Gin... Discuss

Phil V

Phil V

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Now I'm a working class northern bloke.

So my spirit of choice ought to be Whisky, but I really can't stand the stuff, I've tried, I've got mates who've tried to feed me some very expensive stuff, but I don't get it at all.

A few years ago, I accepted a G&T out of politeness, and it was a revelation. I still officially don't drink 'shorts', but I've started drinking better quality gin.

I started with Gordon's, then Bombay Sapphire which was supposedly 'better', the the Aldi small batch gin, I've now had Whittakers (gorgeous but very steep) and Whitley Neill.

The question is, how do I know what to try next? The supermarkets are full of 'interesting' gin, what's worth my hard earned cash?

@Sir SR may gave an answer, but I'm sure there's others too.

On a side note, I've got some rhubarb infusing ATM and I've found a local source of Sloes :banana:
 
Phil, it's the latest `thing` ;)

There are now quite a lot of gin festivals about My sister went to one in Hebden Bridge a couple of years ago ....... she's now hooked. :wacky: She actually texted my missus an hour ago to say she was on her 4th!!!! :LOL:
 
It's your feminine side coming out...

Loads of good gins about nowadays. You just have to start at one end of the country and work towards the other.

We've been looking for sloes up near Edinburgh. People are keeping quiet about locations!
 
I have heard it's trendy, but I didn't really think I was 'into' anything. (Could be wrong and I've fallen for something)

I've been drinking red wine for years, and sparkling white too (before prosecco became a thing we were comparing fizz from different countries), and I've been into decent beer for years too, but never really drunk spirits.
 
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OldCarlos said:
Stick your postcode in here; https://www.ginfestival.com/events/

Sheffield next week; (y) https://www.ginfestival.com/events/gin-festival-sheffield-2016

The price of some of the stuff is :eek:

I quite like it (in moderation) but even though my missus likes the stuff.....she's barred! Ever since we met 30+ yrs ago, if she has any gin, she's a changed personality, nasty & argumentative, so she no longer drinks it.
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That made things much worse, when I clicked I saw a branded gin glass, I'm already up to my armpits in beer glasses :oops: :$
 
Phil V said:
Now I'm a working class northern bloke.

So my spirit of choice ought to be Whisky, but I really can't stand the stuff, I've tried, I've got mates who've tried to feed me some very expensive stuff, but I don't get it at all.

A few years ago, I accepted a G&T out of politeness, and it was a revelation. I still officially don't drink 'shorts', but I've started drinking better quality gin.

I started with Gordon's, then Bombay Sapphire which was supposedly 'better', the the Aldi small batch gin, I've now had Whittakers (gorgeous but very steep) and Whitley Neill.

The question is, how do I know what to try next? The supermarkets are full of 'interesting' gin, what's worth my hard earned cash?

@Sir SR may gave an answer, but I'm sure there's others too.

On a side note, I've got some rhubarb infusing ATM and I've found a local source of Sloes :banana:
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I love a G&T and have tried most of the sub £30 gins (all the ones in Waitrose as they circulate offers down to the £22 territory and many others) and I really like the Adnams gin, Whitley Neil is very nice too, Gordons is actually pretty good (tastes like a good standard gin, nothing flash but does the basics properly), Bpmbay is a bit meh for me - it's nice but by no means the best and doesn't really justify the extra over Gordons, Tanquery is good for a robust full flavour too.

If I were to pick only one it would be Adnams or Whitley Neil.

For me though, it is more important to get good quality tonic, Fevertree is great but expensive and the next best is Waitrose essential (low cal is very good), Schwepps is virtually indistinguishable from Aldi tonic so I would buy Aldi over Schwepps. LOTS of ice is important too, you should only really be mixing 1 gin to 3 or 4 tonics (or you lose the taste of the gin) so ice is a good way of filling the glass and keeping it cool.

For fun you can try other fruit toppings, I prefer lemon over lime (but lime with vodka), cucumber is good (especially with Hendricks) and actually I really like strawberries in my G&T.
 
tbh, you don't `need` tonic with some of the better gins. There is so much choice of flavours these days it's unreal.
 
Like you I also hate whisky, but I can't stand Gin either sorry, i'm more of a Grappa, Sambuca or Strega type of bloke.
 
My mum lives in Chiswick, which has become a fairly affluent area of west London - nearby is a place called Charlottes - http://charlottes.co.uk/bistro/

It is amazing to hear the enthusiasm and knowledge when one asks for a few oysters to hear the waiting staff explain which gin is better with which type of oyster, and I always leave having experienced something new.
Sipsmiths is now available in Asda, but most of the smaller gins are online only, so why not venture down to London for a couple of heady evenings at Charlottes - I'll be visiting Mum a fair bit over September.....
 
Careful with that stuff, drink too much and before you know it it's 1730 (the year not knocking off time), you're lying in a stupor in the gutter covered in syphilitic sores and wondering where you left the baby.
 
I don't mind a London Dry Gin, but I much prefer a Jenever or Holland Gin when drinking it neat. Got much better and richer flavours to it. We tend to drink it neat, not spoiled with tonic water. And funnily enough, in Holland it is a proper working class drink unlike Whiskey. My father was given a weekly bottle of Jenever when he was in the army :)
 
dejongj said:
I don't mind a London Dry Gin, but I much prefer a Jenever or Holland Gin when drinking it neat. Got much better and richer flavours to it. We tend to drink it neat, not spoiled with tonic water. And funnily enough, in Holland it is a proper working class drink unlike Whiskey. My father was given a weekly bottle of Jenever when he was in the army :)
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Ha, Genever is rank, even the good stuff. It has much less flavouring to it so how you can say it is richer is beyond me but to each their own.
 
Nawty said:
Ha, Genever is rank, even the good stuff. It has much less flavouring to it so how you can say it is richer is beyond me but to each their own.
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I think you must have had what we call a "jonge" they are fairly neutral often used as a chaser with pils, the "oude" have definitely a lot of flavour.
 
@Phil V I love a G&T, its a civilised drink, long cool with ice and a slice of lemon. Cant make any suggestions for you though as you've tried the ones I like, especially the Aldi small batch.
 
Gin and bitter lemon for a nice change, tall glass lots of ice.
 
Don't know why you think working class northern bloke should be a scotch whisky drinker. Gin was the opiate of the masses for a long time. If you dont like whisky and like gin that's the way it goes. I'm exactly the same.

http://ginclubscotland.com/scottish-gins/

There's some nice ones on the link above. I would suggest El:gin made in Elgin, Isle of Harris Gin or Botanist. With gin you have so many more to choose from than with scotch. A bit like an adoration to red wine, I would suggest finding a gin tasting event nearby, understand what you're smelling and decide what
botanicals you like and don't like and then build from there.
 
in do like a drop of gin , my mum bought me a bottle williams chase elegant gin a few weeks ago, made out of apples instead of the usual juniper berries...its strong at 48% and has an unusual taste that took me a bit to get used to but now im into it, tonic or bitter lemon plenty of ice...its £42 a bottle so not exactly cheap but you cant take your money with you
 
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We bought some gin when we were In Constantine in Cornwall..huge spirit shop in a very rural place that was recommended by the tea room in Falmouth that also described itself as a gin palace. It had blue wax dripping down the bottle. I think it was called Tarquin. Chase Gin is also high up on the list. Fever tree tonic was sold at a good price by the case and we to down very well. Cheers!
 
Im really amazed that nobody has mentioned " Hendricks" gin. Its our biggest seller and we just cant make enough of the stuff. We started off with a few thousand bottles a week and now we are putting out between 250,000 and 350,000 bottles per week to keep up with market demand. Try some of the weird and wonderfull stuff and keep me in a job. Lol
 
BBR said:
Bloody hell Phil, you will be voting Tory next.;)
Get some decent bitter down you before you start using 'Men's facial products'....
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Nowt wrong wi moustache wax ;)

Seriously, my first choice drink is a dark ale, closely followed by red wine, but I'm watching the calories this year and G&T is the best 'alcohol:calorie' ratio i can tolerate. :beer:
 
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Phil V said:
Nowt wrong wi moustache wax ;)

Seriously, my first choice drink is a dark ale, closely followed by red wine, but I'm watching the calories this year and G&T is the best 'alcohol:calorie' ratio i can tolerate. :beer:
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Vodka might be another good option to bring some variety and keep the calories down :)
 
dejongj said:
Vodka might be another good option to bring some variety and keep the calories down :)
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I've drunk vodka in the past, and quite like it, the issue would be the mixer.

I really can't drink 'diet pop' under any circumstances (no matter what the sweetener - they're generally oversweet and leave an aftertaste), the result of which is that I usually drink no more than 2 cans of soft drink a year - often go for a year and drink none (my non-acoholic cold drink of choice is water).

Also having got drunk on pernod when I was 17:puke:, every aniseed spirit makes me feel nauseous which is the fly in the ointment of greek holidays :(
 
Can't stand Gin :puke:
But last summer I saw a bottle of Silent Pool Gin and commented that I thought the bottle was quite attractive,
I was given a the bottle as the person that had it didn't like gin either, then at Christmas I was given 6 matching glasses, :thinking:
It all ended up as raffle prizes for a friend who was doing a fund raising event
Can't tell you personally what t's like but have been told it's nice, it is made at a local beauty spot and you can go into the distillery

Silent Pool Gin

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Love a gin and tonic me, particularly in hot weather. Don't even mind it out of a can occasionally :-)
 
Phil V said:
I've drunk vodka in the past, and quite like it, the issue would be the mixer.

I really can't drink 'diet pop' under any circumstances (no matter what the sweetener - they're generally oversweet and leave an aftertaste), the result of which is that I usually drink no more than 2 cans of soft drink a year - often go for a year and drink none (my non-acoholic cold drink of choice is water).

Also having got drunk on pernod when I was 17:puke:, every aniseed spirit makes me feel nauseous which is the fly in the ointment of greek holidays :(
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Try Reyka Vodka as that also keeps me in a job. The only vodka i would drink now and did i say it keeps me in a job. Lol
 
Phil V said:
I've drunk vodka in the past, and quite like it, the issue would be the mixer.

I really can't drink 'diet pop' under any circumstances (no matter what the sweetener - they're generally oversweet and leave an aftertaste), the result of which is that I usually drink no more than 2 cans of soft drink a year - often go for a year and drink none (my non-acoholic cold drink of choice is water).

Also having got drunk on pernod when I was 17:puke:, every aniseed spirit makes me feel nauseous which is the fly in the ointment of greek holidays :(
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Whiskey has that effect on me. It's like my stomach has some memory, just sniffing it is enough for me to feel sick.

A long time ago I had a girlfriend who came from Slovakia. When I met her parents at her home her dad was distilling his own vodka especially for my arrival. Cinnamon vodka was my favourite but gosh I was drunk.

The bank I'm working with cant wait to get me out there and drink. The woman in charge warned me that if anyone is still standing it wasn't a party. I'm scared to go out again. :)
 
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dejongj said:
The bank I'm working with cant wait to get me out there and drink. The woman in charge warned me that if anyone is still standing it wasn't a party. I'm scared to go out again. :)
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You should be ok with the practice you've been putting in (y) :D
 
Another vote for Adnams Copperhouse. Also Beefeater as it's made within a few hundred metres of where I live (and is good for a 'robust' flavour, way more interesting than Gordon's).

If you want to try various types, check out Master of Malt online - they rebottle spirits into 3cl drams so you don't need to buy a whole bottle. Quite expensive per ml, but still cheaper than a bottle you don't like, plus a chance to try stuff you otherwise could never justify the cost of.

Oh, and a shout for Hotel Chocolat's Cacao Gin. Interesting stuff.
 
Phil V said:
and I've found a local source of Sloes :banana:
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The only way to drink Gin :thumbs:
But you have to be patient I've just strained bottled a couple of litres or so, that was "prepared" 10 months ago.
Its rich and dark and smooth. (rather like me really :D )
 
IMO gin is the urine of the devil's syphilitic dog but I'm told that there is a rather nice one distilled on Islay (IIRC).
 
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