Spring and Summer means Gin

Joined Feb 2005
2K Posts | 0+
Cedar Key
Well, bourbon never goes out of season for me, but when the temps start to climb, nothing hits the spot for me like a tumbler with a few ice cubes and two fingers of gin.

Currently, my gin of choice is the outstanding Hendricks Gin. Distilled in Scotland, it is infused with cucumber and rose petals - not your average gin. It has a very unique and subtle flavor that I haven't found anywhere else. I highly recommend it!

Other gins that routinely find their way to my liquor cabinet:

Bombay Sapphire
Tanqueray No 10
Plymouth Gin (thanks to John MacDonald/Travis McGee)

How bout you guys? What gins make your taste buds stand up and sing? What concoctions are you enthralled with?
 
Here, here with the Bombay Sapphire. If I can find a bottle at the right price, I just might be making my Bombaginas this summer. I missed them last summer, because the web site I wanted to order the bottle from suddenly stopped shipping out of state.
 
I quit drinking 23 years ago (hit my lifetime quota), but I used to like gin around Christmastime, because it tastes like Christmas tree! :D
 
Snake said:
…because it tastes like Christmas tree!
Oh man, that's exactly how I think Tanqueray tastes!

I'm not a huge fan of gin, but when it's over a hondo a couple icey gin and tonics works for me (107º today). Two's my limit though, they just don't seem to hold their appeal after that. I prefer Beefeaters or Bombay regular for my cocktails. Bombay Sapphire is okay, if a little effete, but I do like Plymouth. And I've yet to try Hendricks, although it's on my list.

Here's a high octane cocktail we like to enjoy during the Christmas to New Year week:

Spencer Cocktail
3/4 oz. Apricot Brandy
1.5 oz. Gin
1/4 tsp. orange juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 twist of orange peel

Shake brandy through bitters with crushed ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and top with the twist. You can mix these two at a time without messing up the flavor.
 
NICE!!!
There was a Philly "night club" called the Five Spot, maybe in the middle 90's. It was a hot spot during the whole resurgence of swing music phase. The bartender (who is now a friend of mine, go figure) made all the old time drinks, Negronis, Sidecars, French 75's, and...Spencers...man we staggered out of the place on more than one occassion!!
Thanks for the memory jog!
 
Wow. Some pretty exotic names there, Pops. I'm going to be visiting a bartender friend of mine in a day or two, works at The Yale Club, been in the business for about 20-25 years. Negronis, Sidecars, French 75's, oh my!!! Do they actually taste good, or are they just there to get you smashed?
 
Off topic, but…

I have good friends in Georgia who swear by the Sidecar.

Sidecar Cocktail
2 parts strong – cognac
1 part sweet – Cointreau
1 part sour – fresh-squeezed lemon

Shake over ice vigorously and serve up with a twist in a chilled glass.

Back to your regular programming…
 
gobetween - the spencer and the sidecar both sound excellent! I'll have to give them a try.

As for Bombay vs Bombay Sapphire, I prefer Sapphire in my martinis, regular Bombay if I'm mixing cocktails.
 
cybrus said:
…I prefer Sapphire in my martinis, regular Bombay if I'm mixing cocktails.
I'd say that's about right. My difficulty with the ultra premium gins is that I think they kinda strive to NOT taste too much like what they purport to be. On the other hand, I'm completely the opposite with vodkas. I like my vodka very cold either straight up or with a lemon twist and, unfortunately, only the pricey stuff seems to satisfy in that role. I mean, I really LIKE the taste of vodka and the differences become very apparent when chilled—it really concentrates the flavors. 'Must be something from my Polish ancestory. :chuckle:
 
gobetween said:
I like my vodka very cold either straight up or with a lemon twist and, unfortunately, only the pricey stuff seems to satisfy in that role. I mean, I really LIKE the taste of vodka and the differences become very apparent when chilled—it really concentrates the flavors. 'Must be something from my Polish ancestory. :chuckle:
I'm the same way - vodka over a cube or three of ice with a twist of lemon or lime - perfect! The best vodka I have found is Luksusowa Vodka. It's a Polish potato vodka and has the least amount of "rubbing alcohol taste" that way too many "top-shelf" vodkas seem to have. I like the way vodka tastes but I don't like the rubbing alcohol part. It is also fairly priced - here in PA it is about $23 for a 1.75L bottle - a few dollars cheaper than Stolis (another decent vodka, but I'd only use it for mixing) and Smirnoff (I have no idea why people drink this stuff)
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's tasted "rubbing alcohol" in vodka. It's the one thing that turned me off of being a straight up spirits drinker for a long time. My earliest bouts of drunkenness at age 12, 13 were usually with vodka stolen from the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet, where my mother used to keep a few bottles of this and that for parties or friends.
 
Tanquary and Tonic please. Good squeeze of lime and you are in business. I got away from the gin martini's; just like vodka that much better. I really like Grey Goose Orange chilled up with a twist. Don't F' it up with any vermouth. No need for it.

Hendricks is really good. I like it for a gimlet on the rocks. Yummmmm!
 
I'm with you on the vermouth angle - here's one way I make my martinis

Churchill's Choice

3 oz. Vodka (or Gin)

Stir the vodka with ice. Turn toward France and whisper the word "Vermouth". Strain into chilled martini glass, add a lemon twist
 
Hendricks sounds great. I wonder if I can gat that locally (Charlotte, NC)
 
dammit. I have been searching for about 2 hours on the net trying to find it. There is a Meck ABC about 1 mile from work. Thanks !
 
Anyone have a chance to try the new Tanqueray Rangpur?

Looks pretty good I'm going to pick up a bottle after work tomorrow and give it a shot...
 
My Perfect Martini

Best tasting martini ever.

Put Beefeater, olives and a spray bottle of good vermouth in refrigerator a day ahead of time along with putting a martini glass (or two) in the freezer.

When ready, take glass out of the freezer and spray vermouth
to just cover the sides of the glass. Dump out any accumulated
vermouth if so desired.

Place an olive into the glass (I use the BIG ones) and then pour
the chilled Beefeater into the glass.

Each Martini is consistant because there isn't any ice to dilute the
drink.

Sip and ENJOY!
 
Good call on the no-ice version - that's why my bottle of gin is always in the freezer - don't need to worry about water.