Celebrating World Gin Day – June 9th

…..June 9th is the fourth annual World Gin Day and promises to be the biggest celebration yet! For those of you who didn’t know, the second Saturday in June is now World Gin Day, a day where you can sit back relax, and sip your celebration of one of the worlds most beloved spirits, Gin.

For a breif history: Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries. Today, the gin category is one of the most popular and widely distributed range of spirits, and is represented by products of various origins, styles, and flavor profiles that all revolve around juniper as a common ingredient.Although several different styles of gin have evolved, it is legally differentiated into four categories in the European Union, with two of those four (Distilled Gin and Compound Gin) being officially recognised in the U.S. Those four inclise Juniper flavored spirits, Gin, London gin, and Distilled gin. Like many other spirits and cocktails, it’s beginnings are argued but it is most widely believed to be of Dutch origin.

Now if you’re like me, your earlier familiarity of gin came from the man of mystery himself, Mr Bond…James Bond. He put the martini on the map and with it the commercial acceptance of Gin. Though i’m not a fan of the martini (the original or the vodka version that many love), I am a huge fan of gin, its complexities, and its amazing summer refresh-ness. With that said, if you’re in the market for a gin for your collection and get a bit overwhelmed by the many brands flooding your shelf, here’s a little assist from the folks at AskMen.com in a recent voting they did.  Their top 10 are as follows:

1. Hendricks (My Personal Favorite)
2. Genevieve by Anchor Distilling Company
3. G’vine Gin
4. Bombay Sapphire (My 2nd Favorite)
5. Leopold’s Small Batch
6. Blue Ribbon London Dry
7. Plymouth Gin
8. Martin Millers London Dry
9. Tanqueray Gin
10. Gordons London Dry

Aviation

• 1 ½ oz Gin
• ½ oz Maraschino liquer
• ¼ oz Creme de Violette
• ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Maraschino cherry
• Ice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add all ingredients and shake. Strain the liquid into a chilled glass, then twist a lemon zest over the surface of the cocktail to release the essential oils onto a drink, then discard the zest. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry and you’re up and away.

Tom Collins (My Summer drink of choice)

• 2 oz Bombay Sapphire
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 oz soda water
• 2tsp caster sugar
• Wedge of fresh lemon
• Ice

Add the lemon juice and sugar to a tall glass and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Bombay Sapphire then fill the glass with ice and stir. Top up with soda water and stir carefully once more. Garnish with 1 fresh lemon wedge. Perfection on the palate.

The Negroni