Mister Cocktail

This is just one perfect day for another G&T Sunday-review. One of the first real spring-days, at least here in Amsterdam. My choice for today is Bombay Sapphire Gin and since I’ve still got some bottles of Fever Tree, I figured I’d just try that combination. The gin I’m using today has a different method of distillation than the one from last week , although both Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray are London Dry Gins. The main difference lies in the fact that Bombay Sapphire uses a vapour distillation, in which it allows the vapours of the grain alcohol to pass the botanicals to infuse the spirit. The spirit has a lighter character than most other gins and this is exactly why Bombay Sapphire has been produced: to attract people who like a lighter spirit, but more exciting than plain vodka. There are 10 botanicals that are used for producing Bombay Sapphire, adding a lot of depth to the gin, although it remains quite a light gin overall.

Just like last week, my tonic of choice is Fever Tree, quite a young brand that goes back to the origins of Tonic Water. It uses quinine, which gives it a somewhat bitter flavour, balanced with a pleasant sweetness. Subtle citric notes complete the palate, so a very pleasant tonic water in itself.

Now how do these two combine? Does the light character of the gin have enough strength to work with the flavours in fever Tree? The nice thing is that together these products become a very interesting mix, complementing each other nicely. Because the juniper is not so heavy in Bombay Sapphire, the upper tones in flavour are those of citrus, coming from the coriander and lemon in Bombay and also from the tonic itself. The bitter elements in Fever Tree are still there, and the sweet notes in Bombay Sapphire, like cinnamon and liquorice balance it out quite nicely. The smell of the two combined is especially nice: the vapour distillation of the gin delivers a light-bodied spirit, but with a strong nose. Fever Tree is well carbonated, so these aromas reach your nose before you take a sip – an extra dimension to the taste. You can add a part of fresh lime of lemon to the drink, which will freshen it up. Nice tip I got from a bartender: add a mintsprig to the drink, that will add even more flavour to the G&T.

To me, this is a very refreshing G&T, perfect for a lazy afternoon drink in the sun. You can drink a few of these without getting that juniper-belly, which too me is good when I want to drink, well, a few. The drink gets better when it’s a bit diluted, the bitter edges are taken off making it even better.

Rating: 8.0/10

Method:

Mix 50 ml /1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire in a longdrink with lots of ice. Top up with Fever Tree Tonic Water and add lime or lemon if you’d like. Give a gentle stir and serve.

Thinking of what would be the perfect mix for as lazy Sunday afternoon, I started thinking of one of my favourite mixes: the good old Gin & Tonic. Now, as one can understand, one G&T can vary greatly from the other, when using a different gin, tonic or garnish. You can compare it to driving a car. Every car does the same: it takes you from A to B, but how you get to your destination depends on what kind of car you drive. Therfore, I will post about a different Gin & Tonic each Sunday, explaining about the different combinations.

First in this series is the Hendrick’s Gin & Fentiman’s Tonic. Now, you may have noticed this peculiar Gin in a bar or in a liquorstore. It has a distinctive bottle, resembling an Apothecary bottle from long time ago, coloured almost black. When you turn the bottle, you may notice the sentence “It is not for Everyone” and I must say: it isn’t. You can read the ingredients on the back label as well and the first stage of the ditillation is making a ‘vapour-distilled’ gin, which could be classified as a London Dry Gin. In this first step, ‘ordinary’ botanicals are infused in a neutral grain spirit. Think of Juniper, Coriander and Citrus Peel. But Hendrick’s Gin becomes, well, Hendrick’s Gin after the addition of two extra infusions: Cucumber and Rose Petals. Here’s a link to their blog, where you can read a lot more about their gin.

As a tonic, I chose Fentiman’s for today, which actually is nor the cheapest, nor the easiest to find, but it was the only one I had in my fridge and I was too lazy to leave the house to buy another tonic. Fentiman’s has a distinct citrussy flavour, which comes from the lemongrass and lime leaves and the infusion with juniper makes it a very good companion for any gin.

The combination with Hendrick’s is pretty good but makes the mix somewhat less accessible, with the lemony notes of the Fentiman’s competing with the cucumber infusions in the Hendrick’s Gin. But at the same time, new flavours appear in the drink, giving it new accents: you can get some licorice, some floral freshness and some bitter notes appear as well. Bare in mind that it needs some dilution and chilling, so make sure to use enough ice. All in all a good mix, with 2 great ingredients, but they are not the perfect match.

Rating: 6/10

Method:

Mix 35 ml Hendrick’s Gin in a longdrink (or teacup, it is Sunday after all!) and fill with icecubes. Pour in 100 – 150 ml of Fentiman’s Tonic, add 3 thin slices of cucumber and stir.

Since the rise & rise of the Cosmopolitan cocktail, cranberry juice has been enormously popular for use in longdrinks and cocktails. Besides the Cosmopolitan, the Cape Codder and the Seabreeze are easy mixes and very resfreshing. When drank pure, the drink tends to be quite bitter and strong, so can be diluted with water or, more logically, mixed with spirits.

Recently, a new brand has been launched, called Canadian Red which takes care of this issue. Its flavour is much more accessible and mixible then more well-known brands. Especially when drunk chilled over ice, it is a perfect refresher for any moment and, even better, a great ingredient for your Cosmo’s and Cape Codders!