Question about gin

[NetWareHead]

So here is the problem I realized while pouring last night's evening drink: Good liquor is meant to be served by itself or maybe with some ice. Examples: You would never mix good scotch with seven-up. You drink it either with a splash of water or no ice at all. You would never mix good rum with coke. And so on and so on. The good top shelf liquor needs less mixer and can stand up by itself. If you like the taste of rum and coke, you stick with the cheap rum for instance.

I like gin but I always like to mix it with something. Usually a variation of these 3 drinks: tonic and lime, lime juice (gin gimlet) or a martini (either vermouth or dirty). I realized I am breaking my own rule of mixing expensive gin with a mixer. I usually buy hendricks, bombay sapphire, citadelle etc...

I can sip straight gin to analyze the taste and appreciate the craftsmenship, I dont usually enjoy it that way. So why am I buying expensive gin if I am going to dump tonic or olive juice in it? Makes any sense?

Maybe I can save some money and find a good middle shelf gin good for mixing. What do you think?

 

[Nograts]

Gin is up there with the nastiest shit you could be drinking. My parents drink the hell out of gin (Gordon's with tonic). Shit is nasty bad.

Shots of Svedka all night long. Maybe with a coke chaser.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Not a gin fan, except for (old) Dutch Jenever. Drink it at fridge temp.

 

[herm0016]

I like Gin. Don't listen to Elevenpog.

Gin and Tonic is a good way to taste the difference in good Gin. I can drink something like Vapor Distillery Gin with with just an ice cube.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Reminds me of my good buddy who drinks Tanqueray on the rocks. Every time I'm with him at a bar, the bartender always questions that they heard him correctly .... "No mixer?" .... "On the rocks?" ..... "No Tonic...?" ... It never fails.

 

[NetWareHead]

Gin is up there with the nastiest shit you could be drinking. My parents drink the hell out of gin (Gordon's with tonic). Shit is nasty bad.

Shots of Svedka all night long. Maybe with a coke chaser.

I like it. I cant drink vodka straight. It tastes like rubbing alcohol. Yes quality vodka has a neutral taste to it. I can even taste and understand the difference between top and bottom shelf vodka but its something i dont enjoy by itself.

Interesting bc svedka is our usual mixing vodka. Relatively clean and surprisingly cheap; this is one vodka I could drink straight if I really had to.

 

[Nograts]

I like it. I cant drink vodka straight. It tastes like rubbing alcohol. Yes quality vodka has a neutral taste to it. I can even taste and understand the difference between top and bottom shelf vodka but its something i dont enjoy by itself.

The first shot is always rough. It gets smoother after that

 

[vi edit]

With Gin you are largely buying the botanicals and how it smells. Those aren't necessarily lost with tonic water so you can still tell a difference. You aren't drowning it in a pile of sugar or other flavors. Just simply diluting it a bit.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Try Titos if you can get it. Good enough to drink straight.

I like it. I cant drink vodka straight. It tastes like rubbing alcohol. Yes quality vodka has a neutral taste to it. I can even taste and understand the difference between top and bottom shelf vodka but its something i dont enjoy by itself.

Interesting bc svedka is our usual mixing vodka. Relatively clean and surprisingly cheap; this is one vodka I could drink straight if I really had to.

 

[PingviN]

You should drink whatever you like, however you like it. You don't need a whole lot of tonic, try starting by adding a splash. If you can't appreciate an expensive Gin, stick with the cheaper brands and spend your money on something else.

 

[Chiropteran]

That is the problem with America, lack of strong gin control.

 

[JulesMaximus]

With Gin you are largely buying the botanicals and how it smells. Those aren't necessarily lost with tonic water so you can still tell a difference. You aren't drowning it in a pile of sugar or other flavors. Just simply diluting it a bit.

Pretty much this. I don't think you're wasting good gin by mixing tonic with it. I'm not a gin drinker though. Now dirty martinis on the other hand. Those are nasty.

<--Vodka martini drinker.

 

[jlee]

Gin is up there with the nastiest shit you could be drinking. My parents drink the hell out of gin (Gordon's with tonic). Shit is nasty bad.

Shots of Svedka all night long. Maybe with a coke chaser.

Gordon's is $14.99 for 1.75 liters. 43 cents per 50ml. What exactly do you expect for that price?

Now if you have a properly prepared Barr Hill with good tonic and you still don't like it, then perhaps you don't like gin.

 

[Chiropteran]

I thought gin & tonic was gross before I tasted tonic alone. It's not the gin's fault!

 

[nakedfrog]

I thought gin & tonic was gross before I tasted tonic alone. It's not the gin's fault!

But it's not helping!

 

[ElFenix]

gin is a fantastic mixing spirit. a lot of refreshing summer drinks are based on gin, in addition to the classic martini and g&t. when it gets hot out, try a rickey, a gimlet, gin fizz (esp. the ramos gin fizz), greyhound (add salt for a salty dog), negroni, aviation, bee's knees, any sort of smash, and, if you want to get hammered, the french 75.

 

[vi edit]

gin is a fantastic mixing spirit. a lot of refreshing summer drinks are based on gin, in addition to the classic martini and g&t. when it gets hot out, try a rickey, a gimlet, gin fizz (esp. the ramos gin fizz), greyhound (add salt for a salty dog), negroni, aviation, bee's knees, any sort of smash, and, if you want to get hammered, the french 75.

I love gin based drinks for the simple fact that they typically aren't heavy sitting sugar bombs like many mixed drinks are. They are simple, yet interesting drinks that are easy sippers and don't give you a gut ache after two or three. And yes, they are at their best when it's very hot and humid.

Rangpur gin + tonic = YUM.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

I hated gin until recently. Been drinking a basic Bombay and tonic with lime. It's growing on me. Maybe I should start drinking with ElFenix.

gin is a fantastic mixing spirit. a lot of refreshing summer drinks are based on gin, in addition to the classic martini and g&t. when it gets hot out, try a rickey, a gimlet, gin fizz (esp. the ramos gin fizz), greyhound (add salt for a salty dog), negroni, aviation, bee's knees, any sort of smash, and, if you want to get hammered, the french 75.

 

[thegimp03]

I feel the same way as the OP. I've never had gin straight or on the rocks, whereas I've had pretty much everything else in all different forms. Gin and tonic is my go-to. Typically Bombay Sapphire or Hendrick's. Try out a Hendrick's, tonic, with a bit of muddled cucumber. Discovered this mixture a few years ago and it is bomb.

 

[NetWareHead]

With Gin you are largely buying the botanicals and how it smells. Those aren't necessarily lost with tonic water so you can still tell a difference. You aren't drowning it in a pile of sugar or other flavors. Just simply diluting it a bit.

I love gin based drinks for the simple fact that they typically aren't heavy sitting sugar bombs like many mixed drinks are. They are simple, yet interesting drinks that are easy sippers and don't give you a gut ache after two or three. And yes, they are at their best when it's very hot and humid.

Rangpur gin + tonic = YUM.

Hmm ok im coming around to your ideas. Gin may be one of those spirits that is acceptable to mix, even the top shelf stuff. Agree with your sugar bomb comment, gin doesnt lend itself to that type of cocktail. Usually the mixer compliments gin.

Now that I think about, even the method of mixing a gin cocktail is vastly different than mixing a rum and coke for instance. With a gin based cocktail, you mix for taste and for complimentary flavors. Usually a martini has just a splash of vermouth. A gimlet is not supposed to be overloaded with lime; but give it a hint. Contrast this with a rum and coke: keep pouring rum into the coke until u can taste the alcohol.

One of the best gins for a gimlet or gin & tonic IMO is hendricks. it has a cucumber essence infused into it that you can taste and is especially refreshing in the summer.

 

[DigDog]

Gin is up there with the nastiest shit you could be drinking. My parents drink the hell out of gin (Gordon's with tonic). Shit is nasty bad.

Shots of Svedka all night long. Maybe with a coke chaser.

what this guy said

 

[BoomerD]

I don't know how the fuck anyone can drink gin. IMO, there is no such thing as a "good gin." To me, it's all like drinking cooking oil.

 

[vi edit]

I don't know how the fuck anyone can drink gin. IMO, there is no such thing as a "good gin." To me, it's all like drinking cooking oil.

I can understand people calling it a sweaty Christmas tree, or a pine tree air freshener. But cooking oil? Da fuq kind of oil do you cook with old man?

 

[CraKaJaX]

I don't know how the fuck anyone can drink gin. IMO, there is no such thing as a "good gin." To me, it's all like drinking cooking oil.

wut? I've used olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc. Never have I come across an oil that smells like pine trees........... :hmm:

 

[BoomerD]

I can understand people calling it a sweaty Christmas tree, or a pine tree air freshener. But cooking oil? Da fuq kind of oil do you cook with old man?

wut? I've used olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc. Never have I come across an oil that smells like pine trees........... :hmm:

Youse guys are talking about the nasty juniper smell...I'm talking about the oily feel in the mouth that I get from gin.