I used drink a lot of gin in college. When you’re young and you don’t know enough to drink your liquor straight – that the sugars in what you add to it are seventy percent of the hangover – you drink it loaded with mixers. And everything tastes great soaked in tonic.
Then, of course, there was this unfortunate incident I wrote about earlier, with overtones of “kidnapping,” “assault” and “terroristic threats”… inspired by Tanqueray. That got me rethinking gin. Not in any sense of concern, or quitting it. More with an eye toward change – to the easier, smoother white liquor (one that might not have me aiming weapons so quickly).
I shifted to vodka as my default clear liquor and a long time love affair ensued. It really is the cleanest of buzzes, and with some Eastern European blood in my veins, it goes down like mother’s milk. And so I forgot about the charms of gin. I stuck with the bourbon for friends, the vodka for anesthetizing myself at business-related gatherings and the scotch for, well… Good scotch was a special event thing, for raping a friend’s expense account. (There’s lovely ring to the words “Johnny Walker Blue” followed with, “Yeah, we’ll call this a ‘business dinner.’ You’re a client!”)
“Of course I am. Now let’s get down to brass tacks on this Penske file. You’ve got one of those Dartmouth kids fucking the whole thing up.”
“Is there a good hand job joint nearby?”
“Which would you prefer on the charge receipt? ‘A-1 Briefcase Repair’ or ‘House of Crepes, LLC’?”
I’m going to miss the boom years. I didn’t get rich myself, but there was always that sense of excess – that the money would never stop. You didn’t have to work on Wall Street. You only had to be in its shadow. Family, friends, neighbors, half of everyone you met… The world was drunk on its gains. Even the fucking lawyers were enjoying high class scraps. An actual trickle-down revolution, from ’96 straight through to ’07. And now it’s over – popped finally, For Real. And here we are confused, trying to grapple with a semblance of what it was like in the days before the cleaning lady was worth six figures in Cisco stock and the high school guidance counselor down the street was flipping vacation homes in Naples with financing from Bloated and Overlevered Bank, Inc.
People old enough to remember that decade say today’s like the ’70s. I wouldn’t know. All I remember of those days was riding in the back of my old man’s red coupe, hearing that sax line from “Baker Street” and all those awful Eagles tunes. To me it feels like the early ’90s, the fading but nasty edges of the Bush I Recession. And perhaps that’s why I recently rediscovered gin. A sense of déjà vu, of a feeling I had back then that all wasn’t going so well. That vodka wouldn’t dull things enough, and bourbon would clarify too much. Gin’s a nice middle ground – a sneaky, quirky buzz. Stronger than vodka or scotch, and smooth where bourbon enflames.
But who knows why, really? Might have just been laziness – finding a bottle of Tanqueray in a pile of holiday gifts, reacquainting myself with the taste and thinking, Damnit. Where have you been the last sixteen years?
I’m the kind who meets a problem head on, and the lack of gin in my recent history is a deeply disturbing shortcoming. In the spirit of making up for lost time, I’ve been soaking it up like a bar towel for the past several months. And I feel a need to share my experiences, in the hope nobody will forget about gin as I did, and look back with all that regret.
I’m nothing if not a giver, so here we go – my top five:
5. Tanqueray
The old standby – as good as in a martini as it is in a tumbler of fruit juice. They call it a dry gin, but it’s actually packed with flavor, and near sugary in its finish. A perfect drink for company get-togethers as few know the stuff packs a 9o plus proof wallop. Order it liberally, with minimal tonic. Throw a lime on top, to show you’re the kind of person who needs one. The average upper middle management sorts will appreciate that. Nobody wants a 28 year old gin martini drinker on his payroll. It’s a bit much on the pretentious scale for some, a little too much on the libertine scale for others.
I bought this hesitantly, thinking at 83 proof it’d be the gin equivalent of one of those weak fruit-flavored vodkas, infused with obvious artificial sweeteners. I was wrong. The stuff’s flat out delicious, and what it lacks in punch is more than compensated for by the fact that a glass of it with a bit of tonic might as well be soda.* The best damned soda you’ve ever had. The lime’s a bit overpowering for a purist, but on a humid, ninety degree Saturday afternoon, you understand why the British colonists allegedly drank a variant of this liquor in the heat of summer in India.
I almost hate to rate this number three, as it really ought to share the number two slot. But I don’t like splitting ranks, and this is a zero sum game. It must, however, be noted – this gin is barely a shade below the number two brand, which is a tremendous compliment to that gin, as Sapphire is flat out spectacular. And lethal. The flavors in Sapphire are subtle, the closest of those here to the rubbing alcohol character of classic neutral, dry gin. But if you drink this stuff on the rocks, which you can easily do and should, as mixing it almost seems wrong, you catch a wide range of citrusy tastes mixed up with the traditional juniper. And a bonus with Sapphire is how smoothly it goes down – how passive aggressive, yet paralyzing, its buzz can be. You can easily rip through a half a bottle of it and suddenly, surely, at 94 proof, it’ll hit you at once like a train. I wouldn’t swill this one in business company or even among none-too-close friends. This is one to enjoy in martini form, and keep in your own special corner of the liquor cabinet. The bottle you want to open after that truly miserable day at work, when you need a drink that’s flavor is only eclipsed by its surgical grade anesthetic effect.
2. Bluecoat
As I’ve noted here for years, there’s nothing much good about Philadelphia. Bluecoat Gin’s one of the few remaining exceptions. Yes, they make it in North Philly, and no, I’m not kidding. This isn’t just one of the finest gins I’ve ever had, it’s one of the finest liquors I’ve ever had. Bluecoat’s not for the timid drinker. It’s a ballsy, strong gin, loaded with citrus (so much so that adding a lime to a G&T with the stuff seems overkill). It doesn’t go down like Sapphire, and where the citrus hints in Rangpur cut the edge of the alcohol, the citrus in Bluecoat adds to the liquor’s bite. But at five times distilled, it’s as clean and sharp as the finest ultra-premium vodkas, and each of its flavors is distinct, like they’re supposed to be there, exactly the way you’re experiencing them. Of the bunch, this is the best gin and tonic gin. It never gets lost in the mix.
1. Hendrick’s
It smells like poupourri, has a sugary finish and where most have the usual juniper, Hendrick’s has hints of cucumber. And yet, despite all these seemingly strong reasons to dislike it, to not even consider it the type of liquor it claims to be, Hendrick’s is the best gin I’ve ever had. By a good distance, too. Where the rest of the gins on this list are close to one another in flavor, Hendrick’s is a total break. It’s as easy as Sapphire to drink, as flavorful as Bluecoat, but where both of those stick within the parameters of traditional gin, Hendrick’s lets in a whole layer of flavor none of the others even comes close to achieving. But I offer this praise with a caution. As the label of the bottle cautions, Hendrick’s is not for everyone. If the scent of roses in your drink creeps you out, you probably won’t like this stuff. And if you’re married to the use of lime in your gin and tonic, the mash-up of competing flavors on your palate probably won’t be pleasing. But if you’re willing to try a truly unique gin, more wet than dry, more sweet than neutral, but at the same time every bit as defined in its meticulously crafted infusions as the best of the traditional premium brands, Hendrick’s will not let you down. The only thing bad I can say about this gin is you’ll want to keep tasting it, because it’s nothing like anything you’ve had, in any type of liquor. And that leads to a rough next day.
Enjoy irresponsibly. It’s not like you have any serious work to do tomorrow. Or this afternoon. Or any other day or evening for the rest of our Glorious Recession.
_______________________________
* I say “bit of tonic” because I mean “bit of tonic.” A respectable G&T should have no more than a finger of tonic for every four fingers of ice and gin. And that finger should be a pinky.
Like you, the collegiate years of my love affair with liquor began with the deliciousness that is gin. Tom Collins, G&T, Gibson Martinis (I hate olives)- I like them all.
However, my favorite is Gordon’s. Does this mean that I’ve killed my taste buds early? That I’m cheap? That I’ve prematurely descended into that stage of drinking where old people buy the cheap stuff from drugstore liquor shelves? Perhaps it’s all three…
PL: It means nothing more than you like Gordon’s. You like what you like, and if you like it, never question why. But if you want to try something else, here’s my take on a few options you might explore.
What, too good for Seagrams?
PL: Seagrams anything is gag-worthy.
No Beefeater? Not only does it taste wonderful, it also has one of the best logos known to all of alcohol.
PL: I could only fit five, and if you’re going to do that, you have to go with the top five. I grew up making Beefeater and tonics and Beefeater martinis for my folks. I’d never dream of slighting the alcohol, but in the intervening years, many interesting new brands have emerged, and these are the best, I think.
Thoughts on Pinnacle and Quintessential? I like the former because it’s cheap and tastier than Seagrams, and the latter I find to be on a rough par with Sapphire.
PL: I don’t recall much about Quintessential except it had a cool bottle. Pinnacle I don’t think I’ve had.
Here I have been shunning Gin for so long and pouring whatever stupid mixture of alcohol I have available down my throat. I always ignored gin since it was what my mother drank. By the way, nothing tops a good brandy.
PL: I haven’t been into the brandies, but along the lines of those drinks, the Grand Marnier line is great shit. Good dessert substitute.
Good to see Bombay Sapphire score so highly. I’m going to have to check out Hendrick’s and Bluecoat, though I’m not sure we can get them in our igloos up here in Canada. Additionally, I’m a big fan of Plymouth gin as well. For pure obliteration do a double with water and lime, a shot, then lather, rinse, repeat.
PL: You can likely find Hendrick’s, but Bluecoat may be tough. It’s just becoming notable outside the Philadelphia area. The shot thing’s an interesting way of drinking it. I’ll have to try that.
Since losing my keys, punching out my taillights in anger and being picked up by the police- attempting to walk home with one shoe on- it’s been decided by my better half that Bombay is no longer on my “going out” menu.
But I’ve only heard good things about Hendricks, and I’ve been curious about Rangpur, so I predict a small shopping excursion in my near future. Thank you.
PL: You’re welcome. And that makes two of us. I’m picking up a bottle Hendrick’s right now.
For the weekend, in advance. I’m devoting the rest of the week to Old Rasputin stouts. Well, until I have two of those and decide I want a G&T.
Gin has been my poison after two of my professors in college lectured me for five-ten minutes each about how I should drink gin, not vodka in Charleston, SC. I was 19 at the time which was a fact of which I am sure both of them were aware. I must say, though, that I disagree about the amount of tonic water in a gin and tonic. I think there should be more, because carbonation is a good thing.
By the way, have you tried Rogue Gin? It’s made by those same delightful little buggers who brew the beer of the same name (and who are also now involved with Rogue creamery). It’s not as sweet as Hendrick’s, but it has more of a cucumber taste. My liquor cabinet contains Sapphire for martinis, Hendrick’s for gin and tonics and Rogue for if I get a little bored of the other two.
PL: No, I haven’t tried Rogue, but if it’s anything like their beers, I need to. The people at Dogfishhead also do a small batch gin and vodka, but I haven’t seen either.
On the tonic, I think it can overpower the delicate flavors of a gin. It absolutely wrecks Sapphire.
You caught me on my way to the liquor store anyway, and I was happy to not only find Bluecoat, but it was also on sale. As was the Hendrick’s, and with there being a recession and all, I picked up the 1.75L bottle, it being a better value and all. What a sacrifice!
I did enjoy the ABC cashier questioning why I wasn’t getting my usual bottles of Rangpur…
PL: Glad to help the folks at both distilleries. The Bluecoat people are committed to an excellent product. And they’ll need all the revenue they can bank if Philly takes it’s usual approach to recessions – screwing the Christ out of businesses with tax increases (hopefully they’re in a tax abatement, or “KOZ” zone). And they wonder why everything good and productive runs from the city like it’s a giant SARS cloud…
Hendrick’s is also a small distillery, Scottish, I think. And aside from always favoring the products of that part of the world, I figure any product putting out a brochure saying, “1 in 1000 people will like this” deserves a serious nod.
Wow, a story about gin right after I decide to quit drinking, or maybe cut back. And top it off with a Brooks Brother’s ad? FANTASTIC
I think I need a drink, er, to go shopping.
PL: Go back to drinking. Stay away from those suits. They’re cut for undertakers. The drape’s utterly unforgiving and the fabric moves like cardboard.
Nice gin review. I’ve overlooked gin for a long time in favor of scotch and bourbon. I’d be interested in your take on both of the aforementioned.
PL: My book is basically a bourbon review for three hundred pages. See Part II of the “The Costanza Method.” Pretty much sums up my feeling on the stuff. I view it as a second source of blood for my veins.
As to scotch, I’m a philistine. Not a huge fan of too many single malts. My favorite is an odd one – Johnny Gold. I know it’s a dessert scotch, but I like it.
But I am open to tasting any single malt I can, and I’ve tried and enjoyed a whole slew of them (I like the Oban and Glenfiddich stuff). Good liquor’s like sex in that regard – the worst of it’s still damn enjoyable.
I’ve always been a big fan of gin, but that might be due to a very English family and the fact that I was allowed to drink Pimms as a very small child. Heavily diluted of course. On that note though – if you’re in a gin state of mind I can’t get enough of Pimms over the summer months – make a pitcher and hunker down. It’s a sneaky, sneaky drink. Especially when made by my grandmother who adds a “healthy” jigger of gin to everyone’s glass (This is a must – Pimms is gin based so it adds to the flavour nicely). It’s best with English fizzy lemonade, but alternately you can use sprite or the like. Add slices of cucumber, orange, lemon, apple and fresh mint – the groceries aren’t necessary, but a nice touch, especially the cucumber. Also you have to make pitchers of it. It’s better that way.
B.
PL: I haven’t had the Pimms, but I know folks who like it, and they like it a hell of a lot. You’re in good company. These people know their drink. Thanks for the recommendation.
Something that I like to have sounds terrible, but tastes great. I call it a brine, and its where you take a can of key light, sip some off the top, and pour a shot of tanqueray into it. It sounds awful, but the key light is so mellow it just brings out the flavors of tanqueray and has no bite.
Let me know if you try it, the people who actually do like it.
I hate to sound like a smug dickhead, but a good single malt is like nothing other. My favorites are Laphroaig and Bowmore which are both from the island of Islay and are distinctively smokey and peaty (yep, I am a dickhead). They’re not for everyone, but definitely worth trying.
PL: Nothing dickheaded about that. I just never developed a taste for the strong flavors you get with those scotches. I think I might have had Laphroaig, but damned if I recall the taste. The name, however, resonates for some reason.
Junipero, from Anchor Distilling, is very nice. Also, there are some good premium tonics out now; I’ve tried and liked Fever Tree, Q, and Stirrings.
PL: 98 proof, and an Anchor product? I have to get that.
I’d say that I missed out on the boom times you mentioned (I’m in my early 20s), but then I remember that my parents used to refer to their home as “the house that Cisco built.” Still, it must have been nice to find have a friend who’s summer internship made them a millionaire in dot.com stock options.
PL: Yes, and it clarified all the more what a goddamn dumbass I was to go into litigation.
Excellent. I commended you in an earlier post for adding a gin to your list of recommended accompaniments to the book; this piece explains and more than makes up for the absence of gin in your earlier stories. And I must say I’m very impressed by the apparent zeal with which you’re applying yourself to the task of getting reacquainted with the stuff. Inspiring.
I’m also happy about the strong response this piece has gotten from your readers, especially the younger ones. Many of my fellow Generation Y have a low opinion of gin- I’m forever noticing raised eyebrows and strange looks when I drink gin and tonics at bars and parties. A few weeks ago an acquaintance even went so far as to call the gin I was holding a ‘girl’s drink’. What utter nonsense. I’d just like to share a little scene that, while unconfirmed, is totally within the realm of historical posibility, and should dispell any notion that gin is not a serious drink. Let me set the scene. It’s World War 2 and we’re at RAF Mission Command:
Head of RAF: “Mr Prime Minister, the planes are loaded and ready for take-off. Are you absolutely certain that you want them to firebomb Dresden?”
Winston Churchill: *Takes a sip of his martini* (I use the term loosely- due to the Nazi annexation of France Great Britain’s supplies of vermouth were cut off, meaning the ‘martini’ was actually just a big fuck-off glass of gin with an olive in it)
“Burn it. Burn it all”.
I know i’m preaching to the converted here, but as the above story suggests, you should never let anyone question your balls for drinking gin.
PL: Nobody ever has. Most said I was mad for not drinking it.
Nice choice of example, by the way. I watched the Churchill movie on HBO the other night and was thinking, “Fuck… Here’s everything wrong with us in a nutshell.” Here was a nation of people facing down the most evil, psychotic war machine in history, and their leader swore they’d sooner die than concede an inch of the island. Call them cold, emotionally disconnected, etc… But the British took it all with an iciness we’re lacking. Perhaps its just that this crisis isn’t sufficient to pull our balls back out of the cavity in our stomachs where they’ve hidden, but all this talk about how we have to make things fair, and give people their “right” to health care and their “right” to own a home they can’t afford and their “right” to borrow money they shouldn’t have, and these groups of vile women getting press in New York for having coffee klatches and whining about how their banker husbands lost their jobs and they can’t pay for good help… It makes you wish we had a Churchill to get on TV and level with us:
“You have no rights to anything but freedom from our government. That’s all. The rest’s on you. If it’s unfair, if it hurts you… if you die faster than someone with more resources would… Well, address your complaints to Darwin.”
I like Obama, and I applaud him for taking action where his predecessor caved under pressure and basically was MIA from 2006 forward. But he’s a reflection of a twisted mentality that hired him not to govern the country, but to act as our national Handicapper General.
The government keeps the peace. It is not a magical rule changing mechanism when people don’t like the way the game’s going. I understand why we have to do all we’re doing. I understand why we’re fucking bondholders in favor of unions in Detroit, keep propping up Citi and are now going to give every entitlement-minded voter a big fat kiss with Universal Health Care. I get why we need this shit, but that doesn’t mean any of it isn’t worth lamenting. We need a lot more gin drinkers in our government, in our society, and what we’ve got is a pile of fucking Michelob Ultra sippers as far as the eye can see.
Where can I send you a bottle of 209? It’s a small batch from San Fran, pure, crisp and potent and it eclipses everything mentioned here.
PL: C/O Philalawyer, 80 5th Ave, Suite 1101, New York 10011
I’ll post a review. And thank you in advance. You’re doing Jesus’s work.
Great post PL.
Please please please tell us you’re going to do this will other liquers as well!
PL: That’s the idea. Next will be which Champagne makes the best blueberry mimosas.
I kid… It’ll be bourbon. But that’s a lonnnggg one.
In the summer of 2005, right after I turned 21, I went on a Caribbean cruise with my family. Because the liquor was discounted and duty-free, I figured it was as good of a time as any to compile a more respectable liquor cabinet.
I stepped off the cruise ship and onto American soil with a total of 10 bottles of liquor, and I can say without hesitation that the best of that batch, and the best thing to happen to my “drinking career” up to that point, was the bottle of Bombay Sapphire that my dad insisted I purchase.
The only downside, if you can call it that, was that I haven’t since been able to find a brand of gin that I prefer over Bombay Sapphire. However, on your recommendation, I will be buying a bottle of Hendrick’s this weekend and toasting you for the excellent book you’ve written (I am approximately 50 pages from the end, and as a recent law school graduate, I unfortunately already agree with everything you’ve written regarding the “legal culture”).
PL: I stay away from the handles. My wife brought home a handle of Chopin last night and I wound up firing up martinis and arguing politics with my old man who was visiting. I was fucking retarded this morning.
But this Stone Russian Imperial Stout is making me feel alright now.
Dogfishhead may make gin, but I don’t think I will buy a liquor of theirs after trying their rum a couple of summers ago. It tasted like someone had mixed alcohol with the juice drained out of a dumpster. We ended up daring people to take half shots. I’ll stick to their beer.
PL: They make some shit beer as well. The 90 Minute IPA is spectacular, as is the Raison D’Etre. The Aprihop is a hit or miss. Some cases are fine. Some taste like shit. And the Shelter Pale Ale tastes like somebody forgot to add the ingredients that ferment into alcohol.
Thanks for the Hendricks tip, I got hooked on gin visiting my best friend and high school wrestling partner at NC State drinking gin and Wink. Manly, I know – but hey in a land of pastel shirts who was I to judge?
After graduating from a pretentious college I showed up at an afternoon graduation party with a fifth of Bombay Sapphire to celebrate in what I figured was appropriate style, killed all but two-inches of it, passed out, and woke up ridiculously hung over.
At 10:45pm that same day. Still love the stuff though.
PL: That will fuck you up. That’s way too much juniper for one sitting. You probably smelled like an air freshener for a day afterward.
But in fairness, you need that sort of thing immediately following graduation. I remember sticking a copy of Widespread’s “Everyday” in the tape deck the day I left and looking back at the place one last time as “Pleas” started. There’s an odd, “I gotta get out of this place” feeling competing with “What the fuck am I going to do now?” fighting with memories of those comments I could never forget of my dad’s friends telling me at my high school graduation party – “College is the greatest four years. Enjoy it.” Now you’re thinking, “Okay, if that’s true (and it seems it), what next?”
Your head’s spinning and you’re too young to put it all in perspective. One needs to drink in those days, and heavily.
I have to agree with that list. However, I think a list like this is best for people who know their liquor like they should know a wife. If I had to chose, I would still just give people Tanqueray. It mixes with damn close to everything but is still good enough to drink over ice in my glass. If I’m having a bar night with my brother or a good friend, I’ll step up to Bombay or the like. But for a get-together with people (especially people I don’t know), Tanqueray is a good all-around choice.
PL: No argument there at all. Tanqueray will always be the acceptable, polite default gin for guests.
“everything tastes great soaked in tonic…”
You lost me.
PL: I like tonic, what can I say? I drink it mixed with Pomegranate juice and no alcohol just for the taste of it.
Vodka > gin. If it was good enough to kill Boris Yeltsin, it’s good enough to kill me. Besides, gin smells like the Pine Barrens. Guess it’s one of those things I Just Don’t Get, like King Crimson, Wes Anderson, and male ass rape.
PL: That’s a Stones v. Beatles argument – a false choice. Each has its place, and its pros and cons.
As to King Crimson, agreed, many times over. I don’t like prog rock. Except for “The Court of the Crimson King,” which is a cool tune I learned to dig after seeing “Children of Men.”
As to Wes Anderson, hell… You know where I stand on that. I love his stuff, all of it. The music choices, the desperate but funny as hell dialogue. Sure, he can be cute. But don’t let his preciousness turn you off to the great loaded lines his characters deliver with such perfect deadpan inflections. Every line in “Rushmore” is a joke, and I’d be lost to find one delivered wrongly. He gets something out of actors nobody else does. And the Kinks? Well, they’re his perfect soundtrack. They never tried as hard as the Beatles or sold out as crassly as the Stones. Ray and Dave Davies were always happy to put out sad, but funny songs. Just like Anderson’s movie catalog.
People are always trying to write the next “Who’s Next,” “Exile” or “Abbey Road.” The Kinks’ “This Time Tomorrow” and “Got to be Free” encapsulate more emotion, with a wry laugh about the futility of the human condition, than any tune on any of those records. And that’s why I think I dig Anderson’s flicks. He doesn’t have to bang you over the head. You just need to listen, get on his wavelength and when you do, everything – every syllable – is a supremely satisfying little joke.
very nice list…obviously a man who’s had a long and lasting relationship with the creature.
perhaps the next post could be entitled ‘vodka’? I’d like to read your take…
PL: That will be a very long one, but the Cliff Notes would read something like this:
Chopin (fuck the ultra-premiums – the only ‘real’ vodka is a true potato vodka, and this is the real deal)
Ciroc (odd flavor, but I like it)
Ketel One (best grain vodka made, period; also the best bargain)
Grey Goose would be placed somewhere next to Absolut – just above rubbing alcohol. Goose tastes like it was made from synthetic chemicals and Absolut? Well, read a little about Absolut’s history and you’ll find the reason it tastes like Banker’s Club vodka… Because basically, it is. It’s a low end vodka sold with a spectacular ad campaign. Show me an Absolut drinker and I’ll show you a guy who knows as much about his drinks as he does about what childbirth feels like.
I posted last time about my weird experience with Hendrick’s. I think some of it might have been my penchant for dirty martinis and the olive juice mixed poorly with the Hendrick’s. You have convinced me with this article, however, to give it another shot. Next time I’m at the liquor store I’ll pick it up and try it with a little bit of tonic and on its own as well. Awesome post as always!
PL: Thanks. And I agree. I couldn’t imagine the fruit essence of Hendrick’s mixing anything but horribly with olive juice.
Were you aware that Seagrams makes a gin that is upwards of 100 proof for a low price? A friend and I drank of a bottle of it in a short period of time and proceeded to destroy my college apartment… the day before I had to move out. My enduring memory of the time is waking up to see and empty bottle of gin on the coffee table, stained with blood from an injury sustained while punching out one of my back windows. I’ll agree with you that Seagrams is trash, but it certainly has it’s moments, and it’s mentioned in a Snoop Dogg song.
PL: Bourbon’s the better move for housewrecking, I think. If you’d had Turkey 101, you’d have probably set the place on fire.
But it’s nice to hear gin works, too.
“People old enough to remember that decade say today’s like the ’70s.”
Yeah… I can see that. That filthy decade when the drug-hangover from 1965 finally kicked in, people realized there was no-one tending the light at the end of the tunnel, the tawdry cheapness of Vegas glamour became apparent, and the cars were big and beautiful.
With the right kind of eyes, staring west…
Honestly, that’s the cheeriest thing I’ve heard anyone say about this recession. Maybe this generation will finally develop some fucking culture. The wave broke ages ago. Maybe people will start to care again.
And as for Gin, you should try out New Amsterdam. Gris and I have been drinking it lately, and while it’s five bucks cheaper than Bombay Sapphire, the taste is on par.
PL: Thanks for the recommendation. As to the rest, we’re in the vortex of the “worldwide nervous breakdown” Hunter called years ago. Problem is the reactions are in Iran. We’re numb over here. Numb, fat and contemplating our navels while we set up a financial disaster scenario.
Do an online search for any writings by Pete Peterson. He’s a highly respected guy who worked for a the Treasury, I think, during Nixon or Ford’s administration. He’s been banging the drum about how our entitlement structures are going to kill us down the road. It’s all quite lucid, and that’s what makes it so goddamn scary.
I just wanted to say that your above assessment of The Kinks is dead on. And their tunes go especially great with a gin buzz. Especially their earlier, more experimental stuff. Tracks like “Village Green”, “Wonderboy”, “All of my Friends Were There”, “Days”, “Mr. Pleasant”, “Cricket”, etc etc rocking in the background is a natural fit for swilling G&T.
PL: Thanks. I think their pragmatism and snideness hurt their commercial appeal but kept them eternally relevant and classic in the deepest sense. Not unlike gin.
Forgive me if this is idiotic, but should everything in a G+T be room temperature or tonic chilled? Indeed, should gin ever be chilled before introduced to ice?
PL: The only cold gin I’ve ever heard of was a song by Kiss. And Kiss sucked.
Haven’t checked this site in a while, and this is a great reintroduction, thanks!
Anyway, I’m a college student who’s always preferred mj to alcohol, for whatever reasons- partly a lifestyle thing, which I’m trying to change by cutting out the smoking, taking up some new hobbies, and drinking more. This piece was good motivation, but I was wondering if you could list a few of your favorite cheap vodkas to get me started.
PL: It’s true that drinking is a better vice for social interaction. Probably about thirty percent of professionals and white collar workers get high, but that’s a hard connection to make and a type of bonding you don’t want to seek out at work. On your own time, I wouldn’t advise substituting booze for marijuana. Assuming sensible use, marijuana’s much better for the health.
On vodka, you don’t need to go cheap. One of the finest in the world is Ketel One, and it’s $22 bucks a bottle. The only thing close at a similar price point is Stoli, at $20. Go with the Ketel.
Great post – if you get a chance, you should try DryFly – a small distillery in Spokane, WA that makes vodka and gin. Their gin is incredibly spicy. A martini with it is like getting kicked in the throat with a pine and caper-flavored boot. Also, here’s the martini recipe I’ve come to love (got it from a priest friend of mine): fill a highball glass with ice. Add gin until there’s about a half or quarter of an inch of space left. Top with a capful of vermouth. Stir with your finger. Rub the edge of the glass with a slice of lemon. Drop in said lemon. Imbibe. Repeat. Keep adding new ice rather to the remants as you go, than rinsing out the glass.
Have you published the timeframe for the next book? Really looking forward to it.
PL: That sounds like a double, perhaps a little more. I do something similar, throwing a few ice cubes into a deep martini glass and drizzling a tiny bit of tonic across the top. It’s kind of a cross between a martini and a gin & tonic. Except with Sapphire. That seems to go down just like vodka. No need for any additional flavor.
I checked out DryFly. That looks interesting, except I’m a little leery of the “capers” thing. I like capers fine (great addition for burgers, by the way… just run them through the meat as you’re packing the burgers by hand), but in a martini?
I don’t have a timetable for the book. Sorry. It takes a while. I can’t see anything coming out until mid 2010.
Rollie is right: get a bottle of Junipero, and your “Top Five” list for gins will be reduced to one.
Another alternative is Gail Force Gin produced by 888 distilliery (who also make a pleasant vodka).
Also, when you are in NYC, get yourself to Per Se and get a Junipero w/tonic. They make their own tonic water. Heaven in a glass.
Anything Tanq, to me, is like drinking Old Spice. Different strokes, I guess.
O/H
PL: I’ll do that. I was just working with the broadly available stuff. Pennsylvania sells liquor through state stores, and the selection is somewhat limited. I have heard the handcrafted tonics make all the difference in the world. Thanks for the recommendation.
For the perfect G&T: Bottle of Gin stored in the freezer, put a new bottle of tonic in the freezer for about 45 minutes (if warm), or 30 minutes (if already chilled). When you open the bottle the carbonation freezes the tonic into a sludge like and makes it super concentrated and quite refreshing. And if you’re looking for a different twist (and yes I saw you were already hating on seagrams) try their orange twisted gin, great for G&Ts.
PL: That’s something I’ve never heard of anywhere, with any alcohol. How in the hell did you come up with that?
About your comment on cold gin sucking. Is there really a difference between chilling your bottle of tanq in freezer or having it room temperature then throwing some rocks on it? I’ve heard from a friend about companies experimenting with different ice cube shapes. Such as for a scotch you would use a very large and dense ice cube to avoid diluting it. Personally, I drink my gin naked when chilled and on the rocks if not. I find the finish smoother when chilled.
Never been a big fan of tonic, I’ll try the rule of pinky and see how it treats me.
PL: Yes, to me. I chill vodka for shots if we’re having guests and it totally changes the flavor. Back in the old days, I also used to chill bourbon in the freezer. Some of my friends still do. I think it ruins the flavor, but to each his own. If you like it, have at it.
i wonder where a good, solid rum fits in your pantheon of liqour
(flor de cana 12 year…god damned delicious)
PL: I had some stuff from Trinidad that was great recently, but I can’t recall it. Generally, I like rum’s taste, but I don’t drink it much because its sugary and gives a horrible hangover. Also, if I’m drinking the brown stuff in the summer, I’ll usually default to bourbon.
I actually didn’t come up with it I’m sorry to say. My uncle, who is a raging alki in addition to being the smartest man I’ve ever met, has been tinkering with the perfect G&T for years, and claims that it’s the best he’s ever had. I look forward to you trying it and letting me know if it meets the philalawyer standard. and seriously, I know you’re hating on seagrams but the orange twisted gin is the shit.
PL: Alkies drink for a reason. It’s not happenstance creative and inquisitive minds tend toward substance use.
what is a good bourbon you reccomend? i suppose you may write about this soon, but the weekend will soon be upon us, and my supply is slow. sadly my only options are whatever philly’s wine and spirits offer, unless i make the trip to jersey to check out canal’s
PL: In Jersey, go for Bakers. In PA, go with Woodford Reserve (gingery w/an excellent finish).
Never liked gin. Like you, I’m a bourbon man. Just had a vision of Daniel Plainview for a second. Anyway, I figured that if gin suits your tastes, perhaps I need to give it another chance.
I bought a bottle of Hendrick’s. Love it. Very complex with a nice finish. The citrus lingers. The burps are delicious too. (Too gross?) It’s proving very refreshing in 92 degree heat with 90% humidity.
Thank you for posting this and opening my eyes. I can’t wait to see how your top 5 bourbon match up with mine. I’m hoping to see Pappy Van Winkle’s 15 year somewhere in your list.
PL: Oh, that shit whacked me at an Xmas party last year. I’d like to put it on the list, but I can’t recall it very well.
Man, oh, man, I’m thirsty. PL, sounds like you’re more into the G&Ts, but I’m a martini guy. You’ve told us the secret to a good G&T– thoughts on how to make the best dry ‘tini? Is your list the same if we’re talking martini gins?
Heading out to the bars tonight. Buddies will be pissed off that I’m declaring it a gin night.
Thanks, Counsel.
PL: I drank Bombay straight last night, chilled with some ice cubes. Vermouth’s overrated.
Being 19 years old, I formerly regarded gin as something for the older crowd. Most of my friends have never heard of the stuff let alone tried it and I was content to do the same. But I’ve been following up on your posts for the last month and have come to respect your well-reasoned musings enough that I decided to give gin a chance. I now find myself in your debt good sir; gin and tonic is nothing less than the sweetest ambrosia of hard drink that has touched my tongue. Out of my limited experimenting I have found that a Bombay Sapphire G&T following your pinky rule with a minimal coloring of orange juice is the Zeus to my Pantheon of alcohol. Just thought I’d express my gratitude.
PL: My pleasure. May it be a long and fruitful relationship.
I’ve drank Gin only once, to pass out after a 56 hour tear of booze and some cheap, stepped-on trash. It worked, I passed out. That is all I can offer on Gin even as an ex-bartender, my only crossing. I am more familiar with GranMa and since I doubt you will review Cognacs, I thought I would throw my vote behind the 150yr old variety… and may corporate expense accounts everywhere be punished by this endorsement. Enjoy!
PL: I get a bottle of the Centenaire as a gift for the holidays every year, and dispatch it with frightening speed. I’ve only had the 150 year once, on a trip to Florida. The person paying for the dinner nearly wrung the necks of me and the other guy who did the ordering. It was expensed, yes, but the “lucky winner” paying the tab still found it a bit rude.
the gin recommendations got me thinking of an old Warren Zevon song “I’ll Sleep when I’m Dead”
where he says he drinking Heartbreak Motor-Oil and Bombay Gin. do you have any idea what hes talking about? I havent a clue. as for actual boozing, my roommates wont even consider drinking Whiskey, Gin or anything else that doesnt come in a can for that matter. Thousands of Sailors in the U.S. Navy and I pick the ones who drink like fratboys without money. although the looks on their faces were priceless when I upended about 3/4 of a bottle of Micheal Collins, and finished it 10 minutes later (didnt puke, I’m proud to say). they think i have a problem.
PL: Dude, if you can fire back a bottle like that in one shot, you’d better hope there’s no history of liver disease in your family.
I don’t know what Zevon was saying there, but that’s a great song. Close to my all time favorite, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.”
“Lay my head on the railroad tracks, and wait for the Double E/Railroad don’t run no more/Poor poor pitiful me…
I met a girl at the Rainbow bar, she asked me if I’d beat her/Took her back to the Hyatt House…/I don’t want to talk about it”
Linda Ronstadt covered that. Always struck me odd.
agreed on the warren zevon. love his stuff. i need your opinion on Irish Whiskey. a top 5 would be nice. Bushmills, jameson, Michael Collins, redbreast and jameson 12 year old.
not necessarily in that order, but thats my five.
PL: Sorry, but I can’t help you with Irish whiskey. That and Canadian whiskey are two spirits for which I’ve never developed a taste.
to each their own. Irish Whiskey turned into one of my favorite liver-killers after coming back from my first deployment. they invented it, and i like what theyve done with it. dont like canadians either, though.
PL: Something about the flavor just turns me off.
I know I’m a bit late with this article, but after having actually read the comments, I had to say something since nobody else has:
Where’s the love for the orange bitters?
I haven’t come across a gin yet that it hasn’t made even better. I’m at the point where I stock the bars I order gin at with it. It also makes it a lot easier to drink cheap gin, when the wallet calls for it.
The only caveat is I’m not sure on how available it is… it strikes me as one of those things that SHOULD be regularly available, but I know that the New Hampshire Liquor Commission does not stock it. I always have to pick up a couple bottles when I’m down in Florida (and there’s no problem getting them there). Maybe- hopefully- this is just an ass-backwards New Hampshire thing and you can get orange bitters practically everywhere. But I do know I get a lot of funny looks when I ask if they stock it in out of state bars too, so maybe not.
If you like drinking your gin straight, then you have to try it with just a dash of orange bitters. I won’t say drinking it straight without bitters is anathema to me, but I always prefer it with.
PL: Never tried the bitters. I’ll give it a shot.
i know this is a late post but why the hell not. i first encountered Hendricks at the Cigar Bar in Fitchburg, WI after having sworn off gin for years (my orientation day at my last college was plagued by an incredible hangover fueled by Gordons…i lost track at 15 G&Ts) but was amazed. the custom was to add a cucumber slice instead of a lime, which worked quite well.
i used to read ur blog but due to constant moving this decade i tend to lose sites…glad i found yours again. will have to pick up your book now that it’s been out for a year now.
PL: Paperback’s out next month. Drops a bit in price.
Hendricks is great, but for some reason it gives me blistering headaches the next day.
Took your advice, PL. Had my first Gin Martini (dry, Shaken, with a few drops of Absente on top).
it was made with Tanqueray. combine that with the 4 bourbons, 1 irish whiskey, a Smithwick’s, and 4 Bombay Gin and Tonics, i was pretty hammered. I stumbled home and put on my newly bought vinyl of Sailin Shoes. good night. now i love Gin and Little Feat. thank you.
PL: Dude…. You can’t mix that many different liquors. Stick to the “white goods” or the “brown goods.” You can’t throw gin on top of Irish whiskey and bourbon and not expect to feel like death took a holiday the next morning.
The only exception is vodka. You can throw vodka shots on top of anything.
Sorry for the lateness of this comment, I’m not sure if you’ll even see it at this point. I didn’t see any mention anywhere of my favorite brand. The best gin I have ever had, bar none, is Magellan (as in the first to circumnavigate the globe – posthumously). Incredibly smooth and very reasonably priced at about $25 a bottle. An interesting feature is that it is blue in color. It’s distilled in France and rarely available in bars, however you can usually find it in any good liquor store. It’s good enough that Hendrick’s is only my choice when Magellan isn’t available.
Gin has always been my first choice in liquor. I discovered Magellan about 5 years ago in a hotel bar in Sedona, ,Arizona and it made me fall in love with Gin all over again (I’m actually a bit weepy right now . . . ). I’m only including the link as I am a zealous advocate of this brand. Enjoy! http://www.magellangin.com.
PL: Thanks. Comments on this piece are never too late. This gets read a lot.