I was once gifted a bottle of Jonge Boomsma Genever. The Dutch drink it neat, out of tiny glasses which they fill to the brim, but I preferred it with a little Schweppes tonic, ice and a slice of lemon. This horrified my Dutch pal who considered me to be a Philistine of the worst sort and never gave me another bottle, no matter how many hints I dropped.
Rob
I've not been there yet, but will have to give it a go.
I've just taken delivery of Conker Gin
https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/con...orset-dry-gin/
And Silent pool
https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/sil...ool-gin/?srh=1
There are now loads of small production gins out there, many of which are superb. Gin is one of the few spirits with an expanding use in the under40's.
I still find myself going back to an old staple. 4-5 large ice cubes in a tall glass, 1/2 squeezed lime, 50 ml (OK nearer 60, I've got an unsteady hand) of Tanquery, and a can of Schweppes tonic water.
As an alternative, I have Hendricks, Fever tree and cucumber over ice, which is a bit more refreshing, but for my go to gin after a long day, it's still the Tanquery. It also has the added bonus of being available in Wetherspoons for less than £4 for a large with mixer.
Wouldn't say I know what I'm doing. I just have time on my hands and drink wwwwaaaaay too much!
Also I'm not generally a fan of adding things / garnish to my gin as I personally think that this can cover over a drinks short comings. Obviously I understand that it can be used to improve a drink to on occasion but I think when you're spending +£30 on a bottle it should be able to be drunk on its own / over ice / just with tonic.
Last edited by subseastu; 11th January 2016 at 10:59.
Everything is getting so complicated. Paralysis by choice, is a phrase I heard used by a watchmaker.
In the "old" days, it was simple. Whatever was on the back bar (Gordons, possibly Beefeater / Gilbey's) a slice from a jar (if you were lucky), and some post-mix tonic from the tap. Oh. Ice if there was any left in the bucket.
Now, we are told, there are signature serves for each gin. Which is nice. But it does mean that you need to have five different citrus fruit on hand if you're stocking a selection of gins (at home or in the bar). Plus the various tonics. And even then, and as this thread adequately demonstrates, there are people who want it served a different way.
Mixing a martini is becoming even harder, with new vermouths appearing all over the place, and slightly odd botanicals reacting unpredictably with the bittering agents used in fortification and blending.
I'm a huge gin drinker, but even I'm getting a little tired. Mixing a drink used to be a pleasure. Now it's a jigsaw puzzle. I know what the picture looks like, but none of the pieces seem to fit.
Drunken trial and error.
Agree with you here, I'd have to spend a fortune on fruits / berries (fresh, dried and citrus) to cover all the bases of the what the gin distillers recommend to add to their drink. Some times it can add to the taste experience but I just think generally its hiding the short comings of the drink. At a push I'll add lime if I've got any or maybe a sprig of rosemary but that only if I can be bothered to get some out of the garden. I wonder why this happens to gin? Don't see whisky drinkers adding dried cranberries or a twist of orange peel to their drink
I've been to many new gin launches and spoken to many distillers and brand ambassadors about their gins. They are attempting - in the most part - to make something memorable, and to replicate the incredible success of (first) Bombay Sapphire, and then Hendrick's. The latter's use of two stills (and therefore a blend of two spirits) is fascinating and unusual. The two names behind it are well-respected - indeed David Stewart is one of the most famous of the master distillers (his work with the Balvenie was ground-breaking).
I was trying to make a (gin) martini with Caorunn last week, and ended up adding Bittermen's bitters. Interestingly, their own recipe suggest lemon peel and Angustura. I actually quite liked the soft chamomile note from the Boston Bittahs, but who's to say which is better?
There are other brands who've taken a different approach, making gins that are good with just about everything.
Your point re whisky was briefly covered in the other thread by the way. But with Super Premium gins now as (if not more) expensive than many single malts, perhaps it's time to start drinking them neat, or stirred down...? 2016 is the year of the Gin Mizuwari, after all**.
** probably
You are obviously very knowledgeable on this and I bow down to your experience. I can understand why the distillers are trying to make their drink the next big thing, it is after all a business. I just feel it all getting too complicated with a dash of this, a twist of that, a jigger of the other. As you say drinking neat or over ice may just be the way to go with these premium gins and let gin do the talking.
There's the mistake. Fanta is too sickly sweet for Xoriguer, which is oily and floral in nature. The best serve for it if you keep to the local Menorcan tradition of lemonade is Kas brand - "Limon" flavour. It's much sharper and refreshing. Kas is next to impossible to get in the UK though - San Pelligrino lemon might be a decent replacement but it's sharper still and may go too far that way.
I find this is a decent combination - and easy to find too.
z
Tried The Botanist in a bar in Edinburgh today. Can't say I was impressed -still prefer the Aldi stuff. Maybe the more expensive gins taste better drunk neat but as I always drink G&T that's no use to me. Both this and the Sipsmith tasted a little weak and flavourless.
Maybe I just have cheap taste, but I'm currently drinking a bottle of Whyte & Mackay whisky and really enjoying it. I've had many far more expensive bottles but can't say I've enjoyed any that much more. Different yes, but not necessarily better.
Last edited by Cynar; 29th July 2016 at 23:20.
Whyte & McKay is my daily dram.
Unable to buy my favourite Gin any longer - Tanquery Export 47.3 % no longer marketed in the UK. The 43.1% just doesn't have the same "mouth-feel" or finish......
Oh, and as a footnote- there is only one thing worse than a warm G & T,
and that's NO G & T !
Last edited by Humbug; 30th July 2016 at 00:51.
My current easy drinking favourite is Whitley Neill Quince & Schweppes - just awesome!
It's just a matter of time...
Whittakers! Made in Yorkshire using botanicals off t'moor.
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This stuff from Lidl is very good with Fevertree light tonic.
z
Went on a Adnams distillery tour couple weeks back in Southwold.
Their Copper House Gin is very good indeed, give it a try.
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Currently drinking these (all with fevertree tonic)
Ungava - Canadian gin and one of my top 5 now, well worth hunting out.
Silentpool - love this stuff, again a top 5 gin
Da mhile seaweed gin - thought I'd give this a go. It's different from the stuff I tend to favour as it's quite dry. You can taste the sea in it for sure. Don't think I'll buy it again.
Opihr - my stand by gin bought when on offer in the supermarket. A nice peppery taste.
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Copperhouse is lovely.
That said the best G&T I have ever tasted was Tanqueray 10 garnished with Grapefruit.
It probably had more to do with the atmosphere and occuassion being Christmas Day and having just booked in at the Victoria Falls Hotel after a long hot drive through Zambia and Zimbabwe, but it was nectar.
Hello
Has anyone had Thomas Dakin gin?
I'm currently rather partial to Plymouth but wondered if it was worth trying this.
Cheers
Dave
I found it a bit disappointing. Decent, but I didn’t buy another one.
However I am extremely partial to my latest discovery, a Japanese gin called Roku.
Superb with fever tree’s Mediterranean tonic.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Right now... mmm...
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Dave,
I found the Thomas Dakin gin to be overly botanical, with too many different spices coming through. It was just a bit too medicinal.
If that’s your thing, then crack on, but I am more partial to a dryer gin like Liverpool gin, Tanqueray or Plymouth. When the sun is belting out, I do however like to revert to my export strength “cooking gin”, Larios, with a big slice of orange in it.
Cheers,
James
For me the perfect summer G&T is JJ Whitley Nettle Gin. I have 50ml measure of gin. Served with a Fevertree Mediterranean tonic. As a garnish it just has to be fresh mint and lime!
Perfect!
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Young's on tap app giving a free pink Beefeater G&T this weekend
Hendricks, in a glass full of ice, with a cucumber stick, on the Leliegracht in Amsterdam, on a warm verging on hot evening. Absolutely delicious, chilling refreshing and intoxicating! Here's the first of three, or was it four? The tonic was of course Fever Tree, full fat. Why is it, that it never tastes as good when you get home?
I thought this thread would have been a little busier today considering it was World Gin Day!
for those that go the whole hog with garnishes and like experimenting a nice addition (if you have or get it growing in the garden )is a few sweet gale leaves (bog myrtle ) - its one of the botanicals used in the botanist brand gins and is a great aromatic .
Hello
Thanks for the comments (& to Saint-Just for his too), they've helped a lot. I think I may now give the Thomas Dakin a miss as it doesn't sound like my kind of thing. I'm currently now considering Tanqueray or Tanqueray no10.
I'm quite late to discovering Gin (only been drinking it a few months), but I'm rather enjoying it !
Thanks again
Dave
Majestic Wine has an offer on at the moment for £10 off spirits including gin, HALFOFFGIN.
A bottle of Sipsmith and another off child no 2 for Father’s day!
Copper House Gin by Adnams (the Southwold based brewery) was voted best gin in the world a couple of years after they began making it and is a go-to for us. They now also make their own matching tonic and sell it pre-mixed in cans - great for a weekend away when you don't want to carry a bottle with you. I'm also a Henricks and Fentiman's fan but like the Mediterranean tonic. I'm also a fan of Rock-Rose made near Thurso which has unique botanics local to the area.
Really enjoying Plymouth and Sipsmith gins at the moment. Keep it basic in a large glass, loads of ice, decent tonic and a little lemon.
I have very simple yet specific tastes.
For me, Gordons is absolutely fine with a simple schweppes tonic (not the diet stuff!). It needs to be in a large, tall glass, 1/4 full of ice, with a large crushed wedge of lime plus a small wedge of lemon. Rim of the glass wiped with the lime. Plenty of gin (not the pub/bar measures!) and then filled to the brim with tonic.
Perfect.
Been a busy day. So kids in bed, wife has gone to a make up night... time for a G&T
JJ Whitley Nettle Gin 50ml
Glass full of decent sized ice.
2 wedges of lime.
2/3 sprigs of mint smacked not torn
Fever tree full fat Tonic.
Almost perfect. Should really be done with the fever tree Mediterranean tonic but I have run out!
https://i.imgur.com/DaNw0LL.jpg
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If you want a spicy gin try this:
Ophir gin 50 ml in a balloon glass, generous amount of ice garnish with red chilli and lime and Schweppes ginger ale.
You wont get may gins like this!
For that Gin lovers amongst you you should check this place out if your ever in Bath:
http://www.thebathgincompany.co.uk/the-canary-gin-bar/
Hundreds of Gins, spend a lovely afternoon in their recently and took 2 bottles of their own made Gin home with me
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Picked this up from Aldi yesterday...
Lovely stuff.
z
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Last edited by zelig; 22nd March 2020 at 14:24.