I’ve professed my love for bourbon in a number of previous threads, and whisk(e)ys seem to dominate the booze topics here, and for good reason. However, as someone who appreciates most forms of hooch, I’d like to discuss gin.
Ah, gin. It has history (the British and all that; U.S.prohibition and bathtubs; etc.) It is, despite some vodkaphiles’ insistence, the proper ingredient for the hippest of all drinks, the martini. It is also the main ingredient in the best hot weather drink ever concocted, the gin and tonic.
I’m a classicist when it comes to gin. I prefer Beefeater for my standard martini, and when the budget allows, Bombay Sapphire. For G&Ts, I use Gordon’s (and GOOD tonic is critical.) The strong flavor of the tonic water precludes the necessity of top-shelf gin, IMO, and Gordon’s mixes perfectly.
I know many people hate the taste of gin, but there must be some other fans out there. What do you like?
I don’t know much about the rarer gins, like Genever, and would love to hear from someone who favors them.
I’m a Bombay drinker, and I probably should expand my gin horizons. I concur with Tristan, if he was, in fact, recommending Tanqueray Rangpur for G&Ts… I was pleasantly surprised with how good it tasted.
How do you like your G&Ts? I make mine in a pint glass. 2 fingers of gin, squeeze of fresh lime, fill to 3/4 with ice (crushed if available), fill with tonic to top of glass; add slice of lime.
I love gin and would really like to try Damrak Gin and Magellan Gin but these brands have not been approved by our provincial liquor board and thus may not be imported by retailers.
Old Raj is also good but has a flavor profile that makes it less flexible. You should definitely try it in a martini, though. The following spin on a martini is one of my own concoctions:
About a 3:2 mix of Old Raj: Amaro Ramazotti (if you like it sweeter, feel free to go 1:1). Stir & strain.
Taste it, and it’s good…then add a truly massive twist of orange (use a vegetable peeler to get about 2-3 square inches), and that takes it to a whole new level.
Same sort of deal I use a dimple beer mug. Glug in some gin, add ice, squeeze in as much lime juice as I can stand, top with tonic. Chug. Repeat until shiny.
My everyday gin (though I don’t drink everyday) is Daresbury’s Quintesential - a great gin for the money, and not a lot of money needs to be spent. It beats out some gins costing far more, IMHO. The best bargain in gins.
Also for the record, a dash of bitters in the G&T does wonders.
I prefer Plymouth, or Hendricks if I want something a little quirky, and then down to Sapphire. I had a trial of the Tanq rangpur and thought it would be very nice for mixing, but I usually like my gin of a quality that I can just drink neat. It’s ok that way, too.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Netherlands and Belgium so I’ve had a bit of genevers (the Dutch will come in here and insist that the Belgians make shit genevers, of course). Anyway, the standard kind gets divided up into young and old varieties. The young jenevers taste a bit strongly and aggressive while the ‘old’ variety tastes mellower, with a sort of sweet and oaky taste that reminds me of scotch and makes my mouth crawl unpleasantly(I actually prefer the young stuff). Most standard jenevers don’t seem to me to have such a strong juniper flavor as the English type gin, rather with a more varied herbal taste. And pretty much always drank straight up and cold, and was considered a sort of ‘old guy drink’ but I think it’s coming back into style with the kids. The Belgians also in particular make a bunch of varieties with fruit infusions, so you can find passion fruit jenevers and the like which are pretty delicious but might upset purists.
I still remember the time I asked for a martini made with Bombay Sapphire, and the waitress returned empty-handed to the table, saying “Sorry, we have no Bombay Sapphire vodka; but we do have Smirnoff or Grey Goose–which would you like?” I explained that Bombay Sapphire was a gin, and that “vodka martinis” were made with vodka, while a “martini” without the “vodka” adjective always contained gin. I was nice about it and just considered I was doing my part to fight ignorance, even off the board. The bar did indeed lack Bombay Sapphire, but she did bring me a very nice martini made with Tanqueray (and it was so good, I had to have another).
Bombay Sapphire is the house gin in our house: used in martinis, of course, but also in G&Ts. If the local liquor store is out, as sometimes happens, we’ll buy Tanqueray.
I think it was Dorothy Parker who once wrote:
I like a martini
But two at the most
Three and I’m under the table
Four and I’m under the host!
The Tanqueray and tonic with a twist of lime may well be the best cocktail of all time. While I stick mainly to beer these days, I may just order one tonight.
I add a dash of Angostura to mine. If I’m making a Hendricks G&T, I forgo the lime and garnish with cucumber.
Sapphire is what I keep around, but I like Plymouth a little more. Hendricks is tops, but I only have it around for special occasions. Boodles once in a while, sometimes I get a really good deal on it at BevMo.
I drink, oddly enough, out of a Shrek 2 McDonalds glass. Not sure how the tradition started, but my wife and I drink pretty much out of just those 2 glasses. It’s a bit weird, I fully admit.
3 ice cubes
Rangpur gin (as noted above… so yummy!) until I get to the waterline of the little ship on the glass.
Top up with tonic.
As much as I would like to add a bit of lime, I don’t due to spoiling half a lime by the time the next drinking night comes around. So… no lime.
The bar did indeed lack Bombay Sapphire, but she did bring me a very nice martini made with Tanqueray (and it was so good, I had to have another).