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Gin

Casanova_Flatulence

I've been a fan of Gin for years. I started off drinking Beefeaters; which I still think is great, but over time have moved on to other makers. While I was recently in the UK (London, Wiltshire & Cardiff) I couldn't help but notice the explosion of new Gin offerings in Pubs, Gastro Pubs and hotel bars. Gin is all the rage in the UK, so today I picked up a bottle of Empress 1908 small batch Gin. Surprisingly, it hails from British Columbia Canada and includes 8 botanicals, including:

Fairmont Empress Blend Tea leaves

Juniper berries

Grapefruit peel

Coriander Seed

Rose Petal

Butterfly Pea Blossom - this flower will change the color of the Gin from blue to purple when mixed with Tonic water.

Ginger root

Cinnamon bark

It's quite good, very different!

If you like a Martini, there's nothing better than a Half & Half. Half Bombay Saphire and half Grey Goose **** with a whiff of Vermouth. Smooooooooooooooooth!

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Comments

JRT812

I need to try a martini

AnotherDawg

Great post CF! I share the love and started with Beefeater as well.

My personal preference today is Bombay (the standard stuff, not Sapphire, which is a bit too viscous and "perfumey" for me).

I would encourage folks to experiment with all the different approaches to making martinis.

First choice, as any James Bond fan knows, is shaken or stirred. Shaken is awesome, but I always do stirred at home for myself. (Women always prefer shaken, so I would certainly do that if entertaining.)

Second choice is regular, dry, or extra dry (i.e., with or without vermouth, and how much).

I love straight gin with an olive, but I've also mixed gin and vermouth 50/50, with a lemon twist, and it's awesome. (Some people don't know this, but vermouth isn't half bad on its own- certainly better than most liqueurs.)

Third choice is garnish. Olive(s) or lemon twist are standard.

Blue cheese stuffed olives are awesome, especially if the bartender makes them him (or her) self.

A lot of ladies like to order them "dirty" or "extra dirty" which has to do with adding olive juice, in addition to the olive(s). This cuts the alcohol content, adds salty flavor, and is an obvious (but effective) flirting technique.

If you don't like olives, the lemon twist is always a safe bet. Cocktail onions are good as well. Pretty much any fruit or vegetable you like could conceivably garnish a gin martini, especially if it's citrus (fruit) or pickled (vegetable).

Lastly, gin and tonic with lime is arguably the greatest beach (or warm weather) drink ever invented. Use lots of ice, be generous with the citrus, and if you want to try the high-end approach, use Hendrick's gin and Fever Tree tonic.

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Apologies for the over-long post. Was just thinking of some of the other threads on here where I don't know the first thing and I appreciate the "101" info. Hopefully this benefits someone.

AnotherDawg

@JRT812 That post (above) is for you bro.

JRT812

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/230651#Comment_230651

Thanks another dawg bro! Enlighten me on the differences on shaken and stirred outside of the obvious. What changes does it make by doing one or the other?

AnotherDawg

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/230652#Comment_230652

You get a different mix effect if you're shaking gin and vermouth together vs lacing a short glass and pouring gin over rocks. If you're using straight gin, it's mostly about presentation, but you also have a different set of pros and cons depending on whether there's ice in the glass or not.

In the old days, shaken was standard and the martini glasses were much smaller, because the drink was meant to be consumed before it warmed.

If you've never made a martini I would suggest you try both approaches. If you don't own a shaker, I recommend buying one. Women like a man who knows how to handle a shaker.

AnotherDawg

BTW, don't ask me about appletinis and other fruity derivations. Never tried one, never will, and don't respect people who drink them, including women.

JRT812

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/230654#Comment_230654

Good stuff. I’ll look for a shaker cup thing.

Kasey

What about Ace Frehley's Cold Gin?

AnotherDawg

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/230658#Comment_230658

I was always a Peter Criss guy, maybe because I dated a girl in HS named Beth.

ugaforever

Any gin, any tonic, any lime. All good.

AnotherDawg

I would love to get more thoughts from CF, since this is his thread.

I only speak from my experience. Others may disagree with (or have more to add to) what I've posted.

BrooklynDawg

Try Brooklyn Gin, no pun intended. Its surprisingly fresh tasting and refreshing, too.

AnotherDawg

I should clarify also, that I adapted the shaken/stirred lingo for the modern era because I'm not aware that anyone makes a stirred martini in the old-fashioned sense any more.

A bartender is not going to ask you "shaken or stirred." The options are more likely to be "up" (which will be shaken) or "rocks" which you can stir yourself.

@JRT812 If you want a more formal answer to your earlier question, here it is:

https://www.thekitchn.com/when-to-shake-when-to-stir-how-james-bond-destroyed-the-cocktail-behind-the-bar-218060

Kasey

https://forum.dawgnation.com/discussion/comment/230659#Comment_230659

If I only listened to 2 KISS songs for the rest of my life they'd be Strutter and New York Groove

JoelSidneyKelly