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Gin and Tonic - July 2007Last year at about this time - in August, actually - I praised the pleasures of rum enjoyed during the hot and sticky months of summer, an idea behind which I still stand resolutely and unapologetically. But in the spirit of equal time for non-beers, I'd like to pause for a moment this month to exalt in the other quintessential spirited taste of summer, that being the gin and tonic. While I do wish there were better tonics available, I still deeply enjoy the quenching, bracing, faintly puckering flavour of a good G&T in the summer. It's one of those rare beverages I can't even think of drinking when the snow flies, nor can I fathom it without ice and a wedge of lime, the former of which you often do not receive in the U.K. and the latter frequently AWOL on my own side of the pond. All elements intact, though, it is simply a lovely sunshine cocktail. Finding myself in possession of four very different gins, I decided when preparing this issue of WoB that I would conduct a gin and tonic tasting, using Bombay Sapphire, the new Rogue Spruce Gin, my old martini favourite, Hendrick's, and a curiously juniper-rich brand from western Canada called Empire. I made each drink with two cubes of ice, a wedge of lime, cut neither slim nor fat, and one and a half ounces of spirit to six ounces of Schweppes Tonic Water. My first taste was from the Sapphire glass, which proved entirely as expected - I often use Sapphire in my G&Ts - which is to say mild and well-rounded with botanicals, tonic and lime in easy-sipping balance. The second sip came from the Empire glass, and what a difference it was! Far from the softness and balance of the Sapphire drink, the intense juniper of the Empire actually overpowered the tonic and turned the lime tart and unappealing. It's a drink that might yet work, but significantly more tonic would be required. Next up was the Rogue, a gin stronger than the Empire (45% to the Empire's 40%) and even more intense in flavour. But somewhat to my surprise, the Rogue Gin took to both tonic and lime, offering piney and fruity flavours in the front and middle of the taste and a drying edge that made the drink even more refreshing. Where things went awry, however, was at the finish, where the power of the gin emerged in a slightly sour and acidic character. Close, Rogue, but at this stage, at least, Sapphire remains the one to beat. It was almost with resignation that I turned to the Hendrick's, since I was sure that the gentle, finely nuanced appeal of this cucumber-flavoured gin, which I so enjoy on its own, would be lost in the sea of lime and tonic flavours. Turns out I could scarcely have been more wrong! Rather than rolling over and playing dead, the cucumber and floral notes of the Hendrick's actually seemed to rise to the occasion, making their presence felt despite the other factors involved and, in the end, crafting a drink that was as gentle and balanced as the Sapphire G&T, but with far greater flavour complexity. For a brief instance, I thought "Here is a gin and tonic I could drink in the winter." But then I walked out to the terrace, felt the heat of the sun on my face, and figured, "Or at least for the balance of summer." Tastes of the Month
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