Blossoming Gin

Citadelle Gin

It’s not an anomaly, although you have probably witnessed a few stately gentleman bearing the pink badge of courage every so often. No, not it’s not “rosacea,” or something imparted from an "Old Boy" attitude that would remark on all the torpedo liquor that one could have imbibed sometime during World War II. Nope, I’m talking about the roseate sign that anyone would see on their nose after a night of heavy “Ginification” as I call it...a condition represented by sour faces and bubbly hiccups; two of many symptoms, which have endured all other fables and comedic interpretations of common boozing. I am surprised by the overwhelming lack of adulteration that a good bottle of gin is custom to, but I always find myself going back to a fatherly favorite, telling my bartender to whisk up some new, deconstructed version of a “G-and-T.” Addressing him, I implore that “A little bit of lime cordial can go a long way.” Resulting, he looks at me with that rare, half-cocked, upward gaze and smiles...”You know, you’re a rare bird my friend, maybe you should join the other squawkers in the sanctuary,” he says. My reply is simple...“Yeah, you think?” 

Wow, for all the times that man has been downtrodden, disrespected and left as wolfbait, gin has always been there. Oh how it has been the inclusive sign of impure nights and lavish hob-nobbing; well, that depends on what brand you spend your hard-earned money to obtain. Now, most would say, that in the trials of youth, a chase of orange juice could be all that one would need; yes, that is, if experiencing the inebriate state not offered by dad’s hideaway of six-packs and cheap scotch. There’s new sense to it after all, considering more so than ever, it has become a study of how many botanicals and spices you can count in a glass. We’re not talking about the essence of paint-thinners, turpentines, or varnishes found in garages or sculleries, but the distiller’s divine technique to caress and manipulate their palate and ours, with hints of juniper. 

The first thing you learn in the AP class of Gin-making, outlines the use of pine berries to create something recognizable. Usually found in the 90th percentile of primary ingredients, the purity of the juniper is the aim and focus of the trade. Most of what you can buy in an Indian grocery, is probably worth considering if you want to bolster your product. The copper “Carterhead Still,” or “Moonshine Doubler,” are the more difficult items to come across; so in lieu, your homestead hooch barons have some interesting tasks ahead of them. Some will practice the indefinite art of infusions while using other spirits, but I’m sticking with artisanal savoir-faire. You don’t need to cash-in federal bonds to afford it, because there’s some producers who have forgotten low-brow pretension and focused on the benefits of their own precocity. 

Averell Damson Gin

Take “Citadelle”...think of cardamom, coriander, orange peel, eucalyptus, heather and so on...It’s undoubtedly something that I can drink straight-off the pour, when single-malts, or nut-brown bourbons aren’t working. It’s something that only a cube of ice can cross by, without disturbing the overall sense of the nuance. Did I mention it was French? Though many exclamations of “Pourquoi-Pas?” would make sense, it’s better just to try it... twenty bucks will sum-up that future sense of enjoyment as collateral. If you’re game for some nationalism, “Distillery No. 209” is a Californian entry that operates like a swarthy Earl Grey at a temperance-era meetinghouse. Notes of cassia bark, bergamot and angelica root have me wondering if there’s any truth to the idea that our grandfathers‘ simply pharmacists operating out of a wooden shack; that is, with the aid of red long-johns to stave-off the winter chills. 

Before, I made some mild remarks about the state of fusion gins, but there’s one thing I cannot overlook. Apparently, someone had the ingenious idea to use the damson plum to burnish the effectiveness of the noble spirit. It’s much more of a liqueur actually, but I’m not worried, it’s still a unique prize-product from “Averell.” That’s ok, because the cocktails are a many, and the appeal only increases from then on. Visions of tenderloins tossed from side-to-side, in a marinade augmented by shallots, garlic and green onion prove fascinating. See? there’s that confidence again, but it’s from a culinary point-of-view. Trust me, all the pork in the world seems good when you have something plummy on hand. Might as well bring the old chaps over for some pig, political discussion and a salute to the future of this handy truth serum.   

I don’t know what gin will do next, but its capacity is very clear. 

Brian Maniotis

Westchester Wine Warehouse Team

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