A Gin For Every Occasion

In the UK, gin has now become the top selling spirit replacing vodka, its wilder, less responsible younger sibling, not to say gin can’t get you buzzed too.

Gin evolved from being a herbal medicine to an alcoholic drink in the middle ages.

Its core ingredient is juniper. London was actually where it first took off, in the days when William of Orange was King of England. It took off largely as a pint of gin was cheaper than a pint of beer. If you want the in-depth history (it is long) click here.

Today gin is one of the more versatile spirits. It is still huge in London and Europe, and popular here in Australia. It lends itself to be served in several different drinks like a Negroni, a Singapore Sling and a Vesper Martini.

Never tried these drinks before? It’s time to jump in and let gin take the wheel.

First there is the Negroni, the ultimate Italian cocktail to keep you up and energised throughout the night.

Recipe:

25mL of Gordon’s London Dry Gin

25mL of Vermouth Rosso

25mL of Campari

1 Orange twisted peel

Staring with some ice-cubes at the bottom of the glass, combine all the liquids together and stir. Top it off with the orange peel and voila, there lies a Negroni begging to be sipped.

The second gorgeous gin cocktail is called the Singapore Sling. Valued for its myriad of flavours, the Singaporean drink is a fruity paradise that will have your taste-buds singing.

Recipe:

25mL of Tanquery London Dry Gin

25mL of Cherry Brandy

5mL of Benedictine

25mL of lemon juice

10mL of Grenadine

1 splash of soda water

1 cherry

Combine the gin, brandy, benedictine, lemon juice and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a glass and refill with ice-cubes and a splash of soda water. Top your luxurious drink with a single cherry and wait for the magic of the night to unfold.

Cue the James Bond music because its Vesper Martini time. The Vesper Martini found its way to fame through the likings of the classic 007 films. The sweet yet sour cocktail will keep things cool, calm and collected.

Recipe:

35mL of Hendrick’s Gin

10mL of Smirnoff No.21 Vodka

10mL of Dry Vermouth

1 lemon peel

Similar to the recipe of the Singapore Sling, combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Strain the liquid into an ice-filled glass and garnish with a lemon peel. This drink is classy, refined and a little bit daring.

A few other timeless gin cocktails include the simple and fierce Gin and Tonic. For a luxury version of this modest mixer, use Bombay Sapphire’s London Dry Gin. The distinctive blue bottle is known to be one of the world’s most iconic gins to date.

Another humble cocktail that hits the spot is the unchanging Tom Collins. The citrus-fruity fusion is popular for its liveliness in the glass. The best gin to use for making a Tom Collins is Herno’s Old Tom Gin which is sweeter with a richer taste of botanicals than other normal gins.