Gin Lovers Unite!

[Decodence]

Tanq Ten for martinis
Tanq for G&Ts
Seagram's when I'm broke.

 

[Lee M Roberts]

Mother's Ruin! Drink of the gods! My favourite drink by far.

Not too picky on the brand as the juniper berries make even the cheapest I've tried palatable.

A small squeeze of lemon, a bit of ice and some super cool Indian Tonic Water. Great stuff!

 

[MB5]

Bombay non-Sapphire - does anyone happen to know where on earth (rather literally, I'm afraid) one can get it?

My Bashas' grocery store carries it in Northern Arizona.

 

[EvenOdd]

I don't want to be patronising, particularly as your taste in martinis is very good (read: close to mine ), but there are two meanings of dry martini.

The original meaning is a martini made with dry vermouth, as opposed to sweet vermouth. The ratio of vermouth and gin doesn't have anything to do with it, in fact much more vermouth was usually added than today.

Nowadays, dry is used to indicate a higher level of alcohol, that is more gin. Or typically v*dka, I suppose. Free country and all that. And the more alcohol, the more of a man you are, so "dry" martinis with v*dka from the freezer to avoid the diluting ice, and with a stupid Churchillean hint of vermouth from the duster seem to be considered hip. The giant olives in the giant glasses are mainly there to keep the indispensible umbrellas. But I digress.

The other common misunderstanding (historically, that is - language changes!) is the one about the Perfect Martini. Whatever the perfect martini is for me, a Perfect, or Perfect Martini is one that has the same amount of dry and sweet martini (plus the gin and often a dash of Angostura).

I'm a youngster, so I've always known 'dry' as meaning more manly, I mean, more alcoholic. I didn't think of it meaning which vermouth. And speaking of dry and sweet vermouth, I need to try it with sweet vermouth, and perhaps with a bit of both as "Perfect".

 

[The Reno Kid]

The original meaning is a martini made with dry vermouth, as opposed to sweet vermouth. The ratio of vermouth and gin doesn't have anything to do with it, in fact much more vermouth was usually added than today...

...The other common misunderstanding (historically, that is - language changes!) is the one about the Perfect Martini. Whatever the perfect martini is for me, a Perfect, or Perfect Martini is one that has the same amount of dry and sweet martini (plus the gin and often a dash of Angostura).

Maybe I don't get out enough. I've been drinking martinis for more years than I can comfortably admit and I swear to God, I have never even heard of a martini made with anything but dry vermouth.[huh] Is it just me?

 

[CharlesB]

Hendricks or bombay sapphire with a thin slice of cucumber in it

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Hendricks or bombay sapphire with a thin slice of cucumber in it

If you use Bombay Sapphire, you can even forgo the cucumber, as this brand has a taste of its own.

 

[scotrace]

Bombay, it seems, makes me royally grouchy.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Uh oh. Sounds ominous. Bombay or Bambay Sapphire, scotrace?
I was drinking Gilbey's but splurged on Bombay Sapphire and have just cracked that bottle open. I'm always up for trying new tastes, however.
Over Thanksgiving, my brother insisted on making my sister a Martini with no vermouth, mentioning Churchill. That's just cold gin, which to me is a KISS song. My sister had me re-make the beverage to her liking.

 

[scotrace]

The regular stuff. Tastes good though.

 

[CharlesB]

CUCUMBER FOR THE WIN!

 

[LocktownDog]

Maybe I don't get out enough. I've been drinking martinis for more years than I can comfortably admit and I swear to God, I have never even heard of a martini made with anything but dry vermouth.[huh] Is it just me?

Its not just you. I couldn't even fathom a martini made with sweet vermouth.

Richard

 

[Mojito]

We had a bit of an 'incident' with one of the gin bottles today. My sister and her kids are staying with us for a couple of weeks prior to moving over to Singapore. My not-quite-four year-old niece is a real action bundle. We were bemused to discover my huge, heavy granite mortar and pestle (usually used for crushing ice and muddling) had somehow been moved onto the floor, and were filled with a clear liquid. I assumed water, but a sniff revealed it was gin.

I was relieved to find it was the bottle of Gordons and not the Bombay Sapphire or Tanquery that she'd emptied into it!

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Its not just you. I couldn't even fathom a martini made with sweet vermouth.

Richard

You really would have hated the earliest incarnation of the Martini, as it was made with Old Tom Gin, and Italian Sweet Vermouth.

The term Dry Martini came about when the cocktail was modified to use French Dry Vermouth, and English style Gin, with a dash of Orange Bitters.

Unfortunately the term Dry Martini has morphed into a cold glass of shaken Gin in these modern times. :rage:

 

[Fletch]

Nowadays, dry is used to indicate a higher level of alcohol, that is more gin. Or typically v*dka, I suppose. Free country and all that.

I always agree with purists that a martini with vodka is not a martini - it's a vodka martini. (Or vodkatini.)

And the more alcohol, the more of a man you are, so "dry" martinis with v*dka from the freezer to avoid the diluting ice

A better reason for the freezer is so the drink is colder. 0°F booze splashed with a modest amount of mixer has to be colder than room temperature booze and mixer agitated with 0° ice.

Anybody put their gin in the freezer? Or does the juniper bruise there, too?

 

[Feraud]

I always thought the Martini was gin, vermouth (sweet or dry) and bitters stirred with ice. All else is a Martini spinoff.

And the more alcohol, the more of a man you are, so "dry" martinis with v*dka from the freezer to avoid the diluting ice, and with a stupid Churchillean hint of vermouth from the duster seem to be considered hip.

I assume the more alcohol/manly you are comment is a joke but... the ice is not to dilute the drink but chill it. The addition of the melted ice water "opens" up the flavors. 2 oz of gin is still 2 ounces.. stirring with ice does not dilute a drink to undrinkable (less manly ) proportions.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

...I've been enjoying Broker's Gin. Nice botanicals, and I love their hat theme. What's not to like about a bottle of gin that admonishes "Don't forget your hat!"

I quite agree; it's an adorable bottle with its hat cap, and the gin inside isn't bad either. I'm quite fond of Citadelle as well; it's silky smooth and makes a lovely gin-and-tonic.

Really, most name brand gins bring me pleasure. There's much quality in the category.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I've kept the gin in the freezer for ages, since someone suggested it as THE way to be able to whip up an icy cold martini without ice diluting it. It makes the gin just slightly thicker as well. But there are those who also say a small amount of water from the melting ice is an integral part of the mix. The big economy size bottles are on the bar and I use those to refill the smaller bottles in the freezer (various friends prefer Boodles, Tangueray, Bombay plain, Bombay Sapphire, plus there's a Absolut Citron and plain for those who prefer a kanagroo to a true martini).

 

[Emmababy]

I take it everywhich way

It's my favourite drink ever, I adore it.

 

[Boodles]

Boodles, from which I pirated my name for this forum, Beefeaters, Plymounth, and either of the Bombay versions are all quite nice gin. If you have not tried Gordon's in a long while, especially if you mix gin, you owe it to Bogey to fetch yourself a jar. For many of us who best know Commander Bond from the movies, we missed the drink Flemming describes for Bond. As opposed to the well known Smironff vodka martini the written Bond actually more often went for what was probably a Vesper, 2 gin, 1 vodka and 1/2 Lillet. Most excellent.