the Gin is IN

Gin from an American perspective, since 2009.
Cocktails

What do I Drink for? Mothers Day

May
11
Posted in Cocktails 1

Mother’s Day poses an interesting dilemma for the cocktail connoisseur. Mother’s Day Brunch seems something of a tradition for many. But Brunch is in that grey area that happens sometime between sunrise and 1 in the afternoon [known in some cultures as "morning"] where a well-made cocktail is not something to be saluted, but instead, something to be frowned at, glowered upon, and thusly be judged. So what is a gin drinker to do? And most importantly, show mom a good time. The Gin is In to the Rescue Its been widely established that it is okay to drink wine and [...]

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What do I drink For? The Kentucky Derby

May
03
Posted in Cocktails, Other Thoughts 3

  You’re sitting at home, or maybe at the bar. Alone, or with friends. You’re waiting impatiently for the sporting event that boasts the highest ratio of pre-game coverage to actual sporting of all sports events*. You’re not drinking beer, you’re a gin drinker so you’d prefer gin to Kentucky bourbon. So what do you do? The Derby Cocktail Sure this cocktail might be more apropos for a horse race in England, but hear me out hear. 2 oz Gin [preferably dry, and definitely chilled is best] 2 Dashes of Peach Bitters [Fee makes a good one] 2 sprigs of fresh mint [...]

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Can we save the “Leap Day Cocktail?”

Apr
15
Posted in Cocktails 0

As 2012 rolls onward, I find myself looking back ever so slightly. I’ve known of the Leap Day Cocktail for some time now. For those of you not in the know, its an elegantly constructed cocktail: a well balanced proportion of gin, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and sweet Vermouth. (Also, was re-blogged and re-tweeted by the entire cocktail-o-sphere a scant 2 months ago) But here’s where I’m going. There’s some sort of stigma attached to the cocktail. Can you order the “Leap Day Cocktail” in July? In July 2014? Sure, it was everywhere on February 29th, but it seems that this [...]

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1GD: The Corpse Reviver #2 with River Rose Gin

Mar
26
Posted in Cocktails 0

The Biggest challenge for any gin in my opinion in this cocktail is working in concert with the Absinthe. Even with only a single drop, it can overwhelm. The other ingredients are subtle at their very best. There’s a big reason why I think this cocktail worked so well. I’m unabashedly big fan of floral elements in my gin. I’ve heaped praise upon G’vine and Seneca Drums for their floral bases and juniper botanicals. River Rose takes a slightly different approach, and in doing so, creates a rather unique bouquet in this complex cocktail. Plenty of rose up front, and [...]

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1GD: Pinckney Bend and Tomr’s Tonic

Mar
24
Posted in Cocktails 0

A little bit of a new feature here on The Gin is In. We’re going to look at “One Good Cocktail” for every gin that we review here at the Gin is In. Right now we’re combining our two most recent writeups. Tomr’s Tonic and Missouri’s Pinckney Bend Gin. My favorite thing about Tomr’s tonic is the way that it makes this rich looking cocktail. I put it in a beer stein for dramatic effect. The dark and cloudy color reminds me a bit of a good IPA, something which I’ve had to give up due to my gluten intolerance. [...]

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Cocktails By Consensus: The Ballantine Cocktail

Feb
23
Posted in Cocktails 1

We’re going back a little bit further, pulling a gem out of the Waldorf Astoria Cocktail Book called the Ballantine Cocktail. The general gist is take a martini and add some orange bitters and a dash of a strongly aromatic liquor. Firstly, for the uninitiated the difference is rather subtle. The additional ingredients don’t add a ton the traditional martini formula. But for those tuned into their liquors, you may appreciate the touch of bitterness added from the new ingredients. Absinthe or Pastis? This appears to be the biggest difference of opinion between our three sources. I’m positing that the [...]

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Salty Dog Cocktail w/ Breucklen Gin

Feb
03
Posted in Cocktails 1

In studying the Greyhound/Salty Dog cocktail in depth, it occurred to me that there may be a way to really accentuate the fresh grapefruit flavor by using a gin which really emphasizes grapefruit among its botanicals.   I’ve previously spoken very highly of Brecuklen Distilling’s Breucklen Gin. It has a slightly higher alcohol percentage than other gins. At 90 proof it stands mixing extremely well. I felt based on the first time tasting it that the dominant flavor in this gin was the grapefruit. While other gins dabble in this flavor, Breucklen is the boldest that I have yet had. [...]

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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 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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Bombay Sapphire East Gin & Seagram’s Tonic

Jan
03
Posted in Cocktails 0

Anyone else a big fan of the Seagram’s packaging redesign?

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