This Gin Is In

Since the summer, I've read that gin is making a new "taste" for itself. From Gourmet Magazine to hip, lifestyle and fashion magazines, the same message was being touted, "the bar is no longer reserved just for premiere, high-end vodkas and tequila." 

Gin is back in -- largely as a result of the efforts of visionary food and wine entrepreneur, Leslie Rudd, who revived "Registered Distillery 209" of San Francisco. Gin's long history has gone from "excessively sweet" to very dry and "junipery," often appealing to distinct tastes or used in various cocktails as a base. Now, the team at Distillery 209 is taking gin's flavoring a step further fusing it with citrus, exotic fruits and spices. It's making the taste of gin more flavorful, tastefully.

In June 2007, Gourmet magazine rated tonics for the perfect Gin & Tonic. They put No. 209 at the top of their list and quoted the flavor, "Intense but balanced, it had a citrus sweetness and a pleasant herbaceousness." Gourmet magazine paired No. 209 with Fever-Tree tonic, which is more on the bitter side, but goes well with subtle gins.  Gourmet said Fever-Tree is the elegant option to make the perfect G&T.

As for Distillery 209, they have a great list of recipes for their spirit. With the holiday's upon us, I thought "The 209" was a great cocktail to try this season:

The 209*

• Ice
• 2 oz of 209 Gin
• 1 oz Honey syrup*
• .5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• Dash of Angostura Bitters
• 1 Lemon Twist
• Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add Gin, honey syrup, lemon juice, and bitters. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
• *Honey Syrup
• .5 Cups of Honey
• .5 Cups of Warm water

*Created by Arne Hillesland, Technical Director of Distillery No. 209

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