Those who have spent some time around these parts know that I am not a gin fan. Now, I love my spirits, and nary a day goes by without some scotch, rye, bourbon, etc. being consumed in Chateau Scotto. I just have never been able to get past the perfumy, kitchen-cleaner scent of some gins.
I have tried martinis in many bars, and have always hated them. To be fair, I had tried mostly things like Bombay Sapphire and the like, and hadn't spent a lot of time exploring other gins.
Anyway, lately I began to ponder this. It isn't like me to not like alcohol , and the martini would seem to be, under other circumstances, something I should like. Therefore, I set out to see whether I really don't like gin after all these years, or if I was missing something.
Mrs. Scotto has traditionally been a fan of (regular) Tanqueray, so I bought a small bottle, figuring that she would drink it if I didn't. I tried it straight, in martinis, in G&Ts, and you know what? Not as bad as I thought. Perhaps even a tad pleasant. I think a lot of it is mixing drinks yourself; after all, the product I can mix, much like cooking, is almost always superior to what you can get at a restaurant or bar.
We finished off the Tanqueray last week, and I bought a bottle of Hendrick's. In a word - wow. Drinking martinis with this stuff is a revelation. Complex, smooth, and none of the off tastes I often associate with the grain spirit background of a lot of gins.
So I suppose I can breathe a sigh of relief. I do like gin after all. A little care at home, some good quality spirits, and 20 years of dislike got turned around. I don't think I'll be replacing my Manhattan's any time soon, but I am enjoying the possibilities of more gin-containing drinks in my future.
I have tried martinis in many bars, and have always hated them. To be fair, I had tried mostly things like Bombay Sapphire and the like, and hadn't spent a lot of time exploring other gins.
Anyway, lately I began to ponder this. It isn't like me to not like alcohol , and the martini would seem to be, under other circumstances, something I should like. Therefore, I set out to see whether I really don't like gin after all these years, or if I was missing something.
Mrs. Scotto has traditionally been a fan of (regular) Tanqueray, so I bought a small bottle, figuring that she would drink it if I didn't. I tried it straight, in martinis, in G&Ts, and you know what? Not as bad as I thought. Perhaps even a tad pleasant. I think a lot of it is mixing drinks yourself; after all, the product I can mix, much like cooking, is almost always superior to what you can get at a restaurant or bar.
We finished off the Tanqueray last week, and I bought a bottle of Hendrick's. In a word - wow. Drinking martinis with this stuff is a revelation. Complex, smooth, and none of the off tastes I often associate with the grain spirit background of a lot of gins.
So I suppose I can breathe a sigh of relief. I do like gin after all. A little care at home, some good quality spirits, and 20 years of dislike got turned around. I don't think I'll be replacing my Manhattan's any time soon, but I am enjoying the possibilities of more gin-containing drinks in my future.