The New Frontiers of Gin

[Badfellow]

Not long ago, it seemed that gin survived as a potable relic of the British Empire.

The only style you were apt to find was the predictable “London Dry”, a good enough sort of spirits that was far overdone by a handful of more prominent labels, Beefeaters, Bombay and Tanqueray being among them. Terms such as “Plymouth” and “Old Tom” were largely relegated to the dusty tomes of so much forgotten history.

But that was then and this is now.

It's fair to say the gin scenery has positively blossomed within the last decade or so as micro distilleries continue to materialize at a phenomenal rate. One of the first things a small, startup distillery might produce is gin, owing to the fact that it can be bottled directly from the still without the benefit of aging. As a result of increased variety, a number of distillers have stepped outside defined boundaries into more experimental territory. Hundreds of different botanicals have now become game according to whim and availability, further pushing the envelope of the potable reborn.

While Hendrick's Gin was not necessarily the first to break the juniper shackles, it stands as the most famous of pioneering examples. This peculiar Scottish gin blends such unconventional fare as cucumber, rose and heather into its profile, and has quickly gained cred amongst lovers of martinis, tonics and other lushly crafted cocktails (as some of our very own already well know).

But there are certainly other gins to pique our thirsts:

The fine peeps at Ransom Spirits spin a number of delicious and highly drinkable labels. But the flagship is their Old Tom Gin. The profile is smoother, sweeter and more citrus flavored than the typical gin. Mashed with a heavy hand of malted barley and aged in charred oak barrels for six months, it comes out an amber color closer to whiskey than anything else, and is worthy of drinking quite well on its own. Ransom Old Tom was also a favorite of Booznik, one of our recently and dearly departed board members.

Norseman Distillery knocks one out of the park with its Strawberry Rhubarb Gin. I can't imagine anything better for making a tall glass of tonic on a warm afternoon. The flavors come off as floral rather than sweet, much like the smells of the garden I prefer to sit in while I'm liquoring up.

Vikre Distillery on the shores of Lake Superior takes the gold medal for creativity in gin horizons with it's Cedar Gin. I don't know whether or not it repels moths, but I'm pretty damn certain that it makes for a fascinating martini. What it does with just a dash of good quality dry vermouth is magic. I am still trying to modulate the perfect garnish for this martini. Some drinks are so savory as to defy reason.

The future for gin is bright, my fellow Drunkards! Get your asses out there and DRINK!
A new frontier of spirits in gin awaits!

[oettinger]

I got only Londons in my cheap bucket so far, and yes, am not amused.
Any time you refer to a certain "scene" some hipsters will join in sadly, try "league" or just the more elitarian "club" instead.
That Ransom stuff might fit my tongue, thank you.

[Badfellow]

Any time you refer to a certain "scene" some hipsters will join in sadly,

Added an "ry" to the end which produces "scenery" and goes better with positively blossomed.

Yes, you'd definitely take a shine to the Ransom Old Tom. in fact, you strike me as an Old Tom sort of person. Unfortunately, you'll have a hard time finding it where you're at. You could probably get an Oude Genever from Holland, but that's an entirely different animal, more specifically a juniper monster. The Brits have been cranking out Old Tom again to high standards. The East London Liquor Company recently announced a barrel aged gin project that looks interesting (can't be cheap).

Barrel aged gin is starting to catch on with distillers and drinkers. Damn the torpedoes and fuck the hipsters, I like the direction that's headed.

[TheDrunkardAnglo]

I only drink Gin that taste like imperialism. That's the classic London dry. I once had saffron gin, it was too cheerful. Sipsmith's is where it's at.

[oettinger]

Genever is a brutal brain-killer.

[Badfellow]

Genever is a brutal brain-killer.

Yes, there are some very indistinct memories of drinking genever at an old Dutch bar in Amsterdam. Straight shots with pickled herring and rye crackers... certainly not for the timid. The canals also double as a conveniently located vomitorium.

[Mr. Viking]

My problem with craft gin is that for me to enjoy it, gin must be cheap, ideally the cheapest available spirit, that is where it shines best