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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/51774
Gin from Holland in the Tangerine Dream ($14), a French 75 riff with Champagne, lime and muddled kiwi and orange. "Th e fl oral notes from Nolet's really add a new element." Meat Market stocks eight gins priced $14 to $18 a pour. While De Bernadinis appreciates today's ample variety of gin brands, she hopes that the additional of other more overt fl avors of some distillers don't cover up the base product too much and make them indistinguishable from fl avored vodka. Speaking of vodka, these modern gins, which are often softer Tristan offers a twist on the classic Aviation. and less evocative of a freshly cut Christmas tree, can be used to appeal to afi cionados of that other clear spirit. "With 'lighter,' more approachable 'stepping stone' gins on the market, like New Amsterdam and Hendrick's, vodka drinkers are giving gin drinks more of a chance," notes Ken Maciejewski, bar manager for Tristan, a 130-seat modern American venue in Charleston, South Carolina, which stocks nine gins priced from $3 to $5. Tristan's menu lists eight cocktails, and always includes both a dry gin cocktail and a smooth "beginner" one. Th e Daisy ($9) tames very juniper-forward Tanqueray with St. Germain, limoncello, Dolin Blanc Vermouth and grapefruit bitters. But the trick, says Th omson, is not to push too hard. "You can't just swap out their vodka martini for a gin one and expect results every time." Woodfi re Grill often tempts vodka lovers with the Bartender's versatile, so the drinks I make with it are either very refreshing or herbaceous." He goes on to add that that while the drinks on his list haven't really changed, the gins have. Russell House Tavern stocks eleven gins priced $9 to $12, and Butler's favorite go-to bottles are England's Oxley, TRU Organic Gin from California and Philadelphia's Bluecoat Gin. EXPANDING STYLES Indeed, the release of so many new gins over the past few years has seen the category expanding and changing. 'Th is ain't your grandaddy's London Dry' seems like the new motto of the gin industry today," declares Morley. "It's a paradise for bartenders. Gin isn't just about juniper anymore." So-called New Western Style gins—represented by brands including Hendricks, Bluecoat and Aviation—tend to downplay juniper in favor of other botanicals, from cucumber and rose, to ginger and citrus. Morley gravitates to soft and bright Leopold's American Small Batch Gin for Th e Napier ($10), with Crème de Violette, Cocchi Americano, grapefruit and Luxardo Bitters; and Violet's Vice ($10), where Aviation Gin is mixed with a blueberry shrub, cream, maple syrup and Peychaud's Bitters. One major benefi t of the increased availability of a wide assortment of gin brands is fl exibility. "We have to know that not every gin is meant to be in a Negroni or a Martini," explains Th omson. Taste is the fi nal arbiter—there is room for all of the gins in our bag of tricks." Sampling each gin neat (or cut with water), as well as in a Gin and Tonic and a Martini, is a great way to determine its style and fl avor profi le, and ultimately in what cocktails a bottle will—and won't—work. At Meat Market, the 180-seat steakhouse in Miami's South Beach, beverage director Brijette De Bernadinis uses Nolet's 40 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 Choice ($10), a DIY-style drink where guests select "white or brown" and give the bartender free reign. "We see it quite often at the bar: [as in] 'I want the Bartender's Choice but I only drink vodka,' " Morley says amusedly. If the guest is game, he'll mix up a classic gin cocktail to demonstrate that with the right proportions, the spirit will be in balance with the other ingredients. "If all ingredients are complementing each other, it will probably convert them." In both classic and contemporary cocktails, gin is here to stay, say operators. But that's not to say that other formerly overlooked mix-worthy categories aren't chomping at its heels. "Th ere are many more spirits at the party for mixologist," declares Butler. "Tequila, Mezcal and rum are dancing along with gin, but gin has not fallen off the charts." As the expanding gin category has proven, more choices behind the bar—in all spirits categories— translate to more creativity and fl avor on the menu. And that's a win-win for the bartender and guest alike. Kelly Magyarics is a wine and spirits writer, and wine educator, in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website, www.kellymagyarics.com, and on www.twitter.com/ kmagyarics. ANOTHER ROUND Visit CheersOnline.com/more for the latest about some lesser-known gins. Or use your smart phone to instantly scan the image to the right. The Cheers' handbooks are available at www.beveragehandbooks.com. www.cheersonline.com