THE BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER OF GIN NOW

Good spirits have good character. And today, we are celebrating the multifaceted character of gin.

While it’s been associated with some rather macho characters like James Bond (gin martini shaken-not-stirred), Tennessee Williams (Ramos Gin Fizz), Somerset Maugham (The Letter’s gin-based Million Dollar Cocktail), F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby’s Gin Rickeys), Rick (Casablanca reference to lamentable gin joints), it is all about the botanicals.

Juniper is like the backbone of gin’s character and a whole range of other herbs, flowers, and fruits add their notes and layers. Each brand of gin presents its own unique personality and taste profile.

Gin’s ancestral roots are Dutch, dating back to the 15th century, with surges of popularity in the 1700’s and the 1950’s, yet it feels very modern today, as we seek more character-driven taste experiences.

We are sharing 5 favorite gins with exceptionally beautiful character, as well as 5 beautiful new gin cocktails, with you today.

THE LONG HOPE COCKTAIL

Some bloggers who love to party and love to garden got together for a virtual cocktail party, hosted by Sherrie and Renee, called #drinkthesummer.

Named after the Long Hope, a favorite local bar in London, this cocktail marries cucumber, a perfect gin pairing ingredient, with honeydew, in a pale green, lightly sweet delight. The recipe was crafted by the aptly named Summer, of O and O Eats.

PEACHY TOMATO BASIL GIN AND TONIC

Vigor and Sage, went a little crazy with excitement for #drinkthesummer, experimenting with unlikely flavor combos, made with heirloom tomatoes, homemade peach syrup, and fresh basil. Check out the recipe for their Peachy Tomato Basil Gin & Tonic here.

BLACKBERRY BRAMBLE COCKTAIL RECIPE

Blackberries bring out the juniper notes in gin. This Blackberry Bramble Cocktail recipe, by Eden Passante, of Sugar and Charm, is as fresh as a walk in the woods. With easy homemade blackberry syrup, brightened by a bit of lemon, it’s a beautiful way to chill out on a mid-summer evening.

GIN AND GRAPEFRUIT COCKTAIL

Gin and grapefruit is bracing together. This simple cocktail, by Elsie Larson, of A Beautiful Mess, gets edgier by adding a touch of resinous rosemary, got and kept our attention. We like it best with white grapefruit juice, but pink works well to mellow it out, if you prefer.

Find the Gin & Grapefruit Cocktail recipe here.

GIN CITRUS PUNCH

Lemons, limes, tangerines, and grapefruits come together to add punch to this Gin Citrus Punch recipe, by Eva Kosmas Flores, of Adventures in Cooking, made with Aviation, her favorite gin, crafted in Portland, Oregon. She adds fresh herbs to gild her lily. Check out the recipe here.

NOLET’S FAMILY RESERVE DRY GIN

Nolet's Family Reserve Dry Gin, originated in 1691, is the most expensive gin in the world, at nearly $700 a bottle. It is heady, with saffron, orris root, cassia, verbena, licorice, and rose petals, rounding out the juniper base. The saffron, not commonly found in spirits, gives this gin a slightly golden hue. It delivers luxury with every sip.

THE BOTANIST

The Botanist is a small-batch artisanal gin from the Hebridean island of Islay. Along with the classic gin aromatics, this elixir is fortified with an infusion of 22 botanicals, harvested locally from the rugged hills, bogs and coastlines of this Scottish paradise. 

You will enjoy the big floral start and finish, with its hints and glints of hawthorn, white and red clover, birch leaf, sweet chamomile, lady's bedstraw, angelica root, cassia bark, cinnamon, coriander seed, lemon peel, licorice root, orange peel, orris root, wild Islay juniper, elderflower, apple, mint, sage leaf, wood, bog, myrtle, sweet cicely, creeping thistle, peppermint, heather, mugwort, thyme, and gorse flower.

Check out the Bruichladdich website to discover more about them.

GIN MARE

A rare gin from an unexpected place, Spain, boasts an unexpected set of flavors. Made with Arbequina olives, thyme, rosemary and basil, you won’t need to add a thing to make a fascinating, and positively perfect, martini.

HALF MOON ORCHARD GIN

Named for the Halve Maen ship that came to New York from Amsterdam, the home of genever, in 1609, this artisanal gin is crafted in upstate New York, by the Tuthilltown Distillery. It is made from NY State wheat and apples, distilled with eight locally grown botanicals.

The locally picked bergamot is pickled to keep its consistent flavor profile. It’s like the apple pie of gins -- in a good way… a very good way!

GREENHOOK GINSMITHS BEACH PLUM GIN LIQUEUR

It began as an attempt to savor a childhood memory of picking beach plums along the shores of Long Island, NY. Greenhook Ginsmiths owner Steve DeAngelo, a Wall Streeter-turned-Brooklyn-distiller, developed it into a beautiful gin-based liqueur.

Flavored with macerated beach plums, with their sweet flesh and tart skin, this ruby-colored spirit is slightly herbaceous, not too sweet, with wild plum, raspberry and vermouth notes. It’s a great way to finish off a meal…. and a post about the beautiful character of gin.

Read more about Beautiful Character, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including The Beauty of Character Now and Character Could be Our Most Beautiful Element Yet… And be sure to check out Character Day on 09.18.15. #CharacterDay.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Summer, of O and O Eats. Honeydew Cucumber Gin Cocktail.
2. Image: by Ken Johnson. Flowers, Olives & Gin.
3. Image: Courtesy of The Gin Foundry. Four Pillars of Gin.
4. Image: by Van Corey. Gin & Tonic.
5. Image: by Russ. Vesper.
6. Image: by Summer, of O and O Eats. Honeydew Cucumber Gin Cocktail.
7. Image: Courtesy of Vigor and Sage. Peachy Tomato Basil Gin & Tonic.
8. Image: by Eden Passante, of Sugar and Charm. Blackberry Bramble Cocktail.
9. Image: by Elsie Larson, of A Beautiful Mess. Gin & Grapefruit Cocktail.
10. Image: by Eva Kosmas Flores, of Adventures in Cooking. Gin Citrus Punch with Aviation.
11. Image: Courtesy of Nolet's Family Reserve Dry Gin. Nolet’s Dry Gin.
12. Image: Courtesy of The Botanist. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin.
13. Image: Courtesy of Bruichladdich. Botanicals in the Botanist Gin.
14. Image: Courtesy of Gin Mare. Gin Mare.
15. Image: Courtesy of Tuthilltown Distillery. Half Moon Orchard Gin.
16. Image: Courtesy of Greenhook Ginsmiths. Beach Plum Gin Liqueur.
17. Image: by Ed. York Beach Plums.
18. Image: Courtesy of The Botanist. Juniper Berries.
19. Image: Courtesy of The Botanist.
20. Image: by BN App - Download now!
21. Image: Courtesy of Gin Mare.