I was going to continue on with another Aperol cocktail from Pegu Club in New York, which in hindsight would have been the best cocktail to start everything off (being an introduction to Aperol, which is a great introduction itself to amaro), but I've decided instead to head a couple blocks west of L'Abattoir in Gastown and visit my good friends at Pourhouse.
This is one of my favourite Pourhouse originals (again a creation by bar manager Christopher Flett, the man who brought us both "The Bittercup" for Fernet February and the amazingly delicious "Don't Mind If I Do") and actually the reason I bought my first bottle of Averna. It's fairly unique in its choice of base spirit - gin - because amari are typically darker and denser in taste and body, which means that they will typically be paired with darker and denser spirits, like whiskey or dark rum. Lighter spirits are usually overpowered by more potent ingredients, so Flett's choice of gin with a dark amaro here makes for an immediately intriguing drink, and a great showcase for amaro's versatility.
The specific ingredients here are key - I've tried it with other gins and it's still a great cocktail, but not quite the same, and I've tried it with other orange bitters, but Fee's is the one that without a doubt really makes this work. While not my favourite orange bitters at all, as it's much less complex and interesting, it does work exceptionally better in certain cocktails, plus will only run you $8 at Gourmet Warehouse. Victoria Gin from Victoria Spirits in, yes, Victoria, is one of my favourite gins (as you may have already seen in my Beginner's Guide to Buying Gin in B.C.) and is probably very different from what you've had before. It has a much softer juniper component, which allows its other spices and citrus to really create a different balance than you're used to in a London Dry-style gin, and despite its higher proof has a really soft and buttery feel in your mouth. Using Averna brings out certain botanicals in the gin, and using the very orange Fee's orange bitters brings out the citrus notes. Maraschino cuts through as you would expect, but in the spirit of a cocktail like the Martinez, doesn't overpower and almost makes a seemingly dark drink taste and smell lighter.
While the ingredients are not all cheap (with Victoria gin coming in at $45-$50 in B.C.), they're all worth every penny, and this drink is true evidence of this. (I should also note that you can get a half bottle at 375mL of Victoria Gin for $28 should you want to save a little and try it out, but only non-government stores carry it).
Cheers to Flett and the boys at Pourhouse for continually mixing high-quality, classic-style cocktails. Head to Pourhouse immediately for this and many other a cocktail whenever you're in Vancouver.
The Penny Farthing
1.5oz Victoria Gin
1/2oz Averna Amaro
1/4oz Luxardo Maraschino
2 dashes Fee's Orange Bitters
Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.
[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]
[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]
Showing posts with label victoria gin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victoria gin. Show all posts
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Monday, 21 November 2011
A Beginner's Guide to Gin
Gin is definitely THE cocktail spirit. It mixes so well with so many ingredients - it's light and summery with fruit, but it's also herbal and heavy when mixed with bitters or amari or vermouths. It has a long history, it's diverse in flavour profile, and it's an integral part of many classic and iconic cocktails, such as the Martini.
I've met people who say gin is awful, harsh, flavourless, and other manners of sad and untrue things. Anyone familiar at all with spirits or cocktails will completely disagree, but part of the process of enjoying these things is developing your palate. An important part of this as well is drinking quality products and quality cocktails. This comes down to what you buy, what bar you go to, what cocktail you're having, and of course, who your bartender is.
Cheap gins, like any other cheap product, can be harsh and will give you nasty hangovers. Even the worst gins, though, are endlessly easier to withstand and mix than the worst whiskeys.
So here is a little info for the beginner on gin itself, then a few suggestions on what to pick up at the liquor store, and a couple simple cocktails to try at home if you feel like opening the door to the most versatile of spirits.
How it's made:
Gin is a spirit, meaning that it's been distilled, for example from grain or fruit (usually wheat). Distillation is a process of boiling a liquid at a lower temperature than the boiling point of water, and capturing the vapours, which will be alcohol and other flavourful elements. The vapour is "infused" with botanicals, usually by vapourizing the alcohol through a chamber containing herbs, fruits, and spices. Gin can not contain sugar or colorants - in fact, the only thing that can be added to the distillate is water, which is used to dilute the alcohol to 40%, the typical percentage for a spirit.
History:
Gin essentially came from juniper berries, which throughout history have been regarded as medicinal. By the 11th century people were distilling the berries and using it as a medical remedy for disease. By the 17th century, the Dutch had started redistilling malt or wine with juniper and herbs, which was again sold as a medicine called genever. It made its way over to England, where low quality grain that couldn't be used for beer or ale was distilled and used to make a simpler form of genever, shortened to simply "gin." Because of how easy it was to make, and how drunk people got from it, it became wildly popular, taking over about half of all alcohol shops in London.
It followed British sailors to the tropics and was used to mask the terribly bitter flavour of quinine (a medicine used to battle malaria), which at the time was dissolved in carbonated water (then and now known as "tonic water"). This was the birth of the Gin and Tonic, still enjoyed today though much more palatable.
Gin was also often mixed with citrus fruit for sailors to avoid scurvey, and this was integral to the creation of many modern cocktails.
Types of Gin:
Brands of Gin
First of all, here are some easy to find, cheaper gins that you can pick up in the B.C. liquor store, and some general thoughts.
Gordon's Dry - probably the worst gin you will find in a B.C. store, but it's still overall not that bad. This is the beauty of gin, even the worst isn't horrible, opposed to whiskey (and we have some of the worst tasting whiskey here in Canada).
$24 for a 750mL bottle.
Heavy juniper taste, with a little citrus and spice afterwards. Very simple flavour, kind of harsh, alright for mixing.
Tanqueray - definitely a go-to gin for just about anything. Its flavour is a little complex, with a lot of juniper, but also other herbs and spice (like coriander and angelica), and a little citrus. Mixes well with everything, but is also interesting enough to even drink old-fashioned. Drinking this guy will make you feel like you're walking through a garden or a forest. It has won gold and silver awards over the last decade, which is a good sign.
$27 for a 750mL bottle, and definitely worth the extra $3 than Gordon's.
Bombay Sapphire - this gin is produced by Bacardi and has only been around since 1987, which makes it less interesting. I find it a little too perfumey, but it's very light and fairly easy to drink.
It is flavoured with almond, lemon, liquorice, juniper, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. I don't know what some of those are either ;)
You definitely get the citrus from it easily, and it's much less herbal and much more floral than Tanqueray. Bombay has had very mixed reviews at spirit competitions, which is not a great sign.
$28 for a 750mL bottle, and definitely not worth the extra $1 than Tanqueray.
Beefeater - for a cheap gin, you can't really fault this one. It's not as interesting or complex as Tanqueray, but it's definitely smoother than Gordon's and not overly floral like Bombay. It contains juniper, angelica, coriander, liquorice, almonds, orris, oranges, and lemon. There are a lot of citrus notes, so it lends itself very well to cocktails with fruit.
$24 for a 750mL bottle, and an excellent starting point for someone interested in gin.
So, if you're just trying to get into gin, I suggest Beefeater. It's cheap, easy to drink, and mixes very well. If you're already familiar with gin and want to experience more interesting flavours and cocktails, Tanqueray is the cheap way to go.
Here are some more expensive brands that are very good and absolutely worth a try if you haven't:
Beefeater 24 - this isn't actually that expensive. I use this one quite often for mixing drinks. It's very smooth, and has a lot of subtle flavours that can be brought out in cocktails. It's quite light and not the most interesting compared to something wonderful like Hendrick's, but definitely worth the extra few dollars.
It's named 24 because it is infused with botanicals for 24 hours, the same as Beefeater London Dry, except that this time they've added Chinese green tea, Japanese Sencha tea, and grapefruit rind.
$30 for a 750mL bottle
Hendrick's - this gin is basically it's own style. It tastes very different than most other gins, and has a lot of vegetable character to it. It's very smooth and aromatic and delicious, and makes a fantastic martini or any cocktail containing fruit or vegetable juice. It has a different distillation process using a different still than other gins, and is infused with juniper, but also with Bulgarian rose petals and cucumber. It has been named the "Best Gin in the World," and won numerous awards. If you have the money to spend and want to treat yourself, this is the one to go for. It's easy to find in B.C. liquor stores.
$44.50 for a 750mL bottle
Victoria Gin - this is my lady's favourite brand. It's incredibly smooth, almost buttery. The botanical flavours are quite light, but still present, and the juniper isn't overpowering. Perfect for very light and fancy cocktails, and probably wasted on tonic and fruit. It's made right here in B.C. on Vancouver Island, and has won awards worldwide. Unfortunately, the sad state of alcoholic affairs in Canada is such that Victoria Gin is cheaper to buy imported in the United States than it is to buy right here where it's made. Seriously. You pay less in California than in Victoria. They also have an Oaken Gin that is aged in barrels and has a delicious, dark, vanilla, and caramel flavour.
$50 for a 750mL bottle
Martin Miller Gin - this is probably my favourite, or at least tied with Hendrick's. It's distilled in the most traditional of ways in England, infused with juniper, orange and lemon peel, coriander, liquorice, cinnamon, cassia, orris, angelica, and nutmeg, and finally diluted with glacier water from Iceland (seriously). The taste is incredibly smooth and subtlely complex, and really changes the taste of cocktails you're used to. You can only find this one in an independent store, like on Main Street or at Legacy, or in the U.S. (where it's almost $30 cheaper).
$50 for a 750mL bottle
There are others you can find in the store, but this a very good starting point. Nowadays there are some great gins being made using neutral grape spirits, rather than grain, and have a very different flavour. G'Vine from France is one I tried that completely changed the complexion of the cocktails I was trying, and is smooth straight, and very different than dry gins, with very little juniper character and a very light and sweet taste. I have only found it at Legacy for $90, but as spirits and cocktails get more popular, things will get better. We have to believe.
Cocktails
So finally, here are a couple classic gin cocktails to test out with your new bottle. If you get a decent spirit, and follow the recipe as best you can, and use fresh fruit juice and vermouth that isn't stale, you will make good, basic drinks. It's that easy.
The Martini
2oz of gin
anything from a splash or rinse of dry vermouth if you love gin and don't like vermouth (called a "dry" martini)
to 1/2, 1oz, or 2oz of dry vermouth (called a "wet" martini, which is the way they were traditionally made, and if you want to get even more traditional, use sweet vermouth - which at 2:1 vermouth to gin is called a "Martinez.")
1 dash Orange bitters (optional).
This is the ONLY drink I feel you should shake that does not contain egg, juice, or cream. You can still stir it in a container filled with ice if you prefer, which won't get it as cold (and therefore it won't taste quite as good), but if you're just getting into cocktails you probably won't notice the difference.
Shake until your hands hurt (usually about 20 seconds), or stir for 30-60 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an olive to be traditional, or a lemon twist for something different, or a piece of cucumber if you're using Hendrick's, or anything you feel will match the flavours in the gin you're using.
The Gimlet
2oz gin
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime zest or slice.
The White Lady
2oz gin
1oz Cointreau
1oz lemon juice
1 egg white
Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon zest.
Tom Collins
1 and 1/2oz gin
1/2oz simple syrup
1oz lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a tall glass. Fill with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Be sure to enjoy it the VERY old fashioned way as well, with tonic water (adjust your measurements to your taste buds). The possibilities are endless and endlessly fun with gin, and I hope if you had a bad experience with gin at any point, you keep your mind open to giving it another go, because you're missing out!
Please continue on to read my much later post about buying gin in B.C., which has more specifics on certain brands, prices, and buying locations.
I've met people who say gin is awful, harsh, flavourless, and other manners of sad and untrue things. Anyone familiar at all with spirits or cocktails will completely disagree, but part of the process of enjoying these things is developing your palate. An important part of this as well is drinking quality products and quality cocktails. This comes down to what you buy, what bar you go to, what cocktail you're having, and of course, who your bartender is.
Cheap gins, like any other cheap product, can be harsh and will give you nasty hangovers. Even the worst gins, though, are endlessly easier to withstand and mix than the worst whiskeys.
So here is a little info for the beginner on gin itself, then a few suggestions on what to pick up at the liquor store, and a couple simple cocktails to try at home if you feel like opening the door to the most versatile of spirits.
How it's made:
Gin is a spirit, meaning that it's been distilled, for example from grain or fruit (usually wheat). Distillation is a process of boiling a liquid at a lower temperature than the boiling point of water, and capturing the vapours, which will be alcohol and other flavourful elements. The vapour is "infused" with botanicals, usually by vapourizing the alcohol through a chamber containing herbs, fruits, and spices. Gin can not contain sugar or colorants - in fact, the only thing that can be added to the distillate is water, which is used to dilute the alcohol to 40%, the typical percentage for a spirit.
History:
Gin essentially came from juniper berries, which throughout history have been regarded as medicinal. By the 11th century people were distilling the berries and using it as a medical remedy for disease. By the 17th century, the Dutch had started redistilling malt or wine with juniper and herbs, which was again sold as a medicine called genever. It made its way over to England, where low quality grain that couldn't be used for beer or ale was distilled and used to make a simpler form of genever, shortened to simply "gin." Because of how easy it was to make, and how drunk people got from it, it became wildly popular, taking over about half of all alcohol shops in London.It followed British sailors to the tropics and was used to mask the terribly bitter flavour of quinine (a medicine used to battle malaria), which at the time was dissolved in carbonated water (then and now known as "tonic water"). This was the birth of the Gin and Tonic, still enjoyed today though much more palatable.
Gin was also often mixed with citrus fruit for sailors to avoid scurvey, and this was integral to the creation of many modern cocktails.
Types of Gin:
- Distilled Gin - a redistilled white grain spirit flavoured with juniper
- Compound Gin - a flavoured grain spirit without added distillation
- London Dry Gin - a redistilled grain containing other added botanicals than juniper
- Sloe Gin - a gin flavoured with blackthorn fruit
- Old Tom Gin - distilled gin that has been slightly sweetened
Brands of Gin
First of all, here are some easy to find, cheaper gins that you can pick up in the B.C. liquor store, and some general thoughts.
Gordon's Dry - probably the worst gin you will find in a B.C. store, but it's still overall not that bad. This is the beauty of gin, even the worst isn't horrible, opposed to whiskey (and we have some of the worst tasting whiskey here in Canada).
$24 for a 750mL bottle.
Heavy juniper taste, with a little citrus and spice afterwards. Very simple flavour, kind of harsh, alright for mixing.
Tanqueray - definitely a go-to gin for just about anything. Its flavour is a little complex, with a lot of juniper, but also other herbs and spice (like coriander and angelica), and a little citrus. Mixes well with everything, but is also interesting enough to even drink old-fashioned. Drinking this guy will make you feel like you're walking through a garden or a forest. It has won gold and silver awards over the last decade, which is a good sign.$27 for a 750mL bottle, and definitely worth the extra $3 than Gordon's.
Bombay Sapphire - this gin is produced by Bacardi and has only been around since 1987, which makes it less interesting. I find it a little too perfumey, but it's very light and fairly easy to drink.
It is flavoured with almond, lemon, liquorice, juniper, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. I don't know what some of those are either ;)
You definitely get the citrus from it easily, and it's much less herbal and much more floral than Tanqueray. Bombay has had very mixed reviews at spirit competitions, which is not a great sign.
$28 for a 750mL bottle, and definitely not worth the extra $1 than Tanqueray.
Beefeater - for a cheap gin, you can't really fault this one. It's not as interesting or complex as Tanqueray, but it's definitely smoother than Gordon's and not overly floral like Bombay. It contains juniper, angelica, coriander, liquorice, almonds, orris, oranges, and lemon. There are a lot of citrus notes, so it lends itself very well to cocktails with fruit.
$24 for a 750mL bottle, and an excellent starting point for someone interested in gin.
So, if you're just trying to get into gin, I suggest Beefeater. It's cheap, easy to drink, and mixes very well. If you're already familiar with gin and want to experience more interesting flavours and cocktails, Tanqueray is the cheap way to go.
Here are some more expensive brands that are very good and absolutely worth a try if you haven't:
Beefeater 24 - this isn't actually that expensive. I use this one quite often for mixing drinks. It's very smooth, and has a lot of subtle flavours that can be brought out in cocktails. It's quite light and not the most interesting compared to something wonderful like Hendrick's, but definitely worth the extra few dollars.It's named 24 because it is infused with botanicals for 24 hours, the same as Beefeater London Dry, except that this time they've added Chinese green tea, Japanese Sencha tea, and grapefruit rind.
$30 for a 750mL bottle
Hendrick's - this gin is basically it's own style. It tastes very different than most other gins, and has a lot of vegetable character to it. It's very smooth and aromatic and delicious, and makes a fantastic martini or any cocktail containing fruit or vegetable juice. It has a different distillation process using a different still than other gins, and is infused with juniper, but also with Bulgarian rose petals and cucumber. It has been named the "Best Gin in the World," and won numerous awards. If you have the money to spend and want to treat yourself, this is the one to go for. It's easy to find in B.C. liquor stores.$44.50 for a 750mL bottle
Victoria Gin - this is my lady's favourite brand. It's incredibly smooth, almost buttery. The botanical flavours are quite light, but still present, and the juniper isn't overpowering. Perfect for very light and fancy cocktails, and probably wasted on tonic and fruit. It's made right here in B.C. on Vancouver Island, and has won awards worldwide. Unfortunately, the sad state of alcoholic affairs in Canada is such that Victoria Gin is cheaper to buy imported in the United States than it is to buy right here where it's made. Seriously. You pay less in California than in Victoria. They also have an Oaken Gin that is aged in barrels and has a delicious, dark, vanilla, and caramel flavour.$50 for a 750mL bottle
Martin Miller Gin - this is probably my favourite, or at least tied with Hendrick's. It's distilled in the most traditional of ways in England, infused with juniper, orange and lemon peel, coriander, liquorice, cinnamon, cassia, orris, angelica, and nutmeg, and finally diluted with glacier water from Iceland (seriously). The taste is incredibly smooth and subtlely complex, and really changes the taste of cocktails you're used to. You can only find this one in an independent store, like on Main Street or at Legacy, or in the U.S. (where it's almost $30 cheaper).$50 for a 750mL bottle
There are others you can find in the store, but this a very good starting point. Nowadays there are some great gins being made using neutral grape spirits, rather than grain, and have a very different flavour. G'Vine from France is one I tried that completely changed the complexion of the cocktails I was trying, and is smooth straight, and very different than dry gins, with very little juniper character and a very light and sweet taste. I have only found it at Legacy for $90, but as spirits and cocktails get more popular, things will get better. We have to believe.
Cocktails
So finally, here are a couple classic gin cocktails to test out with your new bottle. If you get a decent spirit, and follow the recipe as best you can, and use fresh fruit juice and vermouth that isn't stale, you will make good, basic drinks. It's that easy.
The Martini
2oz of gin
anything from a splash or rinse of dry vermouth if you love gin and don't like vermouth (called a "dry" martini)
to 1/2, 1oz, or 2oz of dry vermouth (called a "wet" martini, which is the way they were traditionally made, and if you want to get even more traditional, use sweet vermouth - which at 2:1 vermouth to gin is called a "Martinez.")
1 dash Orange bitters (optional).
This is the ONLY drink I feel you should shake that does not contain egg, juice, or cream. You can still stir it in a container filled with ice if you prefer, which won't get it as cold (and therefore it won't taste quite as good), but if you're just getting into cocktails you probably won't notice the difference.
Shake until your hands hurt (usually about 20 seconds), or stir for 30-60 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an olive to be traditional, or a lemon twist for something different, or a piece of cucumber if you're using Hendrick's, or anything you feel will match the flavours in the gin you're using.
The Gimlet
2oz gin
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime zest or slice.
The White Lady
2oz gin
1oz Cointreau
1oz lemon juice
1 egg white
Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon zest.
Tom Collins
1 and 1/2oz gin
1/2oz simple syrup
1oz lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a tall glass. Fill with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Be sure to enjoy it the VERY old fashioned way as well, with tonic water (adjust your measurements to your taste buds). The possibilities are endless and endlessly fun with gin, and I hope if you had a bad experience with gin at any point, you keep your mind open to giving it another go, because you're missing out!
Please continue on to read my much later post about buying gin in B.C., which has more specifics on certain brands, prices, and buying locations.
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