There’s a lot more you can do with gin than make a Churchill martini. What’s a Churchill martini, you ask? Essentially it’s a glass of cold gin, poured in the same room with a bottle of vermouth off to the side and usually enjoyed with a fine cigar. I asked some of my favorite bartenders, mixologists and distillers for their favorite gin cocktail recipes, and you’ll be surprised with the delightful drinks they came up with. My plan here is to try a new one each day, or at least until I run out of gin.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of different types of gin, each one with its own character. The traditional London dry is often the preferred choice, but American craft gins bring a whole new character and flavor profile to the table, often with a more subtle juniper base and more florals. I always order a Bombay martini on Fridays when I enjoy a long lunch at my favorite restaurant downtown, but at home I’ll often make my own with an American gin with lillet and a twist of lemon. There are a hundred different ways to make a martini. The ratio of gin to vermouth is often a subject of heated debate, although I usually stick to about a 4:1.
But now, especially as many of us are still keeping our forays out into the public to a minimum, is the time to enjoy and experiment. Following are ten great ideas on what you can do with that bottle you still have in the cabinet.
Lil Savage Cabbage, from New Riff Distilling
Blood Orange Martini with Organic Gin
French 75, from the H2O at the Hilton Pensacola Beach
Corpse Reviver 2 with Sipsong Spirits’ Indira Gin
The Forked Spoon’s Recipe for Limoncello Gin Cocktail
Thyme for Gin, from Boardroom Spirits
The Negroni, from ROOT Crafted
Slide Back Sour, from Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.
Fresh from Fiji at the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort: The Cucumber Chill
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