Build a Bar Workshop: Gin

A good quality Gin should be a staple in your home bar. Gin is a vital ingredient in a range of classic cocktails, from the obvious (gin & tonic) to the colorful (Negroni), to the ultimate (martini). The subtle flavors of London Dry Gin are easy to use as a cocktail base.

Gin History

Juniper berries

The first confirmed date for the production of gin is the early 17th century in Holland, where it was produced as a medicine and sold in drug stores to treat stomach complaints, gout and gallstones. To make it more palatable, the Dutch started to flavor it with juniper, which had medicinal properties of its own.

British troops fighting in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) were given "Dutch Courage" during the long campaigns in the damp weather. Eventually, they started bringing it back home with them, where already it was often sold in their version of drug stores, called chemist shops.

King Charles I authorized the formation of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, where members had the sole right to distill spirits in London and Westminster and up to twenty-one miles beyond. This improved both the quality of gin and its image, and it also helped English agriculture by using surplus corn and barley.

Gin triumphed in the 1920's - the first "Cocktail Age" - after having been scarce during the First World War.

Gin Today

There are several methods of producing gin. The EU defines three:

-London Gin which is produced by the traditional method described below. Plymouth gin is made in a similar manner.
-Gin can be made from any spirit alcohol made from agricultural product which meets the neutral alcohol requirements laid down in the spirit drink regulation. The neutral alcohol must be distilled to a minimum of 96% ABV and the residues must not exceed those stated in the neutral alcohol definition. The finest raw materials for this 'neutral' spirit are either grain (normally barley or maize) or molasses. The best neutral alcohol has no flavor at all.
-Gin can be produced by simply flavoring suitable alcohol with substances (known as botanicals) which give a predominant taste of juniper; this method is technically known as "compounding".

The type and quantity of each producer's botanicals vary according to their own closely guarded recipes; all are carefully selected and tested for purity and quality. All gins include juniper as an ingredient: other botanicals used are coriander, angelica, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom, cinnamon, grains of paradise, cubeb berries and nutmeg.

There are three definitions of gin: gin, distilled gin and London Gin. We'd get too lost in the weeds here by offering the specific definitions. Click here for the official EU Gin definitions. And note that Plymouth Gin is made in Plymouth, England.

As with many of our product categories, your shopping choices can be divided into craft producers and mass market producers. Price, quality and value are the usual decision points.

We stock gin from craft producers like Berkshire, Bluecoat, Brooklyn, Hendricks and the Botanist. These gins are made in non-traditional locations like Massachusetts, Philadelphia and the Islay region of Scotland.  Larger producers include Beefeater, Bombay, Gordon's and Tanqueray. There are about two dozen different brand choices in our Gin category. Talk with our in-store experts about the best selection for your palate, or just experiment until you find the one you like.

Gin Cocktails

From Bluecoat, try the Gin Rickey
1.5 oz Bluecoat American Dry Gin
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 oz fresh lime juice
Club soda

Add the ingredients into an ice filled Collins glass. Gently stir. Garnish with a few lime wheels.

Or try the Unusual Negroni, from Hendrick's Gin
1 Part Hendrick's Gin
1 Part Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth
1/2 Part Campari

1/2 Part Aperol
Orange Segments and Zest

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice. Serve up and garnish with an orange twist.

Cheers!

Some information courtesy the Gin and Vodka Association of Great Britain and liquor.com.

Springtime Cocktails

Maybe we're tired of the winter already, or maybe it was the beginning of baseball's spring training, but we're really ready to try out some springtime cocktails. We have a couple of weeks to practice, and when the weather does finally break, we'll be on top of our mixology game.

Cherry Blossom-tini
2 1/4 parts Ty-Ku Sake
3/4 part Cointreau
3/4 part cranberry juice
1/4 part fresh lime juice
2 dashes  orange bitters

Pour all of the ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass.

La Primavera
1 1/2 oz Corsair Gin
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz Korean aloe vera honey tea
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

Pour all of the ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass. garnish with aloe vera leaves.

Lavender Sapphire Collins
1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz lavender syrup
3 oz club soda
Lemon wedge for garnish

Squeeze half a lemon into a Collins glass. Add lavender syrup and then Bombay Sapphire Gin. Stir. Add ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with lemon.


A quick and tempting trio. Please let us know how you enjoyed these cocktails.

Spirits for the Season

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Kentucky and Tennessee, as part of a company trip. In addition to the great distilleries that we visited (documented in earlier BottleBlog posts), we had some time to explore Nashville.

Fans of the American Pickers TV show may know about their retail location in Nashville. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before we could finally get in the store. The store is located in Marathon Village, a former auto manufacturing facility that's been rehabbed into modern stores and offices.

Prior to the trip, I'd done a little research and found a craft distillery located in that very same building. I'd arranged for a tour of Corsair Artisan Distillery, which we took shortly after leaving the Pickers store. Early in the tour, we got to see their Pre-Prohibition still:

Here, Distillery Ambassador Will Atkinson explained how the still survived Prohibition (it was shipped to Canada), and how it had to be modified (the column had to be bent) to accommodate the historical building where it's currently at work.

Craft whiskey is a hot category, and Corsair is one of the hottest distillers, with a broad range of products beyond whiskey. At Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge, you can find their Gin, Unaged Rye, Triple Smoke Whiskey, and Vanilla Bean Vodka. We were able to sample a number of their products during our visit, including their (pink!) absinthe:

My favorite was the Triple Smoke Whiskey. It does resemble an Islay whisky, with a twist. They use malted barley, but only 1/3 is dried by peat. Another 1/3 is dried with Cherry wood, and the final 1/3 is dried with Beechwood, making this an incredibly complex, uniquely American whiskey. That's me with a bottle of the Triple Smoke, in their barrel room:

At the time of our trip, Corsair's products weren't available in New Jersey. Thankfully, soon after we returned, Corsair signed on with a local distributor, allowing us to share this great discovery with you. Look for the Corsair Artisan Distillery products on our shelves on your next visit.

Celebrating Gin

Today our resident Mixologist, Woodbridge Wine Supervisor David Rudd, presents some of his favorite recipes featuring gin!
 
One of the best things about working in the adult beverage industry is that I am surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of years of history.  There is a story associated with each and every item on the shelves.  Some bottles carry an air of highly cultured aristocracy while some have narrowly survived a complete character assassination.  One of those survivors is gin.  There was a time that gin was blamed for social decline and it carried a negative reputation, sometimes known as “mother’s ruin”.  But today, gin is one of the most popular and widely distributed spirits available.

It is a grain neutral spirit which is flavored primarily with juniper, but may also include other botanicals such as anise, caraway, coriander, and geranium.  It is a complex and beautiful beverage that is now considered quite elegant and refined.  History has finally been kind to gin, but its time spent as “Public Enemy: Number One” has given it a gritty edge that makes it even sexier today.  There are many ways to enjoy gin that go well beyond a Gin and Tonic.  Let’s celebrate gin – a survivor, a party animal, and a classic!

C’est Verte, Mais Juste

1 oz gin

¾ oz green crème de menthe

¾ oz cognac

1 dash aromatic bitters

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass

Aziz Fizz

1 egg white

½ tsp sugar

2 oz fresh lemon juice

2 oz gin

1 dash orange flower water

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a tall glass.

Fill with ice and club soda.

Strawberry Swig

1 ½ oz gin

½ oz strawberry liqueur (like Fragolino™)

¼ oz fresh lime juice

1 dash orange bitters

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and strain into a martini glass

Dixie Punch

½ oz gin

1 oz Southern Comfort™

¾ fresh lime juice

¼ oz grenadine

1 Tbs. crushed pineapple

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker and pour into a tall glass.

Fill with ice and garnish with an orange slice.

New Gins Have Arrived!

This week brings the arrival of new gins into our stores! If you're a gin-thusiast, you'll want to stop by and check these out soon!

Aviation
Born in the fresh and pristine environs of the Pacific Northwest, Aviation New Western Dry Gin represents a true departure from traditional gin making ethos, setting a new standard in quality, creativity, passion and flavor.

With its full and weighty mouth feel, regionally inspirted flavors of earth and spice, and a uniquely cool finish, Aviation is a rare expression of gin that shines both on its own and in one of a large number of resurrected and modern culinary cocktails colliding with ice and tin on the insides of Boston Shakers at discerning cocktais bars around the world.

Try Aviation Gin today for only $28.99!

Greylock
Berkshire Mountain Distillers' Greylock Gin is handcrafted in small batches. Our proprietary blend of 7 botanicals, packed in to a gin head suspended over a pot still, infuses the distillate with its unique essence. We use this time honored and labor intensive method to bring you a London dry style gin of exceptional quality.

Try Greylock Gin today for only $27.99!

Uncle Val's
Uncle Val’s is a small-batch botanical gin inspired by Zio Valerio’s love of gardening and native tuscan cuisine. The botanicals are not only Uncle Val’s favorite cooking ingredients, but also happen to make an exceptionally unique and smoothly delicious gin.

Try Uncle Val's Gin today for only $32.99!