light pear flavor in the mix.

[alphaiii]

I prefer Vodka for martini's - Pearl or Belvedere.

I just started drinking gin around last fall sometime. I usually only drink it in gin & tonics though. I like Broker's, but Bombay is pretty good too. I am not a big fan of Sapphire and think Tanqueray is too strong with the juniper.

Eventually, I'll get brave and try some more gin cocktails.

[Jaymes]

After living in Asia for some time (Hong Kong & the Philippines), I discovered that many of the British ex-pats there used gin in their cooking. For one thing, try a splash in your favorite recipe for Beef & Green Peppers.

[NulloModo]

Gin is great stuff. I too am a huge fan of Sapphire, I find it has much more flavor than the regular Bombay or Tanqueray. A Martini made without Gin just isn't a Martini in my mind, it is just as bad as those candy-appletinis you see everywhere now.

Actually, I was planning on picking up a bottle of bourbon for the weekend tonight, but I might decide to go gin instead...

[bbqer]

My preferred martini is with Ketel One vodka and a twist straight up. I occasionally enjoy a Bombay Sapphire martini and agree with the theory that Sapphire has a somewhat less harsh botanical flavor perhaps more suited to a vodka drinker's palate. And I like the cool blue color.

[slkinsey]

I'm always interested to see the number of people who try gin for the first time -- and as often as not, are turned off -- with a Martini. This is problematic for a number of reasons. First, it's introducing the taste buds to a somewhat acquired taste at full intensity with no familiar flavors to soften the impact. Second, the usual "modern ultradry" Martini is more or less straight chilled gin. No wonder the typical vodka drinker has a difficult time trying gin!

If a Vodkatini drinker is going to try the real thing, I'd recommend an early 20th century Martini recipe: a three ounce drink with equal parts gin and white vermouth plus a short dask of orange bitters.

But better yet, I'd recommend something like a Monkey Gland or a Corpse Reviver or Audrey's Gin Gin Mule.

[DaleJ]

Although its gutter gin, my nightly martinis are made with Barton's. How could the originator of the Red Cross do one harm?

[Tess]

I bought some Bombay Sapphire for a recipe, which as I recall involved champagne with a tiny bit of gin. I then tried a cocktail Nigella made on TV out of limoncello and gin. That was too sweet for me. The "reverse martini" sounds like the best thing. I also think I would like gin and tonics, if tonic were not like sweet pop but more like the bitter tonic I hear tell they used to make.

[kvltrede]

...I also think I would like gin and tonics, if tonic were not like sweet pop but more like the bitter tonic I hear tell they used to make...

I don't care for tonic myself. Here are two possible G'n'T replacements you may want to consider:

Gin Rickey

1½ oz Gin

Juice of ½ Lime

Carbonated Water

1 Lime wedge

Pour juice of lime and gin into a highball glass over ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water and stir. Add the wedge of lime and serve.

Obviously, there's plenty of lime juice in the drink so a lime wedge garnish is merely for show and can be skipped. If I make a highball-sized drink I usually juice an entire lime and toss one of the spent lime shells into the glass. I think a lemon or lime seltzer works better than plain. Beefeater works very, very well in this drink. I normally used crushed ice.

Some folks find the Gin Rickey to be boring and it can be if the proportions aren't right. I'm at work so I can't tell you the size of the glass that works best for me but I can tell you that a highball glass is to big for the above recipe and I haven't taken the time to figure out the highball proportions so I can't help there either. My guess is that the glass I normally use for these, and which returns excellent results, is probably 8-10 oz.

If you don't mind a little more work, Dr. Cocktail's Bitter Lemon Cooler is also exceptionally refreshing.

Bitter Lemon Cooler

1½ oz dry vermouth

1 oz gin

1/4 oz grenadine

1/4 oz fresh lemon juice

bitter lemon soda

Shake & strain into collins glass over crushed ice. Add bitter lemon soda and lemon twist.

As for the vodka vs. gin argument I have only come around to the joys of gin in the last year or two. For some reason the juniper scent now smells like the most refreshing thing in the world. It no longer makes me think of distilled pine sap and I enjoy it immensely. That said, I don't have any problem with a Vodka Martini made with Belevedere, Van Gogh, Turi, Fris, Svedka, Chopin and any number of other vodkas. Olives, please.

Right now, though, my ideal Martini is a 5:1 Plymouth gin/ Noilly Prat Martini, shaken within an inch of it's life and garnished with a large lemon twist. I like the cloudiness and ice chips in a shaken martian.

Kurt

[Tess]

The lime rickey and the bitter lemon cooler both sound great! I even have a bottle of Riggs & Forsythe bitter lemon.

I'll work on the proportions. A little more soda, a little more gin, a little more soda, oops, no, a little more gin... Sounds like an ideal experiment for a weekend.