The History of Gin

As told by Hendrick's...

Broker's London Dry Gin Review

Broker's Premium London Dry Gin is, well, a London dry gin.  It's distilled three times, and then a fourth after the botanicals have steeped for a full day.  Broker's is sold with a plastic bowler's hat on top of the twist-off cap.  While gimmicky, it's still fun and different.  Broker's is bottled and sold at a pretty high 94 proof.

Broker's is platinum clear.  It's nose is hot and spicy, with lemon peel, candied orange, and a whisp of fresh mint.  Mouthfeel is warm, and somewhat thick (which you wouldn't necessarily expect with a 4x distilled spirit, that is, after all the oils are striped away).  The high proof and resultant heat really overpower the taste.  It is astringent with spicy juniper as the only real flavor note.  But, like higher proof whiskies, adding just a drop of water opens Broker's up in a substantial way.  With the heat blunted a bit, you are able to pick up some of the sweetness found upon nosing, and hiding in the background are whisps of rose petals and honeysuckle.  Adding water also transforms the finish from a burning flash to a lingering note of spicecake.

Broker's suffers from its high proof and vodka-like qualities.  If you allow yourself to add a splash of water to your liquors, then you will be able to taste some nuanced flavors.  In all, I can easily find better gins at lower prices.  I'm keeping the bowler's hat, though.

The Bronx Cocktail

The Bronx Cocktail is one of those pre-Prohibition, storied drinks with a history of dubious origin that people like to hear.  Perhaps not as well known as a Martini, the Bronx is said to have been created by Johnny Solon, at the Old Waldorf Astroria.  As one story goes, a customer challenged bartender Solon to create a new cocktail, stating such a feat could not be done.  The creative Solon had a "thought strike him," and apparently whipped up the Bronx on the spot, his hands no doubt guided by the booze gods and/or the desire to rise to the challege.  So, take the story for what it's worth.

The Bronx cocktail is made by combining the following in a ice-filled shaker, and is served in a cocktail glass:

   -  1.5 oz. gin
   -  .5 oz. sweet vermouth
   -  .5 oz dry vermouth
   -  1 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice.

I like to garnish with an orange peel, but you can use an orange slice if you're feeling cheeky.  As you can see, the Bronx is a perfect Martini with OJ added.  Please do yourself a favor and use freshly squeezed juice.  It does make a difference.  And, as one of the world's superior mixologist, Dale DeGroff, writes in his book, The Essential Cocktail:

"You're out of town.  You're wearing your best suit, and your shoes are freshly shined.  You haven't closed the deal, but you know that tomorrow you will.  So although it's premature to order the celebratory Champagne, it's exactly the right moment to order a traditional stiff drink at the five-star hotel's bar, taking your first deep, worry-free breath in what seems like forever.  And so you shoot your cuffs, rest your wingtip on the brass foot rail, and order a Bronx, just like the fat cats did from Johnny Solon, who supposedly invented the Bronx at the Waldorf.  Hold your chin high when you order your Bronx and imagine a long bar with no stools, a cigar counter at one end and an oyster counter at the other..."

Couldn't have said it better myself.  After all, every good cocktail needs a back story.

Seagram's Extra Dry Gin Review

Seagram's Extra Dry Gin is bottled at 80 proof.  It's relatively inexpensive, and easy to find.  Seagrams is produced using the usual botanicals:  juniper berries, cardamom, orange peel, angelica root, coriander, and cassia root.  Of course, the specific proportions are "one of the Master Distiller's most closely guarded secrets."  It has a crisp, clear color that has the slightest tint of yellow.  It doesn't shimmer too much, which gives the impression of body. 

Seagram's nose is full of juniper spice softened by orange zest and candied citrus.  Also in the corners are a powdery crushed herb note and the essence of a lush freshness that calls to mind a dewey pine branch.  Mouthfeel is light, playful, and somewhat thin, foreshadowing a light taste.  The taste is, in fact, light.  But its lightness does not mean its timid.  There's a sharp spice that hits the middle of your tongue with a sugar-crusted sweetness that lights up the edges of your tongue.  Sugar and spice are the pronounced flavors, and they're supported by an orangy undertone that's coupled with a mellow ethanol presence.  Seagram's finishes with a understated burn that's tempered by its sweetness. 

The most surprising characteristic of this gin is the sweetness.  It mixes well in gimlets, and goes well served simply over ice.  Seagram's Extra Dry Gin is a great buy for its price.  There's no reason not to keep a bottle on hand for everyday use.  It is certainly money well spent.

Matrin Miller's London Dry Gin Review

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.

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.

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.