Gin and Tonic

Tried this today. It was amazing. Maybe the best yet. 

Jesse Ransom said:

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I credit this thread for picking up some of the lighter version of the Fever Tree Indian tonic; I didn't realize that it wasn't "diet" in the traditional sense (i.e. with terrible tasting fake sugars), just less sweet. For whatever reason, my local retailer charges as much for the four-pack of cans of Q as they do for six of the Fever Tree, and I already feel like I'm paying a lot for tonic.

I'd like to try some other gins; I've enjoyed the local-to-me Freeland gin, still mostly stick to the standard Tanqueray, but boring as it is I kinda want to just A/B Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire for a start. I do need to try the Freeland London dry gin, too.

Hey that's a win!

I don't think sugar tastes that good. Everything I try with less of it, with no artificial replacements, tastes better. 

I kept reading 396 as "3%" and getting confused

I heard gin, it's like a bat signal for me. 

Current favorites monkey 47, though it is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. 

I don't know why I'm doing this, because I'm sure there's a fortune here just waiting to be made, but through much dedicated labor and careful experimentation, I have discovered something wonderful. I haven't named it yet, but it's glorious.

London dry gin of choice

Pure lavender flowers (commonly found in 100% lavender tea - buy the good stuff loose to get whole flowers, not dust)

Italian lemon soda (or bitter lemon to taste)

Infuse enough gin for your immediate needs with one teaspoon of lavender per drink. Infuse for at least 30 minutes - the gin should take on a slight purple color. Strain out lavender and discard. Pour infused gin over ice and top with lemon soda or bitter lemon.

You're welcome.

In reply to 02Pilot :

That sounds amazing.

On a slightly earlier topic, turns out I prefer the regular tonic water; the reduced-sweetness stuff isn't bad, but I think it's actually a viscocity thing more than the reduced sweetness. I dunno, but it was worth a shot (ba-dum tish).

I don't drink much anymore, but when I did G&T was a great go-to. 

Gin: I tried several, but kind of stopped after I found New Amsterdam gin. It's near the top in taste and availability, and near the bottom in price. Kind of surprised I haven't seen it mentioned.

Tonic: Schweppes. Cans, bottles... It's again very close to the top in the flavor and availability categories, near the bottom in price. 

Garnish: Lime, grapefruit, lemon, strawberry, floral stuff.... Whatever you want. Mix it up regularly.

ICE!!!: I can't believe nobody has mentioned ice! Crushed is good, nuggets are elite. 

I honestly think the ice and and garnish are worthy of more attention than the gin and tonic. In the end, you have a fine cocktail for minimal money and effort. Win-win.

Just saw this while perusing the shelves at the local Total Wine. No idea if it's any good, but thought the packaging would appeal to this crowd...

nlevine said:

Just saw this while perusing the shelves at the local Total Wine. No idea if it's any good, but thought the packaging would appeal to this crowd...

That brand has every major spirit marketed that way. I haven't tried any of them, yet.

In reply to white_fly :

When I want to get absolutely dead- new Amsterdam is my pull. Less than $20 for a handle is hard to beat

This was absurdly good

In reply to tuna55 :

That looks quite intriguing. Where did you find that? Tasting notes?

Edit: This does not appear to be available in Ohio. :-(

Beer Baron said:

In reply to tuna55 :

That looks quite intriguing. Where did you find that? Tasting notes?

Edit: This does not appear to be available in Ohio. :-(

Found it on Total wine and it got five stars on that review site that someone used earlier. It seems I really like the herbal tastes, and this one's no exception. I really don't like when they're astringent, I don't want it to taste like a solvent, I also don't want it to taste syrupy like rum or something. So far the two pictured recently are dramatically better than the competition.

In reply to tuna55 :

I'm still working on the bottle of the Pink Gin from your earlier recommendation...

In reply to nlevine :

Cool! Do you like it?

In reply to Beer Baron :

I don't see any reason why I can't ship you some if you want

tuna55 said:

In reply to nlevine :

Cool! Do you like it?

Yes, quite tasty.

In reply to white_fly :

I was perusing this thread wondering if someone else would mention the Amsterdam gin. It's my gin on the shelf at home as well. 

Gin and tonics are my go-to drink for wedding receptions. They're easy and always taste good. 

At home, I typically do gin and seltzer, with a splash of limeade or lemonade. I like the flavor of tonic but not the sugar, and I have never tasted a diet soda that I liked. 

Mndsm said:

I heard gin, it's like a bat signal for me. 

 

Current favorites monkey 47, though it is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. 

*Laughs in Single Malt Scotch* lol

Unless it isn't 40$ ish a bottle??? 

tuna55 said:

In reply to Beer Baron :

I don't see any reason why I can't ship you some if you want

This possibility intrigues me. I was looking to see if I could get it in Virginia next time I visit my brother, but it doesn't appear to be widely available there...

Antihero said:

Mndsm said:

I heard gin, it's like a bat signal for me. 

 

Current favorites monkey 47, though it is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. 

*Laughs in Single Malt Scotch* lol

 

Unless it isn't 40$ ish a bottle??? 

Looks like about $60-$70 per bottle. 

So... middling compared to most of the whiskies in my cabinet.

Beer Baron said:

tuna55 said:

In reply to Beer Baron :

I don't see any reason why I can't ship you some if you want

This possibility intrigues me. I was looking to see if I could get it in Virginia next time I visit my brother, but it doesn't appear to be widely available there...

Ideally, the two of us enjoy a bottle while sitting by my fireplace outside deep into the evening and trading stories, asking difficult questions, and pretending we can answer them.

More realistically, send me your address and I'll see if I can send you a bottle without becoming a felon.

Gin is not what I typically go for but I found this stuff a while back an totally love it. The first sip is a bit harsh so I usually put it in the glass with a few ice cubes and let it hang for a min. I'd bet shaking it would help too. 

I also randomly tried 3 parts gin to 1 part Cointreau last week and I really liked it. I'd guess both the above and the mix here would be good with tonic added. 

AxeHealey said:

Gin is not what I typically go for but I found this stuff a while back an totally love it. The first sip is a bit harsh so I usually put it in the glass with a few ice cubes and let it hang for a min. I'd bet shaking it would help too. 

 

I also randomly tried 3 parts gin to 1 part Cointreau last week and I really liked it. I'd guess both the above and the mix here would be good with tonic added. 

When you say "this stuff" are you referring to Gin generically or a specific brand?  It sounds like you intended to include a photo of a product that didn't make the upload...

AxeHealey said:

Gin is not what I typically go for but I found this stuff a while back an totally love it. The first sip is a bit harsh so I usually put it in the glass with a few ice cubes and let it hang for a min. I'd bet shaking it would help too. 

Drinking gin neat is for sociopaths.