[jsaliga]

Unfortunately we did not have our little get together last night.  My order has not even shipped yet, so we probably will not be trying some of these out until next week.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Well, the big gin tasting is off...at least for the time being.  After waiting six days for my order to ship I contacted the store and told them I either wanted a shipping confirmation or an order cancellation by close of business.  They cancelled the order and issued a refund.

I picked up a bottle of Bulldog Gin today at a local store.



The store is large and has an excellent selection of wine, beer, scotch, bourbon, rye, vodka...but a poor selection of gin.  They had a bottle of Nolet's Gin @ $45 and I was going to buy it...but when I got to the counter with it I noticed that the seal on the bottle was broken. 

I gave the manager a list of the gins I am interested in and he said he would check pricing/availability and call me.

--Jerome

[ctviggen]

I've had quite a few gins, and recommend Brokers London dry gin.  Iwas't able to taste test with others, though.

[jsaliga]

I placed another order with a different supplier for these gins:









I also ordered some Fever-Tree tonic water from Amazon.com.  I have not tried a premium tonic water and wanted to give this one a try.

--Jerome

[Atlplasma]

I placed another order with a different supplier for these gins:









I also ordered some Fever-Tree tonic water from Amazon.com.  I have not tried a premium tonic water and wanted to give this one a try.

--Jerome

Fever Tree tonic is very nice. Much better than Q in my opinion. I also like Jack Rudy Tonic concentrate.

[Atlplasma]

Has anyone had a gluten sensitivity issue with gin? There seems to be some debate about whether gin is okay or not.

[Tyson]

I do, unfortunately.  Logically I keep telling myself it can't have an effect because it's been distilled so many times, but every time I drink it, get really bad reflux, my throat starts to swell, and it makes me choke on my food.  Same thing happens with Vodka, unless it's from potatoes.  But Gin and Vodka are NOTHING compared to scotch and bourbon.  Man, those things mess me up now. 

[ctviggen]

Fever Tree tonic is very nice. Much better than Q in my opinion. I also like Jack Rudy Tonic concentrate.

I thought Q was overpowering and drowned out the taste of gin.  I'm also on a low carb diet, and even Q has too many carbs for me.

[Atlplasma]

I do, unfortunately.  Logically I keep telling myself it can't have an effect because it's been distilled so many times, but every time I drink it, get really bad reflux, my throat starts to swell, and it makes me choke on my food.  Same thing happens with Vodka, unless it's from potatoes.  But Gin and Vodka are NOTHING compared to scotch and bourbon.  Man, those things mess me up now. 

Tyson, that's a bummer. I haven't tried them, but Maine Distilleries' Cold River Gin and G-Vine gin products, made from grapes, are advertised as gluten free. I've just been advised to go on a strict no-gluten diet (plus, no dairy and low carb).

[Atlplasma]

I thought Q was overpowering and drowned out the taste of gin.  I'm also on a low carb diet, and even Q has too many carbs for me.

Regular Fever Tree is pretty low on carbs. They also make a "light" version that's even lower. The only problem with FT is the price.

[ctviggen]

I do, unfortunately.  Logically I keep telling myself it can't have an effect because it's been distilled so many times, but every time I drink it, get really bad reflux, my throat starts to swell, and it makes me choke on my food.  Same thing happens with Vodka, unless it's from potatoes.  But Gin and Vodka are NOTHING compared to scotch and bourbon.  Man, those things mess me up now. 

I didn't realize these had gluten.  What about tequila?  You should be able to drink that (and for my money, I like tequila better anyway).   

[ctviggen]

Regular Fever Tree is pretty low on carbs. They also make a "light" version that's even lower. The only problem with FT is the price.

I'll have to check it out if I can find it.  For a while now, I've been drinking straight liquor (usually tequila nowadays), to avoid carbs.  Red wine supposedly has few carbs, too.  I avoid beer except for the random treat.  Gin with a low carb mixer is also my drink of choice, when I do drink at all.

[Atlplasma]

I'll have to check it out if I can find it.  For a while now, I've been drinking straight liquor (usually tequila nowadays), to avoid carbs.  Red wine supposedly has few carbs, too.  I avoid beer except for the random treat.  Gin with a low carb mixer is also my drink of choice, when I do drink at all.

You can get Fever Tree off Amazon and at most Whole Paycheck stores.

[jsaliga]

My case of Fever Tree tonic water came from Amazon.com today.  I am enjoying a Hendrick's and tonic with it at the moment.  It's a really nice tonic water, but I don't think it is so much better than Schweppes that I could justify the high price.

--Jerome

[etcarroll]

Jerome - Having a gin and tonic as I watch a thunderstorm drift up to my doorstep from the Chessie bay. Bombay Sapphire and Schweppes.

I also have a bottle of Citadelle, really like it, and almost swore off the B. S. as a cost savings, until I tasted them head to head. The B. S. has more body, lasts longer on the palate. Still, can't fault the Citadelle at it's price range.

Gene

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

[jsaliga]

Gene, I can be flexible on the gin.  I won't say price is no object because I would rather spend less than more.  Bombay Sapphire has become my favorite over the years and I always have a bottle on hand.  At the moment I am having a gin and tonic with Plymouth and Schweppes.  About the only gin I can't stand is Seagram's.  I think that calling Seagram's Gin a gin is like calling Seagram's 7 a whiskey.  Seagram's was the brand that I thought drunks bought in pint bottles and carried around in brown paper bags. 

I'm looking forward to trying some of the American Dry Gins that I have on order, as well as the Old Raj (which has saffron in it).  I am trying these gins mainly to see how they fare in a dry martini.  I'm a little less demanding when it comes to a gin for mixing with tonic.

--Jerome

[etcarroll]

"I'm looking forward to trying some of the American Dry Gins that I have on order, as well as the Old Raj ..."

And I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

[jsaliga]

The Gin...is in.    It was delivered just a few minutes ago.  Time for a dry martini with Old Raj.



--Jerome

[Atlplasma]

I thought I'd revive this old thread and see if anyone has made any exciting new discoveries. Last week we tried Hendricks, which many people on this thread seem to like. Now, we are tasting a bottle of Tanqueray No. 10. Both are nice and complex, but our local stores are very limited.

We've also started to store our gin in the freezer with the tonic in the frig section. Insulated tumblers also help to keep the drink cold and keep the ice from watering down the gin. 

[Hank]

My favorite gin is Brokers London Dry.  My fav "different" martini is James Bond's Vesper martini - the first drink James ordered in "Casino Royale"  Here's the recipe:
•3 measures of Gordon's Gin
•1 measure of vodka
•1/2 measure Kina Lillet
•Lemon peel for garnish
The Kina Lillet Bond speaks of can be found today labeled as White or Blanc Lillet. It's a brand of dry vermouth made in France since the late 1800's that is often referred to as "the apèritif of Bordeaux".

Sorry for the "v" word boys, but it's part of the original recipe