Gin Flashcards
London Dry Gin
“London dry: A big, high-proof (usually at least 45% ABV), aggressive, crisp style of gin with prominent flavors of juniper and citrus. The London dry style is widely considered the benchmark for all other gin. While it is associated with the city, it does not need to be made in London; in fact, only a couple of London dry gins are actually made in London proper. London dry is an invaluable tool in the bartender’s arsenal, being indispensable for citrusy and boozy cocktails alike. A gimlet is a thing of beauty with a sharp gin like Beefeater, just as the strong personality of a Tanqueray is perfect in a Negroni.
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Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Raw Materials
“Gin is made by redistilling a high-proof neutral spirit with botanicals, which always includes juniper, but may also include orange peel, lemon peel, angelica root, anise, caraway, cassia, coriander, cocoa, bitter almonds, orris root, and many others, depending on the brand. After redistillation, the spirit is cut to proof with water.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Geography
“Originally from Holland, where it was called genever, gin is now made all over the world. However, the majority of popular gin brands are distilled in the United Kingdom.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Plymouth Gin
“A gentle, citrus-forward style of gin similar to traditional London dry but with a lower ABV of 41.2%. Plymouth gin is distilled at a specific distillery in Plymouth, England. Also available in the higher-proof (at least 57% ABV) navy strength—the perfect platform for a stiff martini.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Old Tom
“London dry’s historical cousin, boasting a similar juniper-forward flavor profile but with a richer body and sweeter flavor. Traditionally, Old Tom gin was sweetened with sugar and had added botanicals. Although this stemmed from the need to cover up poorly made distillates, it also provided an opportunity to increase the amount of botanicals in the gin. After largely disappearing from cocktaildom in the latter half of the twentieth century, Old Tom has made a recent comeback and has evolved into a distinct category, unique in its vibrancy and punch. Most old cocktail recipes that call for gin are actually referring to the Old Tom style, and a Tom Collins made with a quality Old Tom is a revelation.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Genever
“The granddaddy of all gin, genever was created by the Dutch as a delivery system for juniper, which was thought to offer protection from the plague. Genever is distilled from a malted wine base and then redistilled with botanicals. Its flavor profile is sweeter and richer than that of any other style of gin, almost like an unaged whiskey with a hint of botanicals.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
New Style
“Also called “New Western” or “American” to indicate that this is the Wild West of gin. The category encompasses basically any style of botanical distillate that doesn’t fall directly under one of the categories above. Most take flavor or style cues from the classic gin styles, then add or subtract botanicals and experiment with different raw materials for the base spirit. As with all gins, juniper is a constant, though in varying degrees of intensity.
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Beefeater Dry Gin
“Beefeater London Dry Gin: Death & Co opened with two gins in its speed rack: Beefeater and Plymouth. Beefeater is a benchmark London dry gin that says hello with juniper on your first whiff, then opens up with orange, peppery, and spicy notes. It’s versatile enough to attach itself well to a variety of ingredients, and it can be part of a rowdier party in bracing cocktails like the Last Word.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Plymouth Gin
“Plymouth Gin: Both a brand and a style in itself, Plymouth is a softer and more elegant gin best utilized in drinks with delicate modifiers and citrus or floral flavors, including classics like the Aviation and French 75. Plymouth is also a great gateway gin: if customers swear they don’t like gin, we make them a South Side with Plymouth and watch them become converts.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Tanqueray
“Tanqueray London Dry Gin: Like Beefeater, Tanqueray is another quintessential London dry gin, and once we realized how well it stands up to—and collaborates with—other strong flavors, we added it to our repertoire. You can throw pretty much anything at Tanqueray and its assertive piney aroma will come through, especially when bridging the distinctive flavors found in amari and herbaceous liqueurs such as Chartreuse. Its high proof (47.3% ABV) gives body to drinks that don’t have added sugar. Our house Negroni is made with Tanqueray, which is our highest form of praise.”
Old Tom
“Hayman’s relaunched their version of this formerly forgotten style around the time we opened the bar, and although we rarely use it as the sole foundation for a drink, its delicate, approachable flavor makes for a versatile split base.
Ransom Old Tom Gin: Our pal and cocktail historian David Wondrich helped Oregon’s Ransom distillery re-create what they say is a more classic Old Tom, which they assert was not sweetened and was aged in barrels. Thus is the history of booze: rife with strong assertions but sometimes short on hard facts because everyone was drunk. Ransom is drier and has a more subtle maltiness than Hayman’s version, and the two play nice as a split base in our house Martinez. Ransom stands alone admirably in drinks like the Tom Bomb.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Bols Genever
“Unlike more modern styles of gin, this progenitor has a malt-forward flavor with subtle juniper and citrus notes. Bols reintroduced the style to the United States not long after Death & Co opened, and we quickly adopted it in drinks in which we wanted a malty, grainy base without reaching for whiskey, such as the Racketeer Julep. Not long after, Bols released a barrel-aged genever that adds a touch of spice and mint. We use it often in concert with other gins in split bases.”
Anchor Distilling Company Junipero Gin
“Sometimes you need gin to be a president, other times you need it to be a tyrant. This aggressive gin is the latter, with the proof (49.3% ABV) and focused botanicals that can carry classic, “ginny gin” drinks like a dry martini or Last Word.”
Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
Perry Tot’s Navy Strength Gin
“One of our early and most loyal regulars, Allen Katz, crafted this navy-strength (57% ABV) gin with cocktails in mind. Bold, spicy, and sweetened with wildflower honey, it can carry its complexity through drinks like the Commandant and is our favorite gin in a classic Gimlet.
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Excerpt From: David Kaplan. “Death & Co.” iBooks.
