{"id":6158,"date":"2012-07-13T12:02:10","date_gmt":"2012-07-13T11:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/?p=6158"},"modified":"2015-03-17T15:31:21","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T15:31:21","slug":"which-gin-cocktail-favourites-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/which-gin-cocktail-favourites-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Gin? for Cocktail Favourites. Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago (and with a much more limited scope of gin experience!) I took a first shot at trying to figure out which gins worked best in a series of classic Gin Cocktails<\/strong>. Since that initial attempt, I have tried more gins than I can even attempt to count, and\u00a0I’ve\u00a0been waiting for the chance to revise my initial list and offer a more nuanced take on how gin works in each of these cocktails.<\/p>\n

Negroni<\/a><\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s where the going gets good. This in my opinion is the hardest test for a gin. You have two very strong complimentary ingredients (Campari<\/a> and Vermouth) and with the elegant 1:1:1 ratio, your gin needs a good amount of bang for its buck to survive.<\/p>\n

\"Negroni<\/a><\/p>\n

Easy to Find Recommendation:\u00a0<\/strong>Perhaps my favorite gin, Martin Miller\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> Westbourne Strength gin is the best gin out there for this cocktail. At slightly higher proof than the standard Martin Miller\u2019s, the Westbourne strength better carries through the balanced flavor of gin and allows the citrus notes and juniper notes to contend with the bitterness of the Campari.
\nA little bit harder-to-find:\u00a0<\/strong>Really, I think almost any \u201cover proof\u201d 45%+ juniper-forward gin can hold its own here. But I have to say that the Navy Strength options might even outdo the Martin Miller\u2019s by a hair here. Look for Plymouth\u2019s<\/a> <\/strong>57% Navy Strength if you\u2019re in the UK, or Perry Tot\u2019s 57% Navy Strength Gin if you\u2019re in the US.<\/p>\n

Aviation<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Lazarus of the cocktail world. Once dead from the lack of an obscure Avenger\u2019s TV series plot element (Creme De Violette) it is now back in full force and could easily be considered the gold standard of the prohibition-era gin cocktails revival (of which the craft gin explosion is a part of). Unlike the previous cocktails which highlight citrus and juniper parts of gin, the Aviation highlights floral elements, which means that my recommendations here are going to be contemporary styled gins. Now there\u2019s plenty of gins which bring a floral element: Darnley\u2019s View<\/a><\/strong>, Hendrick’s<\/a><\/strong>, River Rose, Back River and so on, I find that the two that work best here do so because of their novel base.<\/p>\n

Easy to Find Recommendation:\u00a0G\u2019vine\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> Floraison can be a polarizing gin. With strong floral notes that bring to mind field flowers, lily and iris, owing not only to its botanicals but the neutral grape spirit that is its base. It absolutely bursts with floral notes, and it creates an aviation which I think highlights the violet of the Creme De Violette in a bold, unique, and flavorful way.
\nA little bit harder-to-find:\u00a0Seneca Drums Gin<\/a><\/strong> from New York State also is built on a neutral grape base, but with a heavier mouthfeel and more notes familiar to gin drinkers, juniper and citrus primarily, but also a dense woody herbal character that highlights both the Maraschino and the Creme De Violette at the same time.<\/p>\n

Martini<\/a><\/h2>\n

Need I say anymore? When it comes to gin cocktails, this is the true legendary cocktail. I prefer my Martini to be 3 parts gin to 1 part vermouth, and certainly no more than 5:1. Anything drier might as well be drinking straight gin, which while a worth pursuit of its own accord, is not much a cocktail. But as for my Martini, I prefer a strong and smooth gin here. Because there\u2019s not a lot of other strong ingredients to contend with, almost any smooth gin will excel here.<\/span>
\n\"Martini<\/a><\/p>\n

Easy to Find Recommendation:\u00a0<\/strong>(tie) Martin Miller\u2019s<\/a> <\/strong>Westbourne Strength London Dry Gin and Plymouth Gin<\/a><\/strong>. Both are balanced, smooth, and ultimately well crafted gins. Martin Miller\u2019s Gin is soft, almost silky, walking a fine line between citrus and juniper without ever favoring one over the other. Plymouth is warm and thick, with a balanced citrus and juniper character. Both finish with a warm burst of something spicy, earthy, and just a tough delicate. Pair either with a good vermouth and its hard to conjure a finer cocktail.
\nA little bit harder-to-find:\u00a0<\/strong>This \u201charder to find\u201d is for the martini drinker in search of a smooth, drinkable, and complex spirit which embodies the bold experimentation of contemporary microdistilleries. Back River Gin<\/strong> has cinnamon, floral, and blueberry notes, all without forgetting the juniper at the end. You won\u2019t mistake it for your grandfather\u2019s martini, but that\u2019s okay. Because this spirit makes for a memorable martini all on its own.<\/p>\n

And finally the last word in the cocktail canon, \u201cThe Last Word.\u201d<\/strong>
\nI like including The Last Word because it embodies a common gin cocktail archetype that I don\u2019t find well covered amongst the other mainstream drinks. I call The \u201cLast Word\u201d one of the earthy gin cocktails, because of the way the Green Chartreuse can take over this drink. Other gin cocktails which fall into this category include the Corpse Reviver #2<\/a><\/strong>, Alaska Cocktail<\/strong>, and pretty much any other drink that utilizes Absinthe or one of the varieties of Chartreuse. It also gives us a chance to highlight another kind of gin, the gin varieties that highlight the spicy and the earthy side of the botanical spectrum.<\/p>\n

PS, for those of you who do not know the formula, the Last Word is an elegant 1:1:1:1 cocktail. Equal parts gin, lime juice, green chartreuse and maraschino.<\/p>\n

Easy To Find Reccommendation:\u00a0<\/strong>Although some might call it a novelty gin, I think the peppery notes and the vegetative warmth of the lemongrass (and the way it compliments the gin) make Bombay Sapphire<\/a> East<\/strong> an ideal gin for the Last Word. The chartreuse feels at home, and the drink comes out earthy, dense, and a bit more lively than Bombay Sapphire\u2019s mainline offering.
\nImpossible\u00a0to find\u00a0Recommendation:<\/strong>\u00a0It is with both great joy (so many good gins!) and great regret (this particular gin was so good!) that I suggest Berkshire Mountain\u2019s<\/a> Ethereal Gin No. 4<\/strong> for this cocktail. \u201cEthereal Gins\u201d are the seasonal offerings from the\u00a0Massachusetts\u00a0distiller who puts out a new \u201cEthereal Gin\u201d every year. With anise, pepper, and juniper, Ethereal Gin No 4.<\/strong> shines in the Last Word. And although hard to find since I know No .5 has been released, it is worth seeking out for its lush herbal notes alone.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>With so many gins out there, and new ones being released almost weekly it seems, its rather certain that the best gin today might not be the \u201conly best gin\u201d for a certain purpose in the near future. While these are some of my favorites, I would suggest using this guide as a reference point for experimenting going forward. Perhaps you don\u2019t have Berkshire Mountain\u2019s Ethereal Gin<\/strong>, but you know of a great herbal gin that just came out that\u00a0you’ve\u00a0been dying to try. Perhaps begin with the Last Word cocktail to see that gin really shine, before putting it to work in some of the more difficult gin cocktails.<\/p>\n

In any event, cheers and happy experimentation!<\/p>\n

-Aaron \/ @theGINisIN<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aaron Knoll<\/p>\n

Website ||\u00a0www.theGINisIN.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter ||\u00a0@theGINisIN<\/a><\/p>\n

Email ||\u00a0theginisin@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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