Jump to content

We're getting older, so let's reach some conclusions about gin


tantric superman

Recommended Posts

Boodles in the house here. Wife (no pics) is quite proficient with the cocktails, among other things. 

Boodles is our favorite. Clean and dry. Perfect for a Gibson. A Gin martini garnished with cocktail onions is not a Martini but a Gibson. Never understood the appeal of a “Dirty” Martini. Don’t fuck up my booze with a bunch of brine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  • Like 2
  • Rage+1 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

my lovely wife has 47 different guns from 29 different countries in her bar. she’s a fan and damn sure knows what she’s doing in the cocktail arena.

she swears by some of the recent Japanese gins...especially the Ki No Bi cask aged. domestically, her favorite is bourbon barrel aged Big Gin out of Seattle.

My husband, KE, turned me on to this thread. He has accepted that I love gin more than I love him. I really, really love gin so he’s still doing okay with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Hook 'Em 3
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hendrick’s is excellent but is getting expensive. Citadelle is a great replacement for martinis to my taste (gin, a splash of Dolin, dash of orange bitters and a twist).

Do you like your gin in the London style with plenty of botanicals and bone dry or like an Old Tom with Dolin Blanc which is on the sweeter side but still dry? So many choices. I love gin way more than vodka.

An Old Raj Blue Martin with a twist is about as good a summertime quaff that will kickstart your night is about as good as it gets for a boozy beginning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, MaidofGin said:


My husband, KE, turned me on to this thread. He has accepted that I love gin more than I love him. I really, really love gin so he’s still doing okay with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I introduced my wife to gin when we first started dating, and she quickly grew to love it even more than I do.  Chicks that dig gin are pretty, pretty good.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't drink a lot of gin, but I will occasionally get a bottle and make cocktails.  My preferred gin cocktail is negroni.

A couple of years ago I was in Spain with a friend from Madrid and he brought me a straight gin drink.  I told him I don't normally drink gin straight up, but he said I would like it.  He was right.  It was a gin made in Spain, which they apparently only make during a full moon.  This is of course a marketing gimmick, but a pretty cool one I thought.  The gin is called the Alkkemist.  I've not seen it on shelves here in the US, but I haven't looked that much.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/alkkemist/alkkemist-gin/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hendrick’s is excellent but is getting expensive. Citadelle is a great replacement for martinis to my taste (gin, a splash of Dolin, dash of orange bitters and a twist).

Do you like your gin in the London style with plenty of botanicals and bone dry or like an Old Tom with Dolin Blanc which is on the sweeter side but still dry? So many choices. I love gin way more than vodka.

An Old Raj Blue Martin with a twist is about as good a summertime quaff that will kickstart your night is about as good as it gets for a boozy beginning.

I love London dry, new world, old Tom, genever, you name it. I don’t love all guns, because some really are swill... but that can be said of any style of liquor. Gin is pure craft and delicious craft at that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/13/2021 at 6:45 PM, MaidofGin said:


My husband, KE, turned me on to this thread. He has accepted that I love gin more than I love him. I really, really love gin so he’s still doing okay with it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey there buddy!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 3/23/2021 at 9:26 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I like a good G&T. Current gins in my bar.

d18a2eba5fc6b59cfca792dac265df13.jpg

Just picked this up.  Like it.  Lot's going on here, more so than the Gin Factory bottle I posted at the top of this thread.  That was all juniper and rosemary.  This is much more complex, at least to me.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Aviation is a solid ass cocktail.  And fairly hard to find, even in bourgeoisie hipster bars, unless it is specifically on the menu.  Otherwise they don't have the knowledge or the ingredients (creme de voilette) to mix it up.

 

Gin's purpose to me is to add a bitter counterweight to citrusy summer cocktails.  It's a supporting role to GTs, Gimlets, fizzes, etc.  Gin itself is bleh. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I listed some of our cabinet some time back on the first page of the thread, but we've added two to our regular stock. One is not an everyday flavor--very fruity, the latter has just got a nice dry touch and we like it.

Fruity:

Comprar Brockmans Gin | Precio y Opiniones en Uvinum

Overall complementary to our cocktail receipts:

Cotswolds Dry Gin 70cl : Buy from The Whisky Exchange

Seeing The Botanist listed earlier reminded me we haven't had that in awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We ran out of beer and well, can't have that before a game day so stopped by our local and was disappointed that they aren't carrying the Hayman's Old Tom anymore, only the London Dry. We really liked that one so I may have to road trip elsewhere. Anyway, we haven't tried the Japanese gins yet, but are still tasting around with others and so I picked up a couple more bottles. We aren't trying to have quiiiite so many as @MaidofGin, but we enjoy the comparing and contrasting.

Going to give this one a try:

Plymouth Gin Original Strength

Decided to try the recommended below:

Sip This: Bluecoat American Dry Gin

And added a different Cotswolds as well; we'll see how it goes up against the Hayman's version since we have a couple of shots of that left.

Old tom gin COTSWOLDS Old Tom Gin 42% - Maison du Whisky

Haven't pulled the trigger on the Monkey 47 and there was another one, I don't know w/o looking if it's been listed here: Gray Whale gin. Anyone try that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/16/2021 at 5:31 AM, 52-80 said:

Aviation is a solid ass cocktail.  And fairly hard to find, even in bourgeoisie hipster bars, unless it is specifically on the menu.  Otherwise they don't have the knowledge or the ingredients (creme de voilette) to mix it up.

 

Gin's purpose to me is to add a bitter counterweight to citrusy summer cocktails.  It's a supporting role to GTs, Gimlets, fizzes, etc.  Gin itself is bleh. 

We made one of these. Not bad, not bad at all, at all. We didn't have the maraschino cherry liqueur so we subbed with Heering, but it had a nice flavor. I would like to try it with a higher quality creme de voilette than the one we bought, but the store only had one selection.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last week was Negroni week. IIRC, Negroni week started up a little less than a decade ago as a charity fundraiser. We have other charities that we support locally on a quarterly basis, so we just celebrate in spirit. My spouse is not a huge fan of the aperitif, but I like it--it just depends upon the gin used in the composition. I don't like it so much with Aviation gin, but the Plymouth (listed above) makes a nice drink. I do believe the gin variety makes a difference. Our vermouth rosso is the simple Martini & Rossi, but at some point, I'd like to try a different one like the Del Professore. I am pretty liberal with the squeezed orange as well. I like the zing of citrus.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a new gin at PJ Clark's a few months ago (they do special G&Ts).  McQueen and the Violet Fog was the gin.  It is made in Brazil.  It is quite tasty.  I have been searching for a bottle since.

https://www.mcqueenvioletfog.com/home/

Also, here is a pretty comprehensive list of Gins by UK GQ.

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/best-gin-for-gin-and-tonic-london-dry-gin-gin-cocktails

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since we have the creme de violette, we've been using it. Made a Violet Gimlet and we like it.

The Violet Gimlet | DrinkLink

We used per drink:

2 oz Plymouth gin

1 oz Rose's Lime Juice

1 oz Creme de Violette

several dashes of fresh squeezed lime

placed in glass with ice and stirred. Nicely sour and the violet came through like a champ. Ours wasn't blue like in the pic though. I think it depends upon the brand of violet liqueur and/or the gin. I may make it with the Empress Gin we have and see what that is like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spouse decided he preferred the pickled onions in his martini this week, so that's been the aperitif the last couple of days. Also made an Italian Greyhound for the first time and that was very nice. Gin, grapefruit juice, Campari, and a little sugar. Some recipes call for vodka, but we used gin. Don't know if that changes the name, but we liked it.

 

  • Rage+1 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/8/2021 at 5:32 PM, Chewbacca said:

Anyone tried Junipero gin?  Picked up a bottle last week because they were out of Hendrick's and I liked the bottle, but I really dig this stuff.

 

spacer.png

I've seen it but haven't yet purchased. We're slowly depleting our stock and then we will pick up some new tries along with the old faves. So you like it? With what are you mixing it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

I've seen it but haven't yet purchased. We're slowly depleting our stock and then we will pick up some new tries along with the old faves. So you like it? With what are you mixing it?

I'm just a G&T guy.  Always use Fever Tree tonic.  Either Elderflower or the Light Indian Tonic and a lime.  Elderflower doesn't need a lime.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

I'm just a G&T guy.  Always use Fever Tree tonic.  Either Elderflower or the Light Indian Tonic and a lime.  Elderflower doesn't need a lime.

Gin and Tonic is sublime. We like to make it for the first drink out of the bottle for comparison to other gins. Fever Tree tonic is great, I agree.

I've been making the Gin Fizz this week. We used to drink those before we had children, and had forgotten how much we enjoyed them.

IMG_3564.thumb.jpg.94d5f9090647fd0e0adf942b3215aa57.jpg

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I made a couple of gin fizzes this weekend but they were almost too smooth and light. 

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • 3/4 ounce simple syrup

  • 1 egg white (about 1/2 ounce)

  • Club soda, to top (about 1 ounce)

 

Was using topo chico and Old Raj 80ish proof.  (The old Raj not as much going on as the other gins I've tried but it was fine.)

Needed more gin, I guess.  Maybe less egg white.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, HookEm said:

I’m dropping a rage on anyone who puts disgusting cocktail onions in their martini. What an abomination. Turrible.

If someone doesn’t like olive, why not go with a lemon twist?

Because I don’t want a lemon twist-I want a Gibson.  Gin:vermouth 6:1 ratio, no bitters, stir to cold, serve over fresh ice with 2 cocktail onions.  Tastes vary, but others can keep their pimiento, blue cheese, jalapeño, and pickled garlic olives.  I like the tangy cocktail onions…………….

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My spouse likes the onions if given a choice, too. He'll use the olives when we don't have the onions.

 

 

22 hours ago, tantric superman said:

I made a couple of gin fizzes this weekend but they were almost too smooth and light.

Needed more gin, I guess.  Maybe less egg white.

I prefer mine on the smooth light side, but you may find that the type of gin and brand of gin does makes a difference as you noted. When I find something a little harsh for my preference, I use the Plymouth gin or the Old Tom style gin. The London dry gins can really vary by brand as to how...I don't know the lingo...sharp? they come across. If I don't like it on the first go round, sometimes I try a different gin the next time. Sometimes I want the bracing flavor to come across, and sometimes I want something a little more mellow but not sweet.

We made  Pimm's Fizz recently since we had cranberries; what we didn't have on hand was Pimm's so my husband found a make do recipe and proceeded from there. I think in the one I remembered to take a picture of we left out the egg white. I got a little too vigorous with the shaking recently and the egg white volume blew the lid off the shaker and well, that was fun to clean up let me tell you.

IMG_3591.thumb.jpg.056ad0251e2d42ff02365fcdfa31498b.jpg

Pimm's Fizz:

1 oz gin

1 oz Pimm's No. 1 liquour

3/4 oz lime juice

1/2 oz grenadine

1/4 oz ginger syrup (or use ginger beer)

1 egg white

Club soda to top

Garnish with cranberries

Dry shake all ingredients save the soda and garnish, then add ice and shake again. Strain into glass over fresh ice, garnish.

 

*Pimm's substitute: it won't have some of the botanicals, but it works well enough in  a pinch.

1 part gin

1 part red vermouth

1 part curacao or similar orange liquour

stir together and let sit for an hour to blend.

I made enough to have a little extra for seconds....and maybe a last round.

 

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We're picked up a new gin this weekend, new to us as well as a new(er) distiller. We haven't opened it yet, we've been clearing out the pantry of some of our other bottles before restocking. We did like Silks, an Irish gin, and will likely put that in the rotation, but we discovered we have thus far a preference for the overseas gins as opposed to the North American ones, save Aviation which is okay. Our gin list has gotten pretty long on the ones we've tried and liked, so when this one showed up we had to grab a bottle.

Here's the latest:

The Scottish Gin Society House of Elrick Gin - The ...

They make several types, but the artisan is what we selected for a first try.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...