Let's Play Gin

This spirit takes no back seat to anyone, for in the beginning . . .

Gin was the favorite pour of the masses, as the essence of various combined botanicals stimulated the senses, and on the tongue, lending the mind’s path to clear artistic dreams. Deriving its characteristic flavor from a bouquet of Juniper, Coriander, Orris, Angelica, Cassia, Licourice, Cubeb, Grains of Paradise, Almonds and Lemon Peel, these some or all combinations result in three different types of gin: Dry and London Dry are both unsweetened gins. Old Tom and Plymouth are both slightly sweetened gins, and Dutch (Genever) is a full-flavored gin. Back then the oil of juniper was a popular diuretic, and in the 17th century a respected Dutch physician utilized the blending of juniper waters with neutral distilled spirits as an easier way to administer medicine to patients. Juniper is native to Europe, southwestern Asia, the Himalayas, and North America, usually growing in coastal sites and mountainous regions. It is an evergreen shrub with aromatic berrylike fruit and scalelike foliage. Holland is the birthplace of gin, but England is now the producer of the world’s most popular gins.

Leading off is a mid-morning drink leftover from the Irish madness in March. The Clover Leaf Cocktail goes in a standard cocktail glass and is a shake & strain drink, getting 1 ½ oz Tanqueray gin, juice of ½ lemon, ¼ oz Trader Vic’s grenadine, and 1 egg white. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Named after double agent Vesper Lynd (played by Ursula Andress) in the early 007 film Casino Royale, The Vesper, created by Gilberto Preti, is a classic drink design from the Era of the Rat Pack. In a chilled cocktail glass, it gets 2 oz of Gordon’s gin, 1oz Stolichnaya vodka, and ½ oz Kina Lillet blonde. Garnish with an orange peel.

Right when you thought this combo wouldn’t quite work, well, it actually quite does, arcing your palate with a little more to figure out. A simple, yet complex variation, the Botanical Apple goes in a chilled martini glass and gets 2 oz Plymouth gin and 1oz Dekuyper sour apple Pucker schnapps. Garnish with a slice of green apple.

And yes, you can get the real thing sent right to your home from Europe these days, if you dare. For personal use only of course, the Absinthe Minded Martini starts by atomizing the chilled glass with Noilly Prat dry vermouth, then shake & strain 3 oz of Bombay Sapphire gin along with ½ oz La Fee absinthe (136 proof). Strain in, and float a ½ oz lace of Grand Marnier over
the top, and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

If this doesn’t have shades of Elvis written all over it, I don’t know what does, but I’ll use it. You don’t have to love me true, but at least Love Me Tender. This multi-stimulator of a drink gets 1 ¼ oz Gilbey’s gin, ¾ oz dry Sherry, ¼ oz Aperol, ¼ oz Pearl peach vodka and a dash of Bols apricot brandy. Shake very cold and strain in a glass. Garnish with a thin slice of peach.

Twisting Holland into this minted mix, let’s try out a
Genever Julep for this Spring. This fresh
and clean spritzy drink first calls for muddling a small batch of mint sprigs along with ¼ - ½ oz simple syrup in the bottom of a frosted goblet glass. Then add 2 oz of Damrak Amsterdam gin, fill the glass with cracked or crushed ice, and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a squeeze of a fresh juicy lime and a couple mint sprigs. Stir and serve.

Bonaparte was the Emperor of the French from 1804-1815, beginning at the young age of 35. Needless to say, the Napoleon Cocktail is named after him. This is a shake & strain drink that goes in a short footed glass, getting 2 oz Magellan gin, a dash of Dubonnet blanc, a dash of Hiram Walker curacao, and a dash of Fernet Branca. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

This cocktail could be an essential drink to consider putting on any high-end drink menu. The classy, aromatic Jasmine goes in a cocktail glass and is a shake & strain drink, pouring 1 ½ oz Martin Miller’s gin, ¼ oz Cointreau, ¼ oz Campari, and ¾ oz lemon juice. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.