Gin
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A row of stills at the Beefeater |
Of all the spirits, gin appears to be the one that seems to always get the short end of the deal. Chances are good, that you’ll encounter more people that say they don’t like gin, then any of the other spirits.
I’ve got a theory about this.There are six different base spirits, whiskey, brandy, gin, rum, tequila, and vodka. It is not uncommon to see someone enjoying each of these spirits on their own, without any additional ingredients, with the exception of gin. Gin is a spirit that isn’t intended to be drunk “straight”, instead it struts its stuff best when used to make cocktails. But which ones? These days the Martini is usually barely more than a glass of cold gin, which is where most folks build up their aversion, since as I’ve indicated gin isn’t intended to be drunk straight.
Gin had its start in the 17th century, with Franciscus Sylvius (1614-1672), from Holland usually credited with its invention. It is possible to debate this fact, since juniper berries had long been used as a medicinal treatment, and had already been combined with ales, wines, and other alcohols as a way of facilitating their use. But Dr. Sylvius appears to be the first to do so and refer to it as “jenever” (genever) and so becomes the chicken/egg point to where gin can trace its roots.
The process of making gin is relatively straightforward. It starts by taking a “neutral grain spirit” (ie, Alcohol distilled to an extremely high proof, usually around 96% alcohol by volume), and then soaking in it a collection of different botanicals. Each gin brand has their own (and often secret) recipe, with juniper being the primary flavoring ingredient. To this they might include lemon peel, orange peel, anise, orris root, angelica root, cardamom, coriander, licorice root, cinnamon, and cassia, along with sometimes various other flavorings. After their chosen soaking time, this mixture is then distilled at least once more, the alcohol level reduced to a “bottle strength” of about 80 proof (40% ABV) by adding water, then bottled.
The variations in gin might seem subtle at first, but if you were to line up several different gins in a blind tasting, you might find these differences easier to pick out.
When introducing somebody to a gin for cocktails, I will almost never rely on a Martini, or even a Gin & Tonic. Instead I’ll select drinks such as the Jasmine, Pegu, Aviation, or Satan’s Whisker and then see where things lead to from there.
My personal recommendations for good brands of gin are: Plymouth, Tanqueray (regular, not Ten), Boodles, Hendricks, Beefeater, Aviation, and Bombay (regular, not Sapphire). You might of course find other gins that suite your palate.
Any comment on why you wouldn’t recommend Tanqueray Ten and Bombay Sapphire? I personally find regular Tanqueray not “ginny” enough for my tastes…I like a nice strong juniper flavor to come through in my gin, and Tanq doesn’t seem to have it as much as some of the cheaper brands. For a Gin & Tonic or a Gimlet, I’d just as soon use Gordon’s or Gilbey’s gin to get that refreshing woodsy flavor.