Try Twisted Nose...it's made in Winchester and uses,amongst other things,watercress. You drink it with a twist of grapefruit....it's a really refreshing taste and a bit different to most gins I find.
Hi,
I enjoy a G&T or three now and then, but don't admit to being a cultured Gin expert. I drink mainly Tanqueray or Tanquerary 10, Hendricks or towards the end of the month a Gordons. Not a Bombay Sapphire fan as I find it too fragrant. My mixer of choice is Fever tree light
So, can I ask any other gin lovers out there for favourite brands, best mixers and/or best recipes, so i can expand my limited horizons
Thanks
John
Try Twisted Nose...it's made in Winchester and uses,amongst other things,watercress. You drink it with a twist of grapefruit....it's a really refreshing taste and a bit different to most gins I find.
Two pages here: Gin and tonic
The best is Plymouth. No. 3 is great, as well as Sipsmith. I personally can't stand Hendricks or Bombay
Usually have a bottle of Beefeater or Tanqueray in the arsenal
Recently bought Six O'Clock Gin from Waitrose - really smooth and goes well with Fever Tree.
Other ones that I like are Brecon - again, really smooth. You can get it in Wales for sure, but not sure about other parts of the UK.
Another fave is Edwards and there is always Sipsmiths as well.
Gin is a great journey....
Wow, six replies in just ten minutes! very impressed, thank you all for contributing. Is it the time of year or the state we all find ourselves in that seems to make Gin
a very popular drink at the moment?
I will definitely try some of your idea (I like the sound of the Six o'clock gin) and feedback to you
Shows how tastes differ, love Hendricks with Fever Tree, hate Sipsmiths!
A slice of cucumber is the key, according to the wife.
Also, I have found that Waitrose seem to have the widest selection (in store at least) of the big supermarkets around us. If you have a My Waitrose card then there are sometimes deals on (like 10-20% off).
We shop for food at Sainsburys and Tesco and gin we get from Waitrose!
Plymouth is my fav, but nothing wrong with good old Gordons, did have a bottle of bathtub which was different but very nice in fact the bottle did not last the afternoon. ( 4 people)
If you haven't already, try Fever Tree's Mediterranean tonic.
"A man of little significance"
My current favourite is Opihr, an oriental gin, it's perfect with a slice of root ginger!
https://www.masterofmalt.com/gin/g-a...al-spiced-gin/
^^^^ do this!
My favourite gins are:
Monkey 47 (German)
Sipsmith
Botanist (Scottish)
Martin Millar
Edinburgh Rhubard and ginger gin (lower strength but very summery)
The wife likes:
Sipsmith
Beefeater 24
Martin Millar
Heard good things about Rock Rose but not tried it yet!
A very tiny splash of elderflower cordial in a gin and tonic transforms it, don't over do it.
Another vote for Sipsmith, I'm not fussy but had it for the first time quite recently and was very impressed!
East London Distilling (E3)
Sacred Gin (N6) (the distillates are interesting)
Jensen's (Bermondsey) (try his Old Tom)
City of London Distillery (the City)
Sipsmiths' VJOP
Tanqueray Bloomsbury
Blackwood's (Shetland)
Rock Rose (Dunnet Bay)
Caorunn
Crossbill (Aviemore)
Old Raj (Campbeltown, ish. Try the 55%, or the Saffron)
Last edited by Broussard; 12th July 2016 at 21:38.
There are not many I dont like, some I prefer more than others.
On the shelf today some Tanqueray, Hendricks and Foxdenton 48. I usually buy a few bottles of different Foxdenton gin at xmas, I really like their Sloe and other fruit gins...it goes down too well though ;)
http://www.foxdentonestate.co.uk/
Another vote for the Botanist.
Distilled at the Bruichladdich distillery, Nr Port Charlotte, Islay.
It has a far higher ABV than most gins.
Highly recommended
I've had and liked nearly all of the above but I'm really liking a Canadian Gin called Ungava which my son bought me for Father's Day. Try and get to a Gin festival if there's one local to you this year as there'll be 40 odd gins to try, the Sheffield Gin Festival for later this year sold out very quickly
Just discovered this at The Gin Trap on holiday in North Norfolk - I'm addicted!!
Last edited by Chinnock; 12th July 2016 at 22:48.
Brilliant Gin
Warner Edwards
Bathtub Gin
All available from Majestic Wine, love em all.
Waitrose Premium gin isn't bad at all, especially for the price. Is it worth paying more when not drunk straight?
I've just finished a bottle of Cannonball Navy Gin from the Edinburgh Gin Distillery and it goes very well with Fever Tree tonic, It's 100 Proof but doesnt taste it so I've another bottle or two coming.
Recently been trying the slice of cucumber alone or along with a slice of lemon and it really adds something I find; opens up the gin more somehow. This is with sub 10 euro cheap gins, we´re not fussy;) So should work well with pricier gins.
Hendricks or Tanqueray No 10 are always popular in my house
My wife is currently on Rock Rose gin, with Fever tree and a sprig of fresh rosemary, she says it's very moreish.
I've seen them mentioned already so another vote for The Botanist and Canonball...
Another one to look out for is Sipsmiths VJOP (Very Junipery Over Proof), it's very good indeed!
You could always make your own, it's rather satisfying.
Most of the store-bought gins appear to have far too much sugar in for my liking, so I take thumb-sized pieces of fresh, washed rhubarb, and place in a bag (500g is plenty for a 70cl bottle of gin). To this, I add a couple of scant teaspoonsful of sugar (vary to taste, but you can always add more - much harder to take it away). I also add lemon peel, orange peel, or other citrus, usually to match the gin.
I seal the bag having first removed the air (I use a vacuum sealer, but ziplock works fine, using the water method) and place in the fridge for a few days. I give it a little massage each time I pass the fridge. After three days, there's likely to be some liquid in the bag (due to the macerating effect of the sugar) and I add the whole thing to a Kilner and pour over the chosen bottle of gin. Don't forget to wash out the bag with gin, as there will be rhubarb juice in there.
I leave this for a day and then double filter and bottle the rhubarb gin. The colour is far more subtle than store-bought bottlings. You can also cook the rhubarb slightly (a water bath at about 60 degrees for 20 minutes should be enough) and this will extract even more juice (you may not even need to leave the fruit in the Kilner using this method, as so much of the juice has come out of the rhubarb). You'll get a darker colour too.
I keep my rhubarb gin in the fridge. Makes an interesting gin & tonic, a lovely Rickey and is an unusual base for a Negroni (especially if you use a rhubarbero such as Zucca in place of the vermouth).
Brockmans...that's all!!
There's a small batch producer of gin called "Black Shuck" local to us in Norfolk. Yet to try it but there is a bottle awaiting my attention in the kitchen.
Current favourites are Yorkshire Gin, Tanqeuray Rangpur and Hendricks. I also like a Shortcross but it helps that it's made not far from where I grew up
Thanks for all of the suggestions s far. Have been trying a couple of different ones, really like Sipsmith, Beefeater 24 and Gordons crisp with cucumber and the weather's even turned warmer to encourage me to try others!
So, my next question is, do any of you have any suggestions for the perfect G&T glasses? Had a browse on Google, but would welcome your thoughts
John
Some good suggestions.
One recommendation - always check the proof.
I find regular Gins (37.5%) little good for anything other than making home-made sloe, raspberry, or lavender gin, of which I have quite a hoard currently maturing!
Regular Beefeater is 40%, as are many of the so-called "Premium" gins. Waitrose and Tesco both do very quaffable versions.
For drinking I try to go for Export strength (47.3%) or stronger, and Tanquerey by preference. If I want a botanical I'll opt for Mason's Yorkshire or William's Gin from Chase Distillery in Hereford, but in the absence of those Sipsmith is fine.
I've still got an original bottle of Beefeater Crown Jewel (50%) in the garage, which should be worth a try!
On the theme of being moorish, try Gin Mare with a sprig of rosemary and fever tree tonic.
I tried three of the "5th Gin" variants at a local festival and quite liked them. All made with slight variations and named Fire, Water and Earth - nice of you just have it with tonic water but I often have mine with bitter lemon.
Bathtub Gin always goes down well, and I see they've just made a Navy Strength version (57% ABV) which gets 5/5 on the Master of Malt site. Looking forward to trying that one!
Had a G&T with Pierde Almas +9 last night, was a mind opening experience. Its a Gin where the base spirit is artisanal Mezcal, not Vodka. The layers of smoke and grass added this whole new dimension to the typical gin botanicals. Great cocktail.
Two Irish gins worth trying, if you come across them, are Glendalough and Bertha's Revenge; both very good.
Decent tonic water is a must; Fevertree or Poacher's Well hit the spot nicely.
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Two Irish gins worth trying, if you come across them, are Glendalough and Bertha's Revenge; both very good.
Decent tonic water is a must; Fevertree or Poacher's Well hit the spot nicely.
Tried Sipsmiths last night but don't like it anywhere near as much as Aldi's Oliver Cromwell. At £27 a bottle instead of £10 I certainly won't be getting it again.
1) never buy watered down (38%) gin
2) many gins are excellent, your choice will be guided by your own taste. Tanqueray is lovely and dry, best served on its own and kept in the freezer. For a mix I like more floral gins luke Sipsmith, Cao Run or Plymouth.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Wife tried the Monkey 47 in Dublin the other night, and thought it trumped all the others she has tried.
With John Thomas (I think) tonic mixer, and a slice of orange