Martin Miller's London Dry Gin is heralded as an ultra-premium gin. It's 80 proof, and made with cassia bark, Florentine iris, juniper, coriander, and licorice root. The prduction of Miller's Gin begins in England where it's distilled and ends after it's shipped to Iceland where very pure water is added before bottling. Mr. Miller himself is a hotel owner in England and decided, with his friends, to produce the greatest gin made. Let's see how he fared.
Miller's Gin is bright and silvery in color and moves around the glass more like water than like oil. It's nose is at first very lemony, almost chemical-like, like lemon Pledge. Under the lemon, juniper spice swirls along with a more subtle orangy note that is creamy like an Orange Julius. Also sneaking around is an earthy, dry organic essence. Mouthfeel is slightly thick and warm. Miller's taste is quite complex. The lemon from the nose is there with a confectionary sweetness that hits the center of your palate. There are also spikes of an almost vermouth-like dryness. It finishes with sweet, lingering fumes and a delayed burn that's laden with juniper spice. After the burn subsides (which it does quickly), the initial lemon from the nose returns.
Martin Miller's Gin is not a mainstream juniper-dominant gin. It's sweetness stands up well in mixed drinks, but also allows the gin to be enjoyed just as much on the rocks, by itself. Mr. Miller should be proud of his efforts in the creation of this liquor. While I don't keep a bottle on hand perpetually, I'm always happy to be reminded of Miller's when strolling through the gin aisle. Miller's is like the distant uncle with whom you don't hang out often, but who you can always count on to send an awesome Christmas present.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Negroni: Classic Aperitif
The Negroni is one of the best aperitif cocktails around. The drink is said to first made around 1925 in Florence, Italy when Count Camillo Negroni asked the innkeeper to put some gin in his Americano. The resulting drink gained popularity and became known as the Negroni. Obviously, the name stuck.
The Negroni is one of those cocktails that you need to be exact in your measurements. A 1:1:1 ratio works best in my opinion:
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce gin
You can serve it up in a cocktail glass, or as I prefer, on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. And, in my opinion the drink is not complete without an orange peel garnish (although I've seen lemon used, too). Be sure to use a sharp knife when peeling your orange, and don't cut too deep or you'll get the bitter pith along with the peel.
The Negroni is absolutely one of my favorite gin drinks, and certainly ranks in the top 3 in the pre-dinner cocktail category. If you've never tried Campari before, you may be surprised by its bitterness. While it may be an aquired taste by itself, it is certainly more approachable in the Negroni. For those familiar with Campari (and gin and vermouth), you'll immediately understand that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Make this drink a familiar part of your cocktail rotation.
The Negroni is one of those cocktails that you need to be exact in your measurements. A 1:1:1 ratio works best in my opinion:
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce gin
You can serve it up in a cocktail glass, or as I prefer, on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. And, in my opinion the drink is not complete without an orange peel garnish (although I've seen lemon used, too). Be sure to use a sharp knife when peeling your orange, and don't cut too deep or you'll get the bitter pith along with the peel.
The Negroni is absolutely one of my favorite gin drinks, and certainly ranks in the top 3 in the pre-dinner cocktail category. If you've never tried Campari before, you may be surprised by its bitterness. While it may be an aquired taste by itself, it is certainly more approachable in the Negroni. For those familiar with Campari (and gin and vermouth), you'll immediately understand that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Make this drink a familiar part of your cocktail rotation.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
New Amsterdam Straight Gin Review
New Amsterdam is an American-made gin. It's marketed as being smooth and subtle enough to drink straight. Personally, all gin can and should be enjoyed neat, or on the rocks, and not used only as a cocktail ingredient. You can only understand and appreciate the idiosyncracies of each different gin by drinking it by itself; and then, you can make informed decisions about which gin works for each cocktail. [And I don't wish to appear dogmatically didactic. Knowing your booze is fun.]
New Amsterdam clocks in at 80 proof, and this low proof plays a part in it's smoothness. It's muted platinum in color and has a viscous body as you swirl it around in a glass. New Amerstam's nose is a mix of peppery juniper and sweet lemony citrus. The lemon notes themselves have some playful complexity - there's some bitterness of lemon peel, a bit of sweetness like lemon meringue pie, and a soft creaminess that suggests lemon yogurt. Way in the background, almost overlooked, is a hint of powdery gound corriander. Its mouthfeel is soft, oily, and warm. New Amsterdam's taste is dominated by the lemony, citrus notes. It's almost like drinking a citrus-flavored vodka. The traditional juniper gin tastes are pushed aside and act as a loyal sidekick to the citrus instead of running the show. It is sweet, light, and bright like clean linen dried by the breeze of a summer day. New Amsterdam finishes nicely, with the sweetness remaining but then dissolving as a gentle ethanol burn rolls from the back of your tongue.
New Amsterdam lives up to it marketing: it is smooth and light-bodied. It is certainly a change from the expected juniper-heavy flavor found in the majority of gins out there. It's pronounced citrus notes make this gin a good choice if mixing fruity cocktails, or as the purist in me would say, a good choice to drink neat. New Amsterdam is a gin you should try. If it's not your thing, at least you'll have broadened your understanding of how gin can taste.
New Amsterdam clocks in at 80 proof, and this low proof plays a part in it's smoothness. It's muted platinum in color and has a viscous body as you swirl it around in a glass. New Amerstam's nose is a mix of peppery juniper and sweet lemony citrus. The lemon notes themselves have some playful complexity - there's some bitterness of lemon peel, a bit of sweetness like lemon meringue pie, and a soft creaminess that suggests lemon yogurt. Way in the background, almost overlooked, is a hint of powdery gound corriander. Its mouthfeel is soft, oily, and warm. New Amsterdam's taste is dominated by the lemony, citrus notes. It's almost like drinking a citrus-flavored vodka. The traditional juniper gin tastes are pushed aside and act as a loyal sidekick to the citrus instead of running the show. It is sweet, light, and bright like clean linen dried by the breeze of a summer day. New Amsterdam finishes nicely, with the sweetness remaining but then dissolving as a gentle ethanol burn rolls from the back of your tongue.
New Amsterdam lives up to it marketing: it is smooth and light-bodied. It is certainly a change from the expected juniper-heavy flavor found in the majority of gins out there. It's pronounced citrus notes make this gin a good choice if mixing fruity cocktails, or as the purist in me would say, a good choice to drink neat. New Amsterdam is a gin you should try. If it's not your thing, at least you'll have broadened your understanding of how gin can taste.
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