[Atlplasma]

I've started drinking gin and tonic and liking it very much. I was reading reviews the other day and found that Beefeaters was rated highly. That kind of surprised me. Haven't tried it yet but will this weekend (along with Jack Rudy tonic, which is something special).

[DaveC113]

I'm a big fan of gin!

I like Bombay Sapphire, Plymouth, Junipero and Hendrick's as well as some locally produced gins such as Spirit Hound, Cap Rock Organic, and Roundhouse.

Also, I've really been liking "martini's" made with St Germain instead of vermouth, with a twist. Ladies seem to really like it too... 

[Atlplasma]

The martini sounds interesting. What's your recipe?

[groovybassist]

If you get a chance, River Rose Gin out of Le Claire, Iowa and Aviation Gin out of Portland, OR are very fine indeed.

-Mike

[DaveC113]

The ratio of gin to vermouth is personal preference, I'd start around 4:1 gin:St Germain and adjust to taste. I put the mix in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass, serve with a twist of lemon...

[jsaliga]

My favorite gins are Bombay Sapphire and Plymouth.  I like Hendrick's too, though I don't think it stands up very well to the dry vermouth in a martini.  So I mainly use Hendrick's with tonic and then add a spear of cucumber or a slice of lemon as a garnish.

Currently I am in the mood to try a few gins that are new to me:

1.  No. 3 London Dry Gin - This is from posh London booze merchant Berry Brothers & Rudd (a well-known independent bottler of single malt scotch whisky).  Never heard of it before but the marketing literature states it is crafted with a dry martini specifically in mind.  With a description like that I have to give it a go.  A bit expensive at $44.99 list for a bottle, but I found it locally for $32.99.

2.  Nolet's Silver Dry Gin - Made in Holland.  The botanicals in this gin are individually distilled.  It's another pricey one at $52.99 list, but I can get it online for $44.99.  I've long wanted to try this one but have been put off by the price.

3. Citadelle Gin - Got strong reviews on Ginreviews.com.  It's made in France.  It lists for $32.99 but I found it for a very decent $19.99.

--Jerome

[BPT]

Also a fan of Bombay Sapphire and Boodles. Years ago I asked my dad which gins to try and he said, "You won't go wrong with the 3 Bs--Boodles, Bombay and Beefeaters."
Chris H.

[MaxCast]

I have only tried Bombay, Deaths Door and Tanqueray.






don't really care for the Tanqueray.  I like the other two equally well depending on my mood at the time.
I find the Bombay lighter, crisper, quicker and the Deaths Door fuller and heavier...what ever that means. 

I have not tried vermouth as I don't drink it fast enough and seems to smell bad after awhile.  Therefore I just shake and strain over a couple olives and let them add a little flavor to the gin.

I'm interested in how others drink their gin and recipes to their martinis and tonics.

[Devil Doc]

There's an old joke, that written in the British Army Survival Manual it states, that if one is lost, one should begin to prepare a Martini and sure enough, someone will show up and show you how to make it differently.
I like mine 4:1 with a twist on the rocks.

Doc

[Tyson]

Thank god no one has has suggested vodka for a "martini" on this thread.  I might have to leap through the internet and strangle them....

I'm a Plymouth man myself, particularly since I prefer the original (wet) martini using 3 parts gin and one part sweet vermouth and a dash or orange bitters.  The traditional garnish is a maraschino cherry, but I tend to prefer a twist or orange peel.  The more citrusy flavor of the Plymouth gin goes really well in this recipe. 

It also goes really nicely with my other favorite gin drink - a Negroni.  I modified the recipe slightly.  Traditionally it's equal parts gin, campari, and sweet vermouth.  My recipe is 2 parts gin, one part campari, one part sweet vermouth.  Mainly because I think the campari overpowers the gin with a one to one ratio.  Zest an orange peel over the top (very important) and you are done.

Oh, and vermouth should be kept in the refrigerator, as they will go bad otherwise.

[Tyson]

Also, this show is a lot of fun, Robert Hess is a drink historian and bartender - he scours a bunch of antique bar books and shows you how to make the original versions of a lot of drinks, some of which will surprise you.  My martini, manhattan, old fashioned, margarita, whiskey sour, sidecar, and daiquiri cocktails are all based on his recipes.

http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/cocktail_spirit/

Plus he has a HUGE number of videos on drinks you've never even heard of, and many of them are really good and pretty easy to make.  For me the Jasmine was an awesome find - tastes like grapefruit even though no grapefruit is used.

[ptmconsulting]

Bombay Sapphire is my top choice too. But for everyday drinking (hic) I like New Amsterdam. Much less expensive and it gets you 95% there.

[konut]

I used to drink Sapphire and then Boodles but now I can second the recommendation of New Amsterdam by ptmconsulting. Only working part time is a mother. I make a cocktail of my own design I like to call The Cherry Bomb. 4 parts Gin, 1 part cherry juice(Trader Joe's has, depending on the season, not from concentrate from Germany or from concentrate Georgia, the country) 1/4 squeezed lime, over cube ice.  The German needs a splash of tonic for sweetness, the Georgian is sweet enough already.

[roscoeiii]

Had a gin shootout with some friends, trying a variety of gins in a variety of cocktails, and we all agreed that Tanqueray was the best all around for cocktail mixing. That doesn't include martinis (where I prefer Sapphire). But standard Tanq even beat out the pricier Tanqueray 10.

If you are going to have only one gin, this is what I'd go for. Also think there is something special about a Tanq and Tonic.

[MttBsh]

I'm partial to regular (non-Sapphire) Bombay, and my preparation is a little different. I put ice cubes in the shaker, pour enough vermouth to coat the cubes, then discard the vermouth so that all that's left is what's coating the ice. Then I pour the gin generously and shake it up and serve in a frosted martini glass. Add olives as desired. I challenge anyone to come up with a better tasting martini.

[jsaliga]

I challenge anyone to come up with a better tasting martini.

That's no challenge at all.  People make their martini the way they do because that is the way they prefer it.  I prefer it made with 2 1/2 oz  of gin to 1/2 oz dry vermouth, and stirred in a shaker with ice: then strain into a frosted martini glass and add an olive or lemon zest (I like both).  There has been a trend over the years to use less and less dry vermouth.  Whatever floats your boat.

--Jerome

[Tyson]

Part of the reason many people prefer not to use much vermouth is because they've only had crappy vermouth.  For sweet vermouth, it's hard to do better than Carpano, and for dry vermouth Noilly Prat is a great choice.  Pretty rare if Vya, but if you find it, jump on it - that's some great stuff.  If you are using the mediocre and ubiquitous Martini & Rosi, you really should try something better.

[jsaliga]

And to go back to your earlier point about freshness: Keep your vermouth refrigerated and store it no longer than a few months.  I will only buy a 750ml bottle if I know I will be using it up, as I do have friends that enjoy a good dry vermouth on the rocks.  Otherwise, I usually buy 375ml bottles.

Agreed about Martini & Rossi dry vermouth.  My local store stopped selling Noilly Prat and it pissed me off.  I told the owner that if I had to drive to a competing store 5 miles away for my Noilly Prat vermouth I might as well buy my gin, vodka, scotch, and beer there as well.  He got the message loud and clear.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

This thread has motivated me to stretch out and experiment a little.  Over the years I haven't really strayed too far from my pat favorites: Bombay Sapphire and Plymouth English Gin.  So today I decided to go bananas and ordered the following:

1. Nolet's Silver Dry Gin
2. Fifty Pounds London Dry Gin
3. Citadelle Gin
4. Cadenhead "Old Raj" Dry Gin
5. No. 3 London Dry Gin
6. Philadelphia Distilling "Bluecoat" American Dry Gin

I also bought a bottle of Boissiere Extra Dry Vermouth, which I have never tried.

I'm having the neighbors across the street over on Friday for some martinis.

--Jerome

[Atlplasma]

This thread has motivated me to stretch out and experiment a little.  Over the years I haven't really strayed too far from my pat favorites: Bombay Sapphire and Plymouth English Gin.  So today I decided to go bananas and ordered the following:

1. Nolet's Silver Dry Gin
2. Fifty Pounds London Dry Gin
3. Citadelle Gin
4. Cadenhead "Old Raj" Dry Gin
5. No. 3 London Dry Gin
6. Philadelphia Distilling "Bluecoat" American Dry Gin

I also bought a bottle of Boissiere Extra Dry Vermouth, which I have never tried.

I'm having the neighbors across the street over on Friday for some martinis.

--Jerome

  Jerome, please report how the tasting goes.