the Gin is IN

Gin from an American perspective, since 2009.
Cocktails by Consensus

Cocktails by Consensus: The Tom Collins

Feb
16
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 0

Today, I’m briefly revisiting one of my first posts.  When I was young (oh so young, and foolish may I add) I thought a Tom Collins = Gin + Sour Mix. Now, for the sake of not calling any one bartender out or any one specific bar tending school whose manual spelled out a Tom Collins as such I will let them go nameless in the hope that its not too late to right their wrongs and make an honest Tom Collins. My friend went to bartending school. And I don’t know, do these bad kind of bartending schools still [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Gimlet

Feb
09
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 1

In the early days of Cocktailing by Consensus I took a look at the Gimlet in the spirit of the exercise, but without the same handy chart. Not much has changed in the nearly year and a half since I last looked at this drink. Rose’s lime juice still advocates for a ratio which uses the most of their product. But I didn’t consider them for the panel of four cocktail variations we’re going to take a look at here. Nothing wrong with having a bias towards using as much Rose’s lime juice as possible, just that the 1:1 ratio [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Greyhound/Salty Dog

Feb
02
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 0

The greyhound cocktail is squarely on the frontline of the war between gin and vodka. If Martini is the general then surely the gimlet and the greyhound are the foot soldiers. Common and extraordinarily simple to make (liquor + fruit juice) these are the drinks that largely define the average drinker’s decision to buy a vodka or a gin. Person in the liquor store: So let’s see. Gin goes with tonic, but vodka goes in Screwdrivers, Greyhounds, Gimlets, Martinis. Vodka’s more flexible, give me some Absolut! Aaron the Gin Blogger: let’s see, vodka is good for screwdrivers, but gin goes in [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The French 75

Jan
26
Posted in Cocktails, Cocktails by Consensus 0

Gin and Champagne, the absolute pinnacle of luxury. Am I right? The French 75 cocktail was first created in New York. The New York Bar in Paris, France to be precise. Its name comes from what history would later call “A bad World War I joke.” The drink was supposedly so strong that one drinker said that drinking this drink was akin to being shelled by a 75 mm field gun. History again has judged this statement harshly since these days ordering a drink which is over 50% champagne by volume is grounds for questioning one’s masculinity in some places. [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Army Navy Cocktail

Jan
19
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 1

Almond is one flavor which I think is particularly underused  in cocktail mixology. I’d likely chalk this up to a couple of things. Amaretto is cloying, over-sweet, and does not mix particularly well with gin. Two, the flavor that I (and many others) consider to be almond is a peculiar mouth filling sweetness. Nearly impossible to get from the nuts yourself. So when you do find a gin cocktail which uses almond and does it this well you stop and take pause. I believe the use of Orgeat is largely responsible for this. Let’s take a detour and look at Orgeat: What [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Alexander

Jan
12
Posted in Cocktails, Cocktails by Consensus 5

Here’s a cocktail that has ended up on the short end of the stick here on The Gin is In. I’m Lactose Intolerant. I don’t drink cream, and I especially do not drink cream based drinks in bars. But why don’t you take those little pills? A: There is no amount of Lactaid Pills in the world that make me able to digest cream. I take 10 pills just to have a piece of pizza… The Alexander is a peculiar drink in the gin cocktail canon. It is heavy, thick, and is fabulous at disguising the taste of gin. This [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: The Aviation

Dec
13
Posted in Cocktails, Cocktails by Consensus 2

The first thing to address when discussing the Aviation is Creme de Violette’s absence from the market. This led to the creation of an Aviation variation that lacked the floral notes and balance that the Violet brings to the cocktail. Gary Regan’s variation is an admirable try, but it doesn’t come close to the cocktail as originally envisioned. Tasting Notes: Regan’s variation is rather strong. The lemon is a bit overpowering, and its a difficult to balance cocktail. The Maraschino adds a perceived strength to the cocktail. Although a Liqueur and only 32% alcohol- it tastes stronger than its proof. [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: Corpse Reviver #2

Nov
29
Posted in Cocktails by Consensus 0

Any discussion of the more popular of the corpse reviver cocktails (Yes, there is a #1) centers around the controversial 3rd ingredient. Kina Lillet does not exist anymore: some choose Lillet Blanc, the reconfigured modern sister to Kina Lillet. Others choose Cocchi Aperitivo Americano as their poison of choice. Officially, the modern Kina Lillet contains the same amount quinine as the original. But that hasn’t stopped people from speculating whether the modern Lillet tastes similar enough to Kina Lillet to be considered the appropriate ingredient.  LadyLillet, the brand’s ambassador on Twitter seems to regularly field questions about Lillet Blanc’s quinine [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: Vesper

Nov
27
Posted in Cocktails, Cocktails by Consensus 0

Many cocktails have disputed origins. Bartenders, authors, historians all argue over where a drink came from- what the quantities were and what they should be now. Cocktailologists get out their slide rules and star converting pony glasses into ounces. But other cocktails have obvious origins, such as the Vesper. It was created by Ian Fleming’s James Bond character in his first novel Casino Royal. Tru to Flleming’s vision the version of the Vesper that most cocktail expert prescribe is identical to the one that Bond ordered. As we see in the table below, there truly is some sort of consensus [...]

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Cocktails by Consensus: Pink Gin

Oct
23
Posted in Cocktails, Cocktails by Consensus 1

The Pink Gin is a deceiving cocktail in only one way: the name The word “pink” doesn’t conjure up notions of strength and potency. But in this case, it should. For the uninitiated Pink Gin is a cocktail which dates back to the British Royal Navy. Similar the Gin & Tonic, where the quinine was designed to help stave off diseases, the Pink Gin also evolved for medicinal purposes. Angoustra Bitters supposedly alleviate seasickness, and to make the bitters more palatable to Navy conscripts, they added gin. Lots of it. Pink Gin   Elizabeth Stewart Wikipedia David T. Smith David [...]

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