OT - What is Gin?

Taking a moment's reflection, Von Fourche mused: | | Ok, off topic: what exactly is gin and what's it made from? I've never | had it before and am thinking of trying some, just to try. Any advice on | what the good gin is and what to stay away from?

Same as most other alcohols: barley, oats, and wheat. Its distinct flavour comes from juniper berries. Recommend Plymouth gin ... if you are in the States, it might be hard to find.

Hi Von Fourche.

My family are big gin drinkers and I'm apt to consuming a few G&T's myself. My personal preferences are as follows (in no order):

I particularly enjoy gin with equal measures of gin and fresh lime juice. Tonic water and ice makes a refreshing drink, hence G&T. It is not an enjoyable drink if consumed neat. YMMV.

Graeme

Anybody out there, preferably a gin drinker, who have tried the cadenheqad gin (Raj)

??

Steffen

I was planning on getting a bottle of Bombay Sapphire. Actually, I was planning on drinking it like I drink all my whisky - neat. I'm not into mixing my own drinks right now. But you say Gin is not good neat? What's the easiest drink to make with Gin?

It has to be gin and tonic. Pour some gin in glass with ice and fill with tonic.

by the way, IIRC, gin is the one spirit that isn't aged-you can drink it right off the line. (Excepting moonshine, of course.)

Jeff

What is tonic?

Either G & T, as Graeme described or a real Martini, with a splash of Dry Vermouth and an olive. For 60 years, I only drink them 'up'. Ratios:

Extra Dry Martini - (stir long enough to bring abv down to 70% by taste)

Straight up (Traditional) - 1 olive On the rocks -2 olives

Jeff,

With moonshine, you lie beneath the Juniper in the pale moonlight, and watch them jugs a'fillin', in the pale moonlight. You don't use them junipers in the moonshine. Trust me. My pappy made moonshine a'fore me,his pappy a'fore him, too, but we ain't paid no whiskey tax since 1792! N' you can damn well drink it straight outta the still! "White Light'nin'"!

Carbonated quinine water.

Taking a moment's reflection, Esmond mused: | | It's as good a gin as (IMO) you'll find. | Probably the only gin I could drink neat, including Bombay Sapphire

Funny, I would say the same about Plymouth. I haven't tried Cadenhead ...

I don't consider English-style gins for drinking neat, although my dry martinis come pretty close. Bombay Sapphire is usually in the house, sometimes Tanqueray. Plymouth is nice but fairly expensive here in Canada.

I would and do drink Dutch-style genever gin neat and chilled. Not drinking much of it at the moment; maybe a bottle a year. But I will come back to it some time.

The differences between the two types are described on these sites:

bill

You're kidding, right?

Go to the grocery store and buy a bottle. It's next to the ginger ale.

Jeff

Taking a moment's reflection, Bill Van mused: | | The differences between the two types are described on these sites: | |

Nice links. Thanks.

Learn all about gin on this wonderful website:

Gin is made by flavouring (and diluting) spirit distilled to a very high purity from er, grain, or potato, or whatever will ferment!

The secret is in the flavouring - principal element is juniper berries, but, depending on which gin, with verious other "secret" ingeredients. English style gins are divided into two - sweetened and non sweetened.

If buying, other than in genuine duty free, look carefully at the label! In the UK much gin is sold at 37.5 ABV, which doesn't go far - export Gordons (yellow label, clear bottle) is 45.8 (I think) which goes further. Some are up to 55 or so.

Genever from Holland is a relative of Gin, but the families have grown so far apart that they don't speak any more!

Richard

"Graeme...in London" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news20.forteinc.com:

MMDV :)

I like Bombay Sapphire neat, not chilled. Highly aromatic, lots of flavors. Haven't drunk it for a few years, single malts having taken absolute priority, but it's worth trying.

pf

I have an elderly friend who loves the occasional Sapphire or other posh gin--but here in the U.S. he finds Fleishman's (an inexpensive bulk product) very serviceable for dry martoonis. I wonder whether gins aren't one of those realms where a blind tasting might yield "interesting" (and perhaps even "conflicting") results.

Mass-distilled-to-the-point-of-flavourless alcohol with added juniper essence: I suppose some have higher quality controls (and higher proof) than others.

Taking a moment's reflection, Pinko Flaggo mused: | | I like Bombay Sapphire neat, not chilled. Highly aromatic, lots of | flavors. Haven't drunk it for a few years, single malts having taken | absolute priority, but it's worth trying.

I thought "absolute priority" was vodka?! ;-)