The Tasting Panel magazine

January 2016

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january-february 2016  /  the tasting panel  /  109 GIN-UARY ew better appreciate the cachet and mystique surrounding gin than those who work with it on a nightly basis. Mixologists represent the steadfast core of gin's constituency. To explain gin's nearly universal appeal, aficiona- dos point to its trim, lightweight body, wafting aromatics and engaging flavors. For cocktail expert Julie Reiner, proprietor of New York's Clover Club and Flatiron Lounge, gin is an irreplaceable asset. "I find most everything about it enthralling. Gin is the only spirit that we don't drink straight. Its milieu is the cock- tail, where it absolutely shines to a degree no other spirit can match. In fact, many of the most popular drinks served in my lounges are gin-based libations from the late-19th century." Gin has no equal behind the bar. As evidence, there are more classic cocktails that call for gin than any other spirit. Their proprietary recipes endow them with personalities as individually distinctive as a fingerprint, which explains why no two premium gins smell or taste the same. It's easy to appreciate how once smitten, people can become such devotees of one brand over the rest of the field. So when gin aficionados say they fancy a particular gin more than the others, believe them. Those in the gin camp conjecture that potential converts are created on a nightly basis in the form of lapsed vodka drinkers. So which brands have what it takes to become backbar classics? Here's our list of the most promising candidates. Cheers! Profiting from the by Robert Plotkin Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Gin Renaissance Martin Miller's Gin is an innovative spirit patiently crafted in Langley, England in a century-old, copper pot still. Its fresh botanicals and aromatics—a mix comprised in part of juniper, Florentine iris, cassia bark, nutmeg and angelica—are steeped in neutral grain spirits for up to 12 hours prior to distillation. The gin undergoes two separate distillations with the dried peels of the citrus fruits separately, away from the earthy botanicals like juniper. The pot still slowly, gently elicits the aromatics and essential oils from the botanicals to produce a quality gin with more complex flavors. Here is where things get really interesting. The gin is transferred onboard ships and sailed 3,000 miles to the coast of Iceland. It then travels to the remote village of Borganes, source of the famed Selyri Spring. The spring-fed water—considered among the purest and softest on earth— is used to reduce the London dry gin to its bottled strength of 40% alcohol (80 proof). These extraordinary lengths yield extraordinary results. Martin Miller's has a silky body and a wafting bouquet laced with the crisp aromas of citrus zest, spice, jasmine and notes of juniper. On the whole, it's rather invigorating. The palate presents itself immediately, filling the mouth with an extravaganza of flavors ranging from piney juniper and fresh citrus to light spice and black pepper. The finish is warm and satisfying. "Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength is presented at a slightly more potent 45% alcohol [90 proof]. The higher concentration of alcohol means the juniper will be more forward, with a richer, spicier mouthfeel, though it ends with the same soft and gentle finish. It's romance and adventure in a glass," states Jacob Ehrenkrona, CEO of importer The Reformed Spirits Company. Both expressions of Martin Miller's London Dry Gin have sufficient vitality to handle any cocktail assignment behind the bar, while their pronounced flavors shine when mixed with tonic and lime. (SRP $29) THE REFORMED SPIRITS COMPANY SAILING THE OCEAN BLUE WITH MARTIN MILLER'S GIN

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