Favorite gin?

[studeronomy]

I just cracked open my bottle of St. George Terroir last night and mixed myself a martini (3:1 with Dolin).

Man - that gin has some personality. It was like drinking a fir tree. While the martini was good, I'm not sure that it's the best use for something with such a strong pine scent.

I can obviously (and will) drink it by itself and I may try to find a better ratio for martinis. But does anyone have any other ideas for cocktails with such a piney influence?

I love to drink that during Christmastime - it's like drinking a Tannenbaum!

My favorite gin is St. George's Botanivore...when I can get it (not commonly found here in SoDak). My go-to is Hendricks. Pricey for a go-to, but I don't drink gin on a super-regular basis, so when I do, I'm willing to splurge.

 

[bobmsp]

I love Hendricks and often have a bottle of it for G&Ts in the summer. My St. George's replaced that bottle. Although now I'm intrigued by all of this discussion about Monkey 47. I think I'll have to work my way through this bottle, though, before I buy another.

 

[bryant]

Another Bombay and Bombay Sapphire (my wintertime Gin) fan, although admittedly I need to better explore the world of Gin.

 

[EPfarnie]

Not exactly a commonly available one but.. Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS) Australian Wild gin. They use a native shrub as one of the botanicals (Myoporum insulare). It's unlike any other I've tasted. Otherwise I'm a big fan of The Botanist out of Bruichladdich Distillery.

 

[kilroy505]

Cotton.

 

[TheVez2]

Just tried a bunch of new Gins based off recommendations here: Plymouth, Junipero, and Boodles. Pretty unhappy with all of them. You guys are costing me money!

 

[BigJoe]

Beefeaters is my favorite.

 

[AJ123]

Of the three you tried, I like Plymouth Navy Strength, but not the othe other two. YMMV.

Just tried a bunch of new Gins based off recommendations here: Plymouth, Junipero, and Boodles. Pretty unhappy with all of them. You guys are costing me money!

 

[AJ123]

O.k. Somebody has to do it . Bought about 20 Gins recently (this is getting crazy, but somebody has to get to the bottom of this...)

Very Unscientific, but I poured about 1 fl oz of each in little plastic glasses and chilled them in freezer. Then after 30 minutes, Smelled, sniffed, tasted... (This is the way my Ukrainian friends serve premium vodka.) hmmm. O.k. Then added a touch of chilled bottled water to each and did it again -- preferences didn't change much or at all (who can tell by this point). The following gins are great and I don't think you can go wrong. But they are very different!!! I am sure I could recognize them in a re-tasting... That different! No need to discuss loosers. Here are the six that I would gladly repurchase...

 

[TexLaw]

You, sir, are my new hero.

 

[AJ123]

Monkey 47 is ridiculously expensive and there are some posts asking about alternatives. Unlike Vodka, gins taste very different. So what to use? Having just tasted a bunch of gins, which one tastes somewhat like Monkey 47? Inquiring minds want to know... YMMV, but I thought New Amsterdam tasted similar. New Amsterdam doesn't have the Anise component in the aftertaste and it is less complex than Monkey 47, but for those of you who are looking for a simple substitute, New Amsterdam is a good choice. And New Amstgerdam is at the other end of the expense scale from Monkey 47. And if you are making a cocktail with a lot of other flavors (even a simple gin & tonic), then why waste the Monkey 47?

AJ

 

[AJ123]

Still got about 7 gins to go. No way I could tell the difference at this point! So I just threw together all the remnants of the tastings, and added whatever looked interesting in the refrigerator (lime, elderflower tonic, cucumber., splash of perrier..) and am enjoying right now.

You, sir, are my new hero.

 

[AJ123]

The St. George's in the above photo is Botanivore. I have some other St. George's but they are not yet opened.

O.k. Somebody has to do it . Bought about 20 Gins recently (this is getting crazy, but somebody has to get to the bottom of this...)

Very Unscientific, but I poured about 1 fl oz of each in little plastic glasses and chilled them in freezer. Then after 30 minutes, Smelled, sniffed, tasted... (This is the way my Ukrainian friends serve premium vodka.) hmmm. O.k. Then added a touch of chilled bottled water to each and did it again -- preferences didn't change much or at all (who can tell by this point). The following gins are great and I don't think you can go wrong. But they are very different!!! I am sure I could recognize them in a re-tasting... That different! No need to discuss loosers. Here are the six that I would gladly repurchase...


View attachment 653986

 

[snowman]

Gins taste very different. The only way to answer which gin is best is to define them by category. Monkey 47 is an excellent gin neat, but I hate it in a G&T. Tanq is ok neat and for me is an excellent G&T gin. I like Hendricks in a martini or neat but not a G&T.

Face it fella's, the well prepared gentlemen must have a variety of gins on hand for any occasion. One gin will never do.

 

[AJ123]

Actually, the one exception I'd take is that I like Hendricks in all forms. For a G&T, try the tonic syrups rather than the store bought tonic sodas. I like John's Premium and Rudy's (which is widely available in liquor stores here in TX), but there are many other good artisan ones out there as well. YMMV as always with these. Best to try and see what you like!

Gins taste very different. The only way to answer which gin is best is to define them by category. Monkey 47 is an excellent gin neat, but I hate it in a G&T. Tanq is ok neat and for me is an excellent G&T gin. I like Hendricks in a martini or neat but not a G&T.

Face it fella's, the well prepared gentlemen must have a variety of gins on hand for any occasion. One gin will never do.

 

[AJ123]

When I think summer drink, I think gin cocktail. There are a thousand Gin cocktails. In case your were wondering, here's my basic summer gin cocktail:


Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz gin*
- Juice of half of a juicy lime
- 0.5 oz Contreau (optional)
- 0.5 oz simple syrup (optional, control the sweetness to your taste or use sucralose, etc.)
- 2-3 fresh basil leaves (alternative is basil syrup)
- Slice or two of peeled cucumber
- 0.5 ml egg white (or one egg white – I use the store bought carton of egg white – much easier and it stores in the refrigerator forever)


INSTRUCTIONS: Shake all of the above over ice. I mean hard. Shake and shake. Use cubes if you have them not wimpy crushed ice. Keep shaking some more. Have fun with shaking. Work It! Break those ice cubes! Then strain into a chilled/frozen cocktail glass. Sprinkle three drops of Angastura bitters on top of the froth if you wish. Garnish with basil leaf, thin cucumber slice, or thin lime slice as you desire, or serve as is – its perfect.


The Major Variation: instead of the 0.5 oz Contreau, use 0.5 oz of tonic syrup (John’s Premium or Rudy’s) and then after shaking, strain into a rocks glass, add several large ice cubes and a few oz of Perrier/San Peligrino or your favorite spritzy water and serve over ice instead of serving in a chilled cocktail glass – this is an alternative to traditional G&T.


*The Gin???


Well let’s just say, I have traditionally made this with Hendricks, but I’m now experimenting…

 

[TheVez2]

I've tried 15 gins. The only ones I love are Greyling, Hendricks, and New Amsterdam.




Sent from my Spider-Phone

 

[AJ123]

Big +1 to Hendricks and New Amsterdam. I haven't tried Greyling yet.

I've tried 15 gins. The only ones I love are Greyling, Hendricks, and New Amsterdam.




Sent from my Spider-Phone

 

[mwinne63]

My goodness, I have a lot of gin to buy and try.

 

[TheVez2]

My goodness, I have a lot of gin to buy and try.

Just be careful, I've wasted a lot of money on gins I don't like with that thought.