Gin
Neutral spirit redistilled with juniper and a botanical bill — the backbone of the Martini.
Gin is a juniper-forward spirit: a neutral base redistilled with juniper berries plus a supporting cast of botanicals — coriander, citrus peel, angelica, orris root, cassia, and whatever else the distiller chooses. The style varies wildly. London Dry is dry, crisp, juniper-led (Beefeater, Tanqueray, Sipsmith). Plymouth is softer and slightly sweeter. Contemporary gins push floral or citrus botanicals forward at the expense of juniper (Hendrick's, Monkey 47). The choice matters more than it does with vodka — a floral gin makes a different Negroni than a classic London Dry does. For most classic cocktails, reach for a London Dry.
History
Descended from Dutch jenever, gin exploded in 18th-century London during the 'Gin Craze' when the poor could drink themselves to death on cheap, badly made spirit. The Gin Acts and subsequent column-still distillation produced the cleaner London Dry style we know today.
Common uses
Gin & Tonic, Martini, Negroni, Gimlet, Tom Collins, and most early-20th-century classics.
Cocktails that use Gin
- Negroni — Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — perfectly bitter
- Gin & Tonic — Crisp gin and tonic water over ice — a timeless colonial classic
- Bee's Knees — Gin, honey syrup, and fresh lemon — a Prohibition-era classic
- Last Word — Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime — complex and assertive
- Aviation — Gin, maraschino, crème de violette, and lemon — sky-blue and floral
- Corpse Reviver #2 — Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, lemon, and an absinthe rinse
Substitutes
- London Dry Gin — Literally a style of gin; any London Dry works here.
- Vodka — Only if you want to strip the botanical character — not a real substitute.