Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gin

Gin and tonic - with a twist - in San Francisco

The Shiny Thing — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:06:57 -0800

I'm going to Wootstock in San Francisco on Tuesday night, and will be craving a gin and tonic afterward - specifically Junipero, because of this thread. So, at the risk of turning MeFi into a gin palace: can anyone recommend a nice bar near the Swedish American Hall that serves a mean Junipero and tonic? And if anyone's in the area, give me a shout - the more the merrier, etc. etc.

What is the gin to rule them all?

mathiu — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:11:58 -0800

What is - in your opinion - the gin to rule them all? On a related note: Fruity, flowery, french gin I had that one night? I'm looking for a specific gin I had a few years ago - it was a french product I consumed in France and it had a distinctive fruity/herby note to it that made for a really good gin tonic.

Will drinking aged mint gin kill me?

Damn That Television — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:57:17 -0800

Friends sent me two in-flight-sized bottles of alcohol: a bottle of "mint gin" and a bottle of vodka. They are of unknown age (probably at least the early 1970s, possibly even older) and most likely American provenance. They appear to be unopened. Can I die/suffer permanent injury from drinking them?

That's not a mojito, it's a pesky mosquito!

Funmonkey1 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:48:05 -0800

[End of Summer Drinks Filter]: Scandinavian summer is quickly coming to a close, and I need some great ideas for end of summer cocktails! Looking for new and exciting instead of the usual spirit and mixer stuff. Thanks follow mefite imbibers for your advice! Having a big party next week to celebrate the close of summer, as everyone is back to work after July off.

What kind of cocktails would be best suited to an outdoor fest where the weather will be on the warmer sides of the 70s (22-27C). We have a full bar and juices etc. can be sourced.

Important to note that speed plays a role. What we don't want is a punchbowl, just some great drinks. Think along the lines of a fully stocked bar with blenders etc.

La bonita baracha and her salty spice

Nelson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:45:42 -0800

Help me figure out how to reproduce this delicious cocktail I drank at Montage in Portland. Secret ingredient? Sriracha hot sauce. Last week while visiting Portland I went to Le Bistro Montage. On the menu was a drink called "La Bonita Boracha" (sic) whose ingredients were so ridiculous I had to ask the waiter if it was a joke. As listed on the menu: Aviation gin, Sriracha hot sauce, mint, lemon, lime. On the rocks with a salted rim.

I ordered one and damn it was delicious. Didn't taste like a novelty drink at all. It worked as a proper cocktail, albeit a bit odd with the salty / hot / garlicky vibe. The drink also seemed a bit tempered by sweetness. It tasted pretty unique, but the closest comparison I can come up with is Thai tamarind candy.

I want to make one at home. I can't go back and bribe a bartender for the recipe and I tried emailing the restaurant but got no response. My first attempt was a nearly undrinkable disaster, so I'm trying to puzzle it out. My guess for the cocktail is 2 parts gin, 1 part sour, 1 part sweet. Add the mint and sriracha as flavouring garnishes.

But I feel like I'm missing something here, particularly since the ingredient list didn't mention anything sweet but I swear it had something. Aviation Gin doesn't look particularly unusual, not like a sweet Jenever or anything. Rose's lime juice? (shudder). Any other hot sauce or garlicky cocktails that I could use as inspiration?

Tasty crops for a gin garden?

potch — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:11:19 -0800

Seeking appropriate and flavorful crop suggestions for my gin garden. I want to infuse my own gin with herbs and other things grown in a garden. What are some suggestions of exciting and tasty things I can plant in the herbs and vegetation department? Bonus points for being able to grow them in a pot (not much bed next to my patio), and for being relatively easy to maintain. Cheers!

Delicious Tonic for Gin+Tonics

1024x768 — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:46:51 -0800

The best Tonic for a Gin and Tonic... I'm looking for high quality tonic water for a Gin and Tonic. I've tried Schweppes and Canada Dry, but I'm looking for a more flavorful and higher quality drink.

Criteria:
1) Must contain an appropriate quantity of genuine quinine.
2) Should use real sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup.
3) Should be flavorful and specifically mix well with Gin. Especially Hendrick's (yum).

I am in the US so (2) above is a bit hard to find, since virtually every carbonated beverage here is saturated with high fructose corn syrup. I am more specifically located in the suburbs of Chicago, so I should have access to anything that has a fairly wide distribution.

Any other suggestions on making an absolutely delicious Gin and Tonic are welcome.

Finding and shipping Hendrick's Gin online

frogan — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:35:38 -0800

BoozeFilter: Google-Fu failing me. Where can I purchase a bottle of Hendrick's Gin online and have it shipped to Washington state? Somebody needs to get drunk, fast. Where can I purchase a bottle of Hendrick's Gin online and have it shipped to Washington state?

The domestic martini

randomination — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 11:40:52 -0800

My parents have been given a bottle of imported gin for Christmas. They are teetotal. While I do drink, I hate gin. Does gin have any household applications? By household applications, I mean things such as cleaning metal, polishing surfaces, deterring squirrels, etc... The things you would find in a "Top tips" section in Chat! magazine or such.

Where can I buy Xoriguer?

sulaine — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:05:50 -0800

Help me find this Menorcan Gin: GIN XORIGUER. I live in the US (Wisconsin). I would rather not may 30 euros or more in shipping. Any ideas?

What's the best way to appreciate gin?

GuyZero — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 13:53:33 -0800

What's the best way to appreciate gin? So last night I was at a bar that stocked about 15 different brands of gin. I like gin well enough, but after trying a couple with tonic water, I found that what with the ice and tonic, it was hard to really taste the difference between them. So what's the best way to appreciate the unique characteristics of a specific gin? Should I just drink it neat or with water, like whiskey? I'm not really a martini drinker, but if that's somehow different from G&T, let me now

Martini partini

Rothko — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 20:33:28 -0800

Dry, veddy veddy dry... I'll be hosting a martini party next week. Fellow suppers, please suggest the best ingredients and recipes for your favorite martinis. Feel free to include unconventional cocktail drinks that would do well in a martini glass, such as gimlets, Cosmos, appletinis and crantinis...

Gin and Tonics

geoff. — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 12:41:06 -0800

Gin and tonic demonic, bodies smell like chronic... so a couple weeks ago I discovered the drink known as gin and tonic. It had a small lime slice, ice and apparently just gin and tonic. I am totally not a cocktail person (wine and beer) and I have no hard liquors currently. How would I go preparing this Sprite-like contraption so it doesn't reek of a Victorian commoner. Details and general cocktail advice appreciated within. I tried making it at a friend's house and it definitely wasn't the gin and tonic I had at this bar, as this reeked of gin and was quite gross. I was drinking with a wonderful English bloke who kept ordering me gin and tonics, so I'm guessing the bar didn't do anything beyond the basics or he probably would have told me.

The Internet is a wealth of unrated information, thus I turn to my favorite online alcoholics. Here's what I've been trying (culled from the most basic Internet resources):

2 oz Bombay Sapphire
5 oz Canadian Tonic
Ice
Lime wedge

First of all, buying and cutting up limes for is annoying. Can this be substituted? I didn't notice the bartender shaking the drinks, so I have not bought a shaker -- should I get one of these contraptions?

My gin and tonics just don't have that touch yet, and I'm blaming it on the shaker. Any advice on anything here? I'm not swearing allegiance to any alcohol brand -- I just figured Bombay Sapphire was the best.

My last question will sound stupid and therefore I will try to answer it myself so I don't seem like such a dweeb. I'm having a large party in several weeks here and would love to serve my guests my new favorite drink (whom I'm sure probably have never tried it, as a lot of people my age consider it a grandpa drink) -- I don't want to be spending all night bartending. Can I make a large batch of gin and tonic and have it so all I have to do is pour it a glass? I'm guessing no because the gin will settle at the bottom. I'm not willing to waste a whole bottle trying it out though.

Okay I lied, I guess I have another question now too -- any cocktails I can easily make it batches? Like rum and coke and such?

Sorry I'm really, really naive as it comes to cocktails. As I just started doing the whole "old enough to drink" thing when Sex and the City and the pink cocktail craze was starting -- I thought anything except Jack and Coke was to be blunt, a little fruity. And I would like to share with the world my new appreciation of these old favorites.

The science of alcohol

Juicylicious — Thu, 13 May 2004 11:43:45 -0800

I know that there are no carbs in hard liquor (gin, vodka, etc), but why? I've been told that the carbs are burnt off in the distilling process, but I'd like to know exactly how that occurs. Weblinks are helpful.

Martini Etiquette

machaus — Fri, 19 Dec 2003 12:17:13 -0800

Speaking of booze, I'm new to martinis. What's the accepted shorthand way of asking for the classic "gin, vermouth, stirred, olives" version? Too often I end up with a drink that got too much olive juice or ice bits, or the bartender asks me if I want *cringe* vodka.