Author Topic: Gin!  (Read 31155 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Gin!
« Reply #50 on: 03 October, 2016, 07:03:43 pm »
So, aficionados, if you were buying someone a bottle of gin as a gift for a known gin-drinker but didn't know what style of gin they preferred, what would you go for?

Based on comments upthread, Silent Pool is looking like a good bet but will happily take any other recommendations.

(This is for my brother - it's his birthday this week. Apparently, he is putting together a 'gin bar' which I will be able to partake of at our family Christmas gathering at his place, so whatever I get him, I will be obliged to sample myself, so make sure you recommend me a good one.)
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #51 on: 03 October, 2016, 07:39:30 pm »
Well, wars may one day be fought over gin preferences, but provided it's not the insipidly pointless Gordons or the overdone Bombay, it's a good start. Silent Pool as mentioned (and it's a nice bottle). There's loads of local produced gins now (the offy in Sevenoaks, I noticed the other week, had no fewer than three) – they're not always fantastic, but hey, they have terrior value.

Hendricks, while mostly ubiquitous these days, is a good slightly off-piste gin. You probably can't go wrong with Monkey 47, Filliers 28 (no, I don't know what it is with the numbers), Ableforth's Bathtub (or Old Tom) Gin, or Warner Edwards. You can splurge on something like Oxley. There's very few bad gins and after a few you're naturally inclined toward generosity.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Gin!
« Reply #52 on: 04 October, 2016, 11:52:02 am »
Sipsmiths.

Re: Gin!
« Reply #53 on: 05 October, 2016, 08:33:35 am »
Never had a dry martini  in my life.
O.k.   Recommend me a dry vermouth.

Noilly Prat - makes a very nice dry martini.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
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Re: Gin!
« Reply #54 on: 05 October, 2016, 08:51:00 am »
Never had a dry martini  in my life.
O.k.   Recommend me a dry vermouth.

Noilly Prat - makes a very nice dry martini.

That is indeed what I bought.   :thumbsup:

Wasn't that keen on the result though.  I probably needed to use a better gin.  I shall re-trawl this thread for ideas.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #55 on: 05 October, 2016, 09:09:55 am »
I prefer Lillet to Noilly, it's a bit lighter and more aromatic (to my nose and taste, anyway).

Re: Gin!
« Reply #56 on: 05 October, 2016, 10:17:47 pm »
A good friend has offered to give me a lift to the airport at 3 in the morning!   In gratitude I have bought him a bottle of Rock Rose gin from Dunnet Head.
Not fast & rarely furious

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ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Gin!
« Reply #57 on: 07 October, 2016, 09:28:51 pm »
So, aficionados, if you were buying someone a bottle of gin as a gift for a known gin-drinker but didn't know what style of gin they preferred, what would you go for?

Based on comments upthread, Silent Pool is looking like a good bet but will happily take any other recommendations.

(This is for my brother - it's his birthday this week. Apparently, he is putting together a 'gin bar' which I will be able to partake of at our family Christmas gathering at his place, so whatever I get him, I will be obliged to sample myself, so make sure you recommend me a good one.)

Norfolk Gin, but I don't think it spreads very far, smelt great.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Gin!
« Reply #58 on: 07 October, 2016, 09:36:35 pm »
Well, wars may one day be fought over gin preferences, but provided it's not the insipidly pointless Gordons or the overdone Bombay, it's a good start. Silent Pool as mentioned (and it's a nice bottle). There's loads of local produced gins now (the offy in Sevenoaks, I noticed the other week, had no fewer than three) – they're not always fantastic, but hey, they have terrior value.

Hendricks, while mostly ubiquitous these days, is a good slightly off-piste gin. You probably can't go wrong with Monkey 47, Filliers 28 (no, I don't know what it is with the numbers), Ableforth's Bathtub (or Old Tom) Gin, or Warner Edwards. You can splurge on something like Oxley. There's very few bad gins and after a few you're naturally inclined toward generosity.

While I would agree with most of what I've had off ian's list,  I just don't see the excitement in Hendricks...
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #59 on: 07 October, 2016, 10:34:52 pm »
Well, wars may one day be fought over gin preferences, but provided it's not the insipidly pointless Gordons or the overdone Bombay, it's a good start. Silent Pool as mentioned (and it's a nice bottle). There's loads of local produced gins now (the offy in Sevenoaks, I noticed the other week, had no fewer than three) – they're not always fantastic, but hey, they have terrior value.

Hendricks, while mostly ubiquitous these days, is a good slightly off-piste gin. You probably can't go wrong with Monkey 47, Filliers 28 (no, I don't know what it is with the numbers), Ableforth's Bathtub (or Old Tom) Gin, or Warner Edwards. You can splurge on something like Oxley. There's very few bad gins and after a few you're naturally inclined toward generosity.

While I would agree with most of what I've had off ian's list,  I just don't see the excitement in Hendricks...

It's not exciting per se, it's just a small step up from Gordon's and Bombay Sapphire. A gateway gin, in other words.

As I'm just home after a long day Thought Leading and my wife is in parts foreign and sending me pictures of her half drunk Hello My Name is Ingrid cloudberry double IPA, I think I've earned the keys to the gin cupboards. Figuratively speaking, there's no actual lock because cats don't drink gin.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: Gin!
« Reply #60 on: 07 October, 2016, 10:38:29 pm »
I do like a Hello My Name Is Ingrid. However,  Mette Marit is my absolute fave.

So, it's the weekend - how come you didn't get a partners pass?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #61 on: 07 October, 2016, 10:50:38 pm »
She, alas, is working. Well, not at this very moment evidently. Our complex orrery of travel schedules mostly forbids us being in the same place at the same time. Plus someone needs to feed the cats and curate the gin and beer collection. I've told her she can join me in Kinshasa. She pulls that face. Oh, it'll be fun.

Reminds, me I still have an entire (plastic) litre bottle of Ugandan gin. That's, erm, a bracing concoction.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Gin!
« Reply #62 on: 08 October, 2016, 12:53:55 pm »
It can't be as bad as the plastic bottle of cashew nut liquor that my father in law gave me on his return from a trip to India.  That stuff would have made a very effective degreaser. 

I think I "accidentally" left it somewhere one Christmas.

Martin Miller's is on offer in Waitrose at the moment.  A nice everyday gin
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Gin!
« Reply #63 on: 08 October, 2016, 03:36:10 pm »
Based on comments upthread, Silent Pool is looking like a good bet but will happily take any other recommendations.

I went for Silent Pool in the end - partly because, as ian says, it comes in a very attractive bottle. Besides which, I know that Sipsmiths and Hendricks are well regarded but he's more likely to have those in his gin cupboard already.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #64 on: 08 October, 2016, 08:11:49 pm »
Actually the Ugandan Waragi Gin isn't that bad for something that comes in a plastic bottle (you can buy it in glass, or even better, a plastic pouch, ideal for an intravenous drip). I tried some* and it's actually not harsh at all though could use a bit more flavour.

I think the only other gin I have in a plastic bottle is some Larios (which also isn't so bad). I quite like booze in plastic bottles. I'm that sort of semi-domesticated déclassé guy.

*I confess the only times I've drunk it before are in Uganda and at the street parties we used to have the last place we lived (our neighbour a couple of houses removed hailed from Uganda, she bought me the bottle in the cupboard).

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
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Re: Gin!
« Reply #65 on: 08 October, 2016, 08:23:55 pm »
I prefer Lillet to Noilly, it's a bit lighter and more aromatic (to my nose and taste, anyway).

Talking of which, has anyone tried a 'Vesper'?

If so, how much did it cost and what voluntary organisations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards...?
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #66 on: 08 October, 2016, 08:36:44 pm »
I prefer Lillet to Noilly, it's a bit lighter and more aromatic (to my nose and taste, anyway).

Talking of which, has anyone tried a 'Vesper'?

If so, how much did it cost and what voluntary organisations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards...?

Thank you for resolving tonight's drinking conundrum. I have one in front of me. I didn't have any quinine powder (as advised by the internet, apparently Lillet doesn't have quinine any more) so I bunged a dash of angostura bitters in it. Well, if I was going for authenticity, I'd get some to try and kill me while he carefully lays out his plan for world domination.

Reminds me, I still need a shark tank.

(I did have one in the Whispering Shop once – yeah, yeah, grow me a big fucking Shoreditch beard – £11 if I recall).

Torslanda

  • Professional Gobshite
  • Just a tart for retro kit . . .
    • John's Bikes
Re: Gin!
« Reply #67 on: 08 October, 2016, 08:39:37 pm »
You're welcome!  :thumbsup:
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

ian

Re: Gin!
« Reply #68 on: 08 October, 2016, 08:42:11 pm »
It's certainly enlivening my sinuses. I probably should have used a gin and vodka with ABVs below 47%.

I wouldn't drink six of them.

ETA: my wife appears to be in a bar called 'Bastard'. I hate to think what she's drinking.

Re: Gin!
« Reply #69 on: 11 October, 2016, 06:08:03 pm »
I prefer Lillet to Noilly, it's a bit lighter and more aromatic (to my nose and taste, anyway).

Talking of which, has anyone tried a 'Vesper'?

If so, how much did it cost and what voluntary organisations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards...?

Thank you for resolving tonight's drinking conundrum. I have one in front of me. I didn't have any quinine powder (as advised by the internet, apparently Lillet doesn't have quinine any more) so I bunged a dash of angostura bitters in it. Well, if I was going for authenticity, I'd get some to try and kill me while he carefully lays out his plan for world domination.

Reminds me, I still need a shark tank.

(I did have one in the Whispering Shop once – yeah, yeah, grow me a big fucking Shoreditch beard – £11 if I recall).

I quite like Vespers - thought I wouldn't add angostura, I just go with the zest of an orange on top.
Have you seen my blog? It has words. And pictures! http://ablogofallthingskathy.blogspot.com/

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Gin!
« Reply #70 on: 14 October, 2016, 03:04:58 pm »
I'm not a gin drinker myself so I've no idea if this is any good or not, or indeed if it's already been covered, but these people: http://www.weberandtrings.co.uk allow you to make your own gin on their premises.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Gin!
« Reply #71 on: 14 October, 2016, 03:17:09 pm »
Mrs T is getting more and more into her Gins.

I think it was brought about by us now living not that far (<8 miles) from Masons).  That and the growth of Gin festivals (I think there has been 5 already this year within train journey distance and another 3 to go).

To that end I have bought her the Ginvent calendar for this year, can't wait to see what is in it (and fingers crossed she has taken my hint and has ordered the Beerhawk advent calendar for me!)
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Gin!
« Reply #72 on: 14 October, 2016, 09:10:46 pm »
Well, wars may one day be fought over gin preferences, but provided it's not the insipidly pointless Gordons or the overdone Bombay, it's a good start. Silent Pool as mentioned (and it's a nice bottle). There's loads of local produced gins now (the offy in Sevenoaks, I noticed the other week, had no fewer than three) – they're not always fantastic, but hey, they have terrior value.

Hendricks, while mostly ubiquitous these days, is a good slightly off-piste gin. You probably can't go wrong with Monkey 47, Filliers 28 (no, I don't know what it is with the numbers), Ableforth's Bathtub (or Old Tom) Gin, or Warner Edwards. You can splurge on something like Oxley. There's very few bad gins and after a few you're naturally inclined toward generosity.

Only 3? There is an offy in ilkley that stocks no fewer than 8 Yorkshire gins! I am sure that is not all of them, either.
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: Gin!
« Reply #73 on: 14 October, 2016, 11:30:46 pm »
The Offy (capital letter because that's actually its name) in Whitstable has loads. I haven't counted them but it's definitely more than three. Having said that, a lot of them appear to be flavoured gin-based concoctions, so I don't know if they count.

Tbh, I only go in there for the beer.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Gin!
« Reply #74 on: 15 October, 2016, 08:05:17 pm »
ian, have you tried Cocchi Americano yet? I hear it's the best thing to use in place of quinine-free Lillet.

Been looking into mixers to take up to the bro's Xmas ginfest and I like the sound of Cocchi.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."