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Teh Gin Thread
May 2, 2007
Spirits of The Times
No, Really, It Was Tough: 4 People, 80 Martinis
By ERIC ASIMOV
HAVE I told you about my 80-martini lunch?
I exaggerate. Actually, four of us shared 80 martinis, so it was really a 20-martini lunch.
Frankly, once you get past the first 12 martinis, it might as well be 80. But it was worth it.
The occasion was the spirits panel’s martini tasting. Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Audrey Saunders, bartender extraordinaire and an owner of the Pegu Club on West Houston Street, and Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section, who has written extensively about drinks.
The subject was supposed to be solely gin. But because gin is often consumed in a martini, we decided to taste the gin as expressed through the world’s most famous (and perhaps least understood) cocktail. We discovered that while great martinis require great gins, great gins don’t necessarily make great martinis.
The gin category has exploded in the last decade, with distillers offering unusual riffs on the classic theme. Some of these make for striking gins, although they struck out as martinis. Our task was to sort out which gins produced classic martinis, which added welcome nuances and which really ought to seek another line of cocktail.
Before we discuss the findings, though, we need to clear up a little matter. It’s come to my attention that some people believe martinis are made with vodka. I hate to get snobbish about it, but a martini should be made with gin or it’s not a martini. Call it a vodkatini if you must, but not a martini. Gin and vodka have as much in common hierarchically as a president and a vice president. Vodka can fill in for gin from time to time and might even be given certain ceremonial duties of its own, but at important moments you need the real thing. Vodka generally makes a poor substitute for gin in a martini or any other gin cocktail.
The panel found common ground here. Each of us is partial to the classic martini made with gin, although Audrey was sensitive to the desires of her clientele.
“You have to revisit which generation is drinking the martini,” she said. “We might be classicists, but is the newer generation?”
Still, after perhaps 8 or 10 martinis, Audrey fessed up, referring at one point to “a generation lobotomized by vodka.”
Indeed, gin is more of a thinking person’s spirit. Vodka is neutral in aroma and flavor, which is also how gin begins life. But where vodka stays neutral, gin is infused with botanicals — a witch’s pantry of roots, berries, herbs, dried fruits and spices — dominated by the piney, breezy aroma of juniper berries. Other common botanicals include angelica, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, lemon peel, licorice, fennel and ginger. It is the closely guarded combination of botanicals that makes each gin distinctive.
The dividing line between vodka and gin has always been the addition of juniper to gin. But among the spirits sold as gin today, some have reduced juniper to a secondary component while others seem to have dispensed with it altogether. We found that cardamom was prominent in quite a few of the 20 gins we had stirred into martinis.
“You see cardamom over and over,” Audrey said. “It’s exciting but you have to guard the category or you’ll just be drinking flavored vodkas.”
Speaking of guarding the category, let us now speak of the martini itself. Daunted at the prospect of mixing 80 cocktails, we handed that task over to Allen Katz, a mixologist who consults with Southern Wine and Spirits and with Martha Stewart Living Radio. Mr. Katz set a few parameters: the martinis would be stirred, not shaken; we would sample them as he made them so they would all be fresh; and they would include vermouth.
This last is a touchy subject among martini drinkers, many of whom have reduced vermouth’s role to no more than waving an unopened bottle in the direction of the glass.
“With the exception of a few artisan bars and restaurants, most people might get a 9-to-1 ratio, or just gin,” Audrey said.
A martini is also not a martini without vermouth. What is a cocktail but a blend of disparate elements into a harmonious new whole? We used Noilly Prat Original French Dry vermouth in a proportion of five parts gin to one part vermouth, perhaps a bit more gin than might have been ideal (try 4-to-1), but we wanted to make sure that the gin was featured prominently.
A century ago the typical martini recipe called for orange bitters. Most great cocktails do require at least three ingredients. But as we’re already being rigid on the vodka issue, I won’t press the case.
Let’s get to the tasting. In our martinis, we looked for balance, persistence and character. A martini without balance cannot be elegant, and a martini ought to be a model of elegance. By persistence I mean flavors that linger long enough to savor, intrigue and refresh, a combination that demands another sip. Too little persistence, and there’s no intrigue. Too much, and it won’t refresh.
Our favorite martini gin, Plymouth English Gin, could not have been more stylish and graceful. Plymouth has the classic juniper-based gin profile, yet it is uncommonly subtle and smooth. Still, it is assertive, its complexity emerging slowly but distinctly, the proverbial fist in a velvet glove.
By contrast, our No. 2 and No. 3 gins emphasized power. The Junipero, made in small quantities by the distilling branch of the Anchor brewery in San Francisco, came on strong with the traditional gin flavors of juniper and citrus, hitting all the right notes, though a little self-consciously.
The No. 3 gin, Cadenhead’s Old Raj from Scotland, at 110 proof, or 55 percent alcohol, was by far the most powerful gin we tasted: Tanqueray and Tanqueray No. 10 at 94.6 proof were the next highest. But while Old Raj packed a punch, its muscularity came across as bright and in control.
Two standbys of the American cocktail cabinet fared well as martinis. Seagram’s Extra Dry came in at No. 4. We found it surprisingly complex in the glass, with fruit, herbal and gingery spice notes, yet it didn’t stray far from the gin ideal, while Gordon’s London Dry adhered to the straight and narrow, with a slight emphasis of spicy cardamom and nutmeg aromas.
Tanqueray London Dry made a classic though quiet martini. Its livelier cousin, Tanqueray No. 10, with its emphasis on citrus flavors, may work well neat or with tonic, but was discordant in a martini.
In fact, in the context of a dry martini, few of the newer, hipper gins worked. Aviation is a popular gin out of Portland, Ore., but its predominant flavors of wintergreen, vanilla and anise had no place in a martini. Nor did the menthol and peppermint in G’Vine, a new French gin, the pronounced melon fruitiness in Hamptons, made in Minnesota, or the cinnamon emphasis in No. 209 out of San Francisco.
“What was really striking was how un-dry some of these were — like bathing in canned fruit or a postnasal saccharine drip,” Pete said.
We didn’t reject all of the less conventional gins. With its floral aromas, Hendrick’s from Scotland seemed to work from a different palette of botanicals, and it made for a lively, colorful martini. Bombay Sapphire was sort of jazzy — a martini that intrigued without really hanging together. Both Quintessential and Martin Miller’s hit odd notes, though they made pretty good martinis.
We each had a favorite that didn’t make the top 10. I liked Citadelle, a new-wave French gin. I felt its unconventional citrus flavors merged well with evergreen aromas, but the others disagreed.
Likewise, Audrey was pleased with that old standby Beefeater, while I found the flavors indistinct. Florence, who adores Tanqueray, liked the Tanqueray No. 10 as well, while Pete was more inclined to the G’Vine than the rest of us.
Still, the disagreements never really got out of hand. When you’ve just shared 80 martinis, you’re inclined to smooth things over.
Tasting Report: I’ll Take My Juniper Berries With Personality
BEST VALUE
Plymouth English Gin $22 *** 1/2
82.4 proof 1 liter
Subtle and elegant with crisp, lingering flavors of citrus and juniper: a martini in a dinner jacket. (Importer: Absolut Spirits, New York)
Junipero Anchor Distilling $35 ***
United States 86 proof 750 milliliters
Smooth, clean and very dry with assertive, classic flavors of juniper and citrus: a martini with one eyebrow raised.
Cadenhead’s Old Raj Dry Gin $50 ***
Scotland 110 proof 750 milliliters
Powerful, muscular and hot, but in a good way: a martini with a punch.
(Preiss Imports, Ramona, Calif.)
Seagram’s Extra Dry $15 ** 1/2
80 proof 750 milliliters
Surprisingly complex, with fruit, ginger, juniper and citrus flavors: a martini with a thesaurus.
Tanqueray London Dry Gin $22 ** 1/2
England 94.6 proof 750 milliliters
Crisp with a hint of mint and juniper flavors: a martini peeking out from librarian’s glasses. (Diageo, Norwalk, Conn.)
Hendrick’s $40 ** 1/2
Scotland 88 proof 750 milliliters
Unusual, intriguing floral aromas: a martini in a Hawaiian shirt.
(William Grant & Sons, New York)
Gordon’s London Dry $12 ** 1/2
United States 80 proof 750 milliliters
Gentle and harmonious with cardamom and nutmeg aromas: a martini in a gray flannel suit.
Bombay Sapphire London Dry $30 **
England 94 proof 1 liter
Jangly flavors of mint, herbs and citrus, with detectable alcoholic heat: a neurotic martini. (Bombay Spirits, Miami)
Quintessential London Dry $30 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters
Smooth and direct, but with an odd, bittersweet flavor: a martini with a blemish. (White Rock Distilleries, Lewiston, Me.)
Martin Miller’s London Dry $32 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters
Soft and slightly sweet, with floral aromas, but not a hint of juniper: a martini in pedal pushers. (Skyy Spirits, New York)
WHAT THE STARS MEAN:
Ratings range from zero to four stars and reflect the panel’s reaction to the gins, which were tasted with names concealed. The panelists this week are Eric Asimov; Florence Fabricant; Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section; and Audrey Saunders, an owner of the Pegu Club in Manhattan. The tasted gins represent a selection generally available in good retail shops, restaurants and over the Internet. Prices are those paid in liquor shops in the New York region.
Tasting coordinator: Bernard Kirsch
Spirits of The Times
No, Really, It Was Tough: 4 People, 80 Martinis
By ERIC ASIMOV
HAVE I told you about my 80-martini lunch?
I exaggerate. Actually, four of us shared 80 martinis, so it was really a 20-martini lunch.
Frankly, once you get past the first 12 martinis, it might as well be 80. But it was worth it.
The occasion was the spirits panel’s martini tasting. Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Audrey Saunders, bartender extraordinaire and an owner of the Pegu Club on West Houston Street, and Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section, who has written extensively about drinks.
The subject was supposed to be solely gin. But because gin is often consumed in a martini, we decided to taste the gin as expressed through the world’s most famous (and perhaps least understood) cocktail. We discovered that while great martinis require great gins, great gins don’t necessarily make great martinis.
The gin category has exploded in the last decade, with distillers offering unusual riffs on the classic theme. Some of these make for striking gins, although they struck out as martinis. Our task was to sort out which gins produced classic martinis, which added welcome nuances and which really ought to seek another line of cocktail.
Before we discuss the findings, though, we need to clear up a little matter. It’s come to my attention that some people believe martinis are made with vodka. I hate to get snobbish about it, but a martini should be made with gin or it’s not a martini. Call it a vodkatini if you must, but not a martini. Gin and vodka have as much in common hierarchically as a president and a vice president. Vodka can fill in for gin from time to time and might even be given certain ceremonial duties of its own, but at important moments you need the real thing. Vodka generally makes a poor substitute for gin in a martini or any other gin cocktail.
The panel found common ground here. Each of us is partial to the classic martini made with gin, although Audrey was sensitive to the desires of her clientele.
“You have to revisit which generation is drinking the martini,” she said. “We might be classicists, but is the newer generation?”
Still, after perhaps 8 or 10 martinis, Audrey fessed up, referring at one point to “a generation lobotomized by vodka.”
Indeed, gin is more of a thinking person’s spirit. Vodka is neutral in aroma and flavor, which is also how gin begins life. But where vodka stays neutral, gin is infused with botanicals — a witch’s pantry of roots, berries, herbs, dried fruits and spices — dominated by the piney, breezy aroma of juniper berries. Other common botanicals include angelica, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, lemon peel, licorice, fennel and ginger. It is the closely guarded combination of botanicals that makes each gin distinctive.
The dividing line between vodka and gin has always been the addition of juniper to gin. But among the spirits sold as gin today, some have reduced juniper to a secondary component while others seem to have dispensed with it altogether. We found that cardamom was prominent in quite a few of the 20 gins we had stirred into martinis.
“You see cardamom over and over,” Audrey said. “It’s exciting but you have to guard the category or you’ll just be drinking flavored vodkas.”
Speaking of guarding the category, let us now speak of the martini itself. Daunted at the prospect of mixing 80 cocktails, we handed that task over to Allen Katz, a mixologist who consults with Southern Wine and Spirits and with Martha Stewart Living Radio. Mr. Katz set a few parameters: the martinis would be stirred, not shaken; we would sample them as he made them so they would all be fresh; and they would include vermouth.
This last is a touchy subject among martini drinkers, many of whom have reduced vermouth’s role to no more than waving an unopened bottle in the direction of the glass.
“With the exception of a few artisan bars and restaurants, most people might get a 9-to-1 ratio, or just gin,” Audrey said.
A martini is also not a martini without vermouth. What is a cocktail but a blend of disparate elements into a harmonious new whole? We used Noilly Prat Original French Dry vermouth in a proportion of five parts gin to one part vermouth, perhaps a bit more gin than might have been ideal (try 4-to-1), but we wanted to make sure that the gin was featured prominently.
A century ago the typical martini recipe called for orange bitters. Most great cocktails do require at least three ingredients. But as we’re already being rigid on the vodka issue, I won’t press the case.
Let’s get to the tasting. In our martinis, we looked for balance, persistence and character. A martini without balance cannot be elegant, and a martini ought to be a model of elegance. By persistence I mean flavors that linger long enough to savor, intrigue and refresh, a combination that demands another sip. Too little persistence, and there’s no intrigue. Too much, and it won’t refresh.
Our favorite martini gin, Plymouth English Gin, could not have been more stylish and graceful. Plymouth has the classic juniper-based gin profile, yet it is uncommonly subtle and smooth. Still, it is assertive, its complexity emerging slowly but distinctly, the proverbial fist in a velvet glove.
By contrast, our No. 2 and No. 3 gins emphasized power. The Junipero, made in small quantities by the distilling branch of the Anchor brewery in San Francisco, came on strong with the traditional gin flavors of juniper and citrus, hitting all the right notes, though a little self-consciously.
The No. 3 gin, Cadenhead’s Old Raj from Scotland, at 110 proof, or 55 percent alcohol, was by far the most powerful gin we tasted: Tanqueray and Tanqueray No. 10 at 94.6 proof were the next highest. But while Old Raj packed a punch, its muscularity came across as bright and in control.
Two standbys of the American cocktail cabinet fared well as martinis. Seagram’s Extra Dry came in at No. 4. We found it surprisingly complex in the glass, with fruit, herbal and gingery spice notes, yet it didn’t stray far from the gin ideal, while Gordon’s London Dry adhered to the straight and narrow, with a slight emphasis of spicy cardamom and nutmeg aromas.
Tanqueray London Dry made a classic though quiet martini. Its livelier cousin, Tanqueray No. 10, with its emphasis on citrus flavors, may work well neat or with tonic, but was discordant in a martini.
In fact, in the context of a dry martini, few of the newer, hipper gins worked. Aviation is a popular gin out of Portland, Ore., but its predominant flavors of wintergreen, vanilla and anise had no place in a martini. Nor did the menthol and peppermint in G’Vine, a new French gin, the pronounced melon fruitiness in Hamptons, made in Minnesota, or the cinnamon emphasis in No. 209 out of San Francisco.
“What was really striking was how un-dry some of these were — like bathing in canned fruit or a postnasal saccharine drip,” Pete said.
We didn’t reject all of the less conventional gins. With its floral aromas, Hendrick’s from Scotland seemed to work from a different palette of botanicals, and it made for a lively, colorful martini. Bombay Sapphire was sort of jazzy — a martini that intrigued without really hanging together. Both Quintessential and Martin Miller’s hit odd notes, though they made pretty good martinis.
We each had a favorite that didn’t make the top 10. I liked Citadelle, a new-wave French gin. I felt its unconventional citrus flavors merged well with evergreen aromas, but the others disagreed.
Likewise, Audrey was pleased with that old standby Beefeater, while I found the flavors indistinct. Florence, who adores Tanqueray, liked the Tanqueray No. 10 as well, while Pete was more inclined to the G’Vine than the rest of us.
Still, the disagreements never really got out of hand. When you’ve just shared 80 martinis, you’re inclined to smooth things over.
Tasting Report: I’ll Take My Juniper Berries With Personality
BEST VALUE
Plymouth English Gin $22 *** 1/2
82.4 proof 1 liter
Subtle and elegant with crisp, lingering flavors of citrus and juniper: a martini in a dinner jacket. (Importer: Absolut Spirits, New York)
Junipero Anchor Distilling $35 ***
United States 86 proof 750 milliliters
Smooth, clean and very dry with assertive, classic flavors of juniper and citrus: a martini with one eyebrow raised.
Cadenhead’s Old Raj Dry Gin $50 ***
Scotland 110 proof 750 milliliters
Powerful, muscular and hot, but in a good way: a martini with a punch.
(Preiss Imports, Ramona, Calif.)
Seagram’s Extra Dry $15 ** 1/2
80 proof 750 milliliters
Surprisingly complex, with fruit, ginger, juniper and citrus flavors: a martini with a thesaurus.
Tanqueray London Dry Gin $22 ** 1/2
England 94.6 proof 750 milliliters
Crisp with a hint of mint and juniper flavors: a martini peeking out from librarian’s glasses. (Diageo, Norwalk, Conn.)
Hendrick’s $40 ** 1/2
Scotland 88 proof 750 milliliters
Unusual, intriguing floral aromas: a martini in a Hawaiian shirt.
(William Grant & Sons, New York)
Gordon’s London Dry $12 ** 1/2
United States 80 proof 750 milliliters
Gentle and harmonious with cardamom and nutmeg aromas: a martini in a gray flannel suit.
Bombay Sapphire London Dry $30 **
England 94 proof 1 liter
Jangly flavors of mint, herbs and citrus, with detectable alcoholic heat: a neurotic martini. (Bombay Spirits, Miami)
Quintessential London Dry $30 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters
Smooth and direct, but with an odd, bittersweet flavor: a martini with a blemish. (White Rock Distilleries, Lewiston, Me.)
Martin Miller’s London Dry $32 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters
Soft and slightly sweet, with floral aromas, but not a hint of juniper: a martini in pedal pushers. (Skyy Spirits, New York)
WHAT THE STARS MEAN:
Ratings range from zero to four stars and reflect the panel’s reaction to the gins, which were tasted with names concealed. The panelists this week are Eric Asimov; Florence Fabricant; Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section; and Audrey Saunders, an owner of the Pegu Club in Manhattan. The tasted gins represent a selection generally available in good retail shops, restaurants and over the Internet. Prices are those paid in liquor shops in the New York region.
Tasting coordinator: Bernard Kirsch
Gin pwns
Discuss.
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