The Tasting Panel magazine

CATEGORY REPORT It's Gin-uary! W THE STANDARDS There's a reason they resonate throughout the centuries. Bombay Sapphire Vapor infusion of ten botanicals, a pedigree that began in 1761 and a hearty marketing program since the late 1980s has put Bombay Sapphire top-of-mind for gin drinkers and behind bars globally. The distinctive blue bottle houses a crystalline spirit that focuses on juniper, but also makes room for the more subtle flavors of lemon peel, licorice and coriander. SRP: $20.99; supplier: BACARDI USA Damrak Amsterdam Original Gin Created in the 1700s by the Lucas Bols master distiller, whose experiments with exotic fruits, botanicals and berries yielded a five-times- distilled gin that scoffs at typical London drys. The juniper is light on this one, with 17 botanicals used in a natural state to produce a citrusy, floral finish. SRP: $24.99; supplier: CATTANI IMPORTS BOTANICAL BOUNTY Built for cocktails, these brands helped a younger genera- tion return to gin. Martin Miller's Gin Made in London with juniper from Tuscany and India, cassia bark from China and angelica from France, as well as four other botanicals, this international brand has a super-soft finish thanks to blending with pure Icelandic spring water. Awarded for its complementary nature in cocktails, it's available in two labels: Martin Miller's Gin (80 proof) and Westbourne Strength (90.4 proof) SRP: Martin Miller's $29.99; Westbourne Strength $34.99; supplier: KINDRED SPIRITS G'vine Pushing the envelope on what defines a gin, this one begins in France with a grape spirit and the essence of vine flower blooming from the Ugni Blanc grape vines in Cognac. As the neutral grape spirit and the green grape flower infusion are nurtured, juniper berries, ginger root, liquorice, cassia bark, green cardamom, coriander, cubeb berries, january/february 2012 / the tasting panel / 91 GIN IS WINTER'S PERFECT ACCESSORY by Jenny Adams ith the sights and sounds of winter upon us—carols tapering off to New Year's resolu- tions, and cold snow falling softly outside—gin becomes a frequent pour behind the bar as well as at home. While it's bouncy in summer fizzy concoctions, gin's real dexterity comes forward in January's punches and February's stiff, stirred cocktails. That desire for rich pine and juniper in a glass, for shakers filled with it, frosted and fortifying, pulls the thirsty to find new brands and also new ways to use the ones we've known forever. "My prediction on gin sales for 2012 is steady, hearty growth," laughs Allen Katz, Director of Mixology & Spirits Education for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York. His mirth is thanks to the fact that he's adding the title of distiller to his name this coming year, launching two gins in 2012 out of Brooklyn, New York. Not only does he have high hopes for gin sales to trend upward, he's betting the farm on them and diving in the game. "From a personal perspective, I predict a continued emergence of new brands and careful consideration of emerging styles both classic and contemporary," he offers. It's not a hard-to-believe statement if you head out to a bar and flip open a menu. Thanks to bartenders' hard work in both shakers and punches, distillers working long hours in labs and hosting informative seminars, and a whole host of ambassadors buying cocktails and throwing parties worldwide, gin's got the industry in an iron-tight grip.

• Cover