As far as I can tell, the Journalist cocktail was invented sometime around 1930, and appeared in the Savoy Cocktail book at that time. It’s a dry, crisp, refreshing drink with some pretty decent complexity to it. Try this one out:
Journalist
Genius Gin is from Austin, Texas, a first product from a fairly new distillery. I got the opportunity to grab a bottle, and I’ve spent several weeks trying to get my head around it. Here’s what I think.
The botanicals in Genius include juniper (of course), cardamom, coriander, lime peel, lime leaf, and lavender. The last three ingredients take the taste of Genius is the direction of New American Gins like Aviation, Dry Fly, or Prairie, not a bitey, traditional London Dry like Tanqueray, Beefeater, or even Crater Lake. Genius Gin is a touch sweet, mild, and fruity, and because of this, the more common gin cocktails don’t work so great with it. I tried a martini and gin and tonic, and Genius’ mildness made it vanish with the stronger, more bitter vermouth or tonic.
Because I have spent a while with my bottle of Genius, and I have found some cocktails that work really well with it. Try these out:
Pink Gin
Austin Spritzer (by Greg Mays)
There are several cocktails I’ve run across that use the Negroni formula, which is 1:1:1 of vermouth, liquor, and amaro. There’s the Boulevardier, which uses bourbon, or the Old Pal, which gets rye in the mix. Well, here’s another take on that 1:1:1 mix that uses a different amaro (and one I’m pretty fond of): Cynar. Give it a name based on the Italian toast “cin cin,” (pronounced chin chin) and guzzle it down!
Cin-Cyn
Left Turn Distilling is the first distillery in Albuquerque, based on the research I’ve done. They’re making La Luz Vodka and Brothers Old Tom Gin right now, with plans for much more in the future.
The distillery is in an industrial part of Albuquerque and is a decent-sized facility with custom stills made by owner and distiller Brian Langwell. Brain was a welder in his former life, but has been home distilling since he got a chemistry set at 15. In the distillery, there’s a small tasting room where you can taste and buy their vodka or gin, with cocktail options too.
I’ve tried both of their current liquors, and they’re excellent. Yeah, maybe there’s 5% hometown pride in my taste buds (I blog from Albuquerque), but I’ve had a lot of booze, and these have a flavor that can rival top-shelf products.
La Luz Vodka is corn-based and sourced locally. I’m really fond of the syrupy sweetness a corn vodka can have, and La Luz is no exception. It has no harsh alcohol burn and is sweet on the tongue. This can easily take the place on your home bar shelf as a sipper or a mixer.
Brothers Old Tom Gin is one of less than ten Old Toms that are commercially distilled in the world. the Old Tom variety of gin hearkens back to the Gin Craze when folks drank gin out of wooden cats on the sides of bar walls. Gin of those days was sweet and high-citrus, usually to mask sinister ingredients like turpentine or acid. So how do you create a quality gin that’s based on its “bathtub” cousin? Ask Brain Langwell at Left Turn, because he did a great job.
I personally prefer a high-juniper gin and love the piney bite of a London Dry. I was admittedly nervous when Brian described Brothers as higher in citrus, less juniper, and basket vapor infused (like Bombay Sapphire). I was relieved to taste a quality gin with a nice bite, with just a touch of sweet that lingers on your tongue. The balance of flavors is great – this is a botanical-driven gin, and Brothers Old Tom has a flavor that a gin lover would appreciate, but it’s very unique – remember, there’s less than 10 of these in the world. This is an easy gin to drink straight, but the bottle also hails it as a “fine cocktail gin” too.
Left Turn is off to a great start, and Brian told me to expect whiskey and rum soon. With Left Turn Distilling’s products only available locally right now, the only bad news is that you have to come visit Albuquerque to try them.
Dry Fly is one of the Pacific Nothwest’s awesome distilleries, and I have enjoyed some great gins from their neighbors at Captive Spirits and 206 Distillery. I tried two Dry Fly gins: Washington Dry and Barrel Reserve, (a special-edition aged gin).
I would compare the flavor of Dry Fly Gin to both Aviation and Bilberry Black Hearts. Right off the bat, there’s a surprising sweetness, something like a combination of blueberries and wildflowers. I imagine the wheat they use to distill their gin gives it some sweetness too. Based on that flavor profile, maybe serve Dry Fly with tea, or in a Martini that’s a more soft, floral sip (with a lemon twist instead of an olive). If there was such a thing as the opposite of London Dry gin, Dry Fly might be it. It’ll run you $30 a bottle.
Now take that gin and put it in a barrel, and Dry Fly Barrel Reserve Gin emerges. There’s no reason to hold back here: I loved the taste of this gin. Barrel Reserve starts as cinnamon-spice thing that’s not at all harsh, then moves to an almond, then butter finish. It was more like experiencing a complex, flavorful rye whiskey than and gin I’ve had. Maybe it’s the softness of the original gin, or maybe they aged it in an awesome barrel….but this is a successful flavor experiment for sure. You’ll pay about $30 for Barrel Reserve too, in the 1/2 bottle size you see above,. It surely won’t not last longer than a week at my house.
Recently I stumbled onto a cocktail which I associated with a hair metal band that I loved in middle school (the White Lion), and I was pretty surprised to find another variant on the lion theme in a totally different cocktail book: What, When, Where, and How to Drink.
Compared to the White Lion (which is sort of red), the Red Lion is a pale yellow color (confusing, I know), but I suppose drinks can be named whatever people wanna name them. Regardless of color confusion, you should definitely try this refreshing lion out:
Red Lion Cocktail
Remember, you can download our free Simple Cocktails recipe booklet now and make better cocktails at home!
“Look a-yonder comin’
Comin’ down that railroad track
Hey, look a-yonder comin’
Comin’ down that railroad track
It’s the Orange Blossom Special
Bringin’ my baby back…” ~ Johnny Cash, Orange Blossom Special
Gin and orange juice make a great flavor combination, and I’ve begun to regularly prefer gin over vodka in my Screwdrivers. A while back, I had a spicy gin that made a particularly great combination with orange: Seattle’s Big Gin. Here’s an awesome, simple, tasty gin-and-orange cocktail you can try at home:
Orange Blossom Special
The Bee’s Knees is a classic gin cocktail, and I’ve added a dash of cocktail bitters to this drink to give it a new twist. I used Prairie Gin for this cocktail, like it’s Vodka bother, is an affordable ($20) organic gin that’s “made with respect” in Minnesota. This gin is definitely in the vein of the modern American gins, that is, toned down juniper with a more floral nose and a light, herbal finish.
The bitters I added to this drink are Mr. Lee’s Ancient Chinese Secret by Dashfire, and Mr. Lee’s adds an eastern aroma to your drinks – aromatics that will make you think of India, Egypt, and China. Because a Bee’s Knees doesn’t normally contain bitters (feel free to exclude them if you prefer to make the original drink) I updated the name for the cocktail, too:
Chinese Bee’s Knees (by Greg Mays)
Here’s a simple recipe for the Breakfast Martini, invented in 2000 and the most famous marmalade cocktail.
Breakfast Martini
Bennett
