When the mercury on the thermometer starts creeping toward the triple digit mark we want something served cold. Ice cold. Beyond refreshing Roses and Muscadets, one of our favorite remedies is the juniper and citrus zing of gin. The style of gin most familiar to us hails back to London and is epitomized by Tanqueray and Beefeater, but the modern day gin drinker has a whole slew of bottles to choose from. The big news is that London no longer has a monopoly on dry gin, and new producers are popping up from Scotland to Brooklyn. Gin can be distilled from anything and flavored with any combination of botanicals as long as juniper berries are included. Most gins still have a strong sappy spruce quality derived from the juniper berry, but now distillers are experimenting with a much broader flavor spectrum, and more nuance. Three new arrivals stand out as being delicious spirits that bring something new and interesting to your liquor cabinet, but are unmistakably Gin. JR
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Greenhook Ginsmiths American Dry Gin .750
This bottle represents the Gin obsession of Brooklyn native Steven DeAngelo. His distillery is located in the once industrial, but now artisanal north Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint. Here he uses a still with vacuum technology that allows distillation to occur at a lower temperature. This cooler process results in a gin with surprisingly fresh aromatics, and a very bright green coriander note. These flavors are very well expressed in a gin and tonic, but also work well with other herbal spirits like Amaro. JR
Non-Discountable
Progressive Hebridean Distillers (Bruichladdich) The Botanist Islay Dry Gin 750ml
The Botanist derives its robust aromatics from slow maceration with herbs in an antique still dubbed “Ugly Betty.” Although the still is not much for looks, it allows the distiller creative control regarding the pressure and reflux that the botanicals feel. Maximum flavors can be obtained by gentle extractions. The recipe includes eight classic gin botanicals augmented by 22 wild ingredients foraged on Islay. The Botanist is a full bodied dry gin with an extra kick of salt, smoke, and earth. Very complex, and makes for a delightful gin and tonic. JR
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Berry Bros & Rudd No. 3 London Dry Gin
Berry Brothers and Rudd have 300 years of experience in London’s wine and spirit trade, so when we heard that they were behind a new gin brand we were intrigued. Billed as “the last word in gin for a Dry Martini,” our first reaction was skepticism. After tasting we believed the hype. This is a boldly juniper flavored gin, but also seems to be a bit more refined than the classic Tanqueray. As advertised, dry martinis are crisp with a spicy character and classic gin cocktails like a Negroni truly shine. JR
Non-Discountable
