“SHUT UP AND DRINK YOUR GIN!” is Fagin’s response to a boy in the 1968 movie Oliver based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Though shocking to us today, this comment is rooted in the historically checkered relationship between the Dutch-born liquor and the English, with whom it is so strongly identified. The spirit’s migration to England from Holland came about when in 1688 the king of England, William III (a Dutchman), imposed heavy tariffs on French wine and brandy, making gin very attractive. Soon English distillers began making gin themselves, making it even more affordable, and very popular among the poor. Its consumption became so widespread that the first half of the eighteenth century was known as the “gin craze,” a period of extreme drunkenness, particularly in London.
A neutral-grain spirit flavored with botanicals, juniper chief among them, gin has a highly distinctive taste and aroma. In fact the name gin comes from the Dutch word for juniper-jenever—or possibly from the French word for juniper—genievre. Like many spirits or fortified wines flavored with botanicals, the original raison d’être of gin was medicinal. In the seventeenth century a Dutch doctor combined alcohol and the blueish green berries for the purpose of remedying kidney aliments. Though the good doctor’s experiment didn’t work, his “tonic” became the basis for many classics behind the bar—the Gimlet, the Singapore Sling, the Tom Collins, and of course the Cocktail.
Today the most popular type of gin on the market is London dry gin. The name denotes a style rather than locale of distillation—it can be made anywhere. Dry gins may be flavored with as many as ten botanicals, such coriander seeds, lemon and orange peels, fennel, cassia, anise, almond, angelica, cinnamon or others. Plymouth gin, made by only one distiller, is a full-bodied, slightly fruity cousin of London dry gin. Unlike London dry gin, it is site specific: it must be made in Plymouth, England. Less popular today, and therefore harder to find, are the older sweeter-style gins that are flavored with fewer botanicals than dry gin (but always juniper!): Genever gins (a.k.a.“Hollands” gin or “Dutch” gin), which have a distinct flavor from the malted barley used in their distillation and, if aged, from the time they spent in oak barrels; and Old Tom, which is said to have been the gin used in the original Tom Collins. All of the cocktails in this book are made with the ubiquitous dry-style gin, including Plymouth, if that is your preference.
This pale golden cocktail from Timothy Lacey of Spring was inspired by the delicate flavor of Asian pears, called nashi. Surprise your guests with a unique rimmer of dehydrated honey granules, or try whole cane sugar or demerara sugar for an interesting touch. The honey granules can be ground to a finer texture, if you prefer. Whole cane sugar or demerara sugar can be found at natural foods stores.
Honey granules, whole cane sugar, or demerara sugar, for rimming
1½ oz (45 ml) gin
1½ oz (45 ml) sake
1 oz (30 ml) pear liqueur
Pinch of kosher salt or sea salt
Splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Splash of Simple Syrup (page 19)
Rim a chilled cocktail glass in the honey granules. Com bine the ingredients in an iced shaker and shake vigor ously. Strain into the rimmed glass.
This Asian twist on the gin gimlet from Miguel Aranda takes the classic cocktail to new realms. As the lemongrass infuses the gin, its grassy characteristic becomes more pronounced, which perfectly compliments the herbal notes in gin.
½ oz (15 ml) Lemongrass Puree (recipe follows)
1½ oz (45 ml) Lemongrass-Infused Gin (page 22)
1½ oz (45 ml) gin
½ oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup (page 19)
1 egg white
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker and shake with extra enthusiasm. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
LEMONGRASS PUREE
Makes ¾ cup (200 ml)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
¼ cup (60 ml) 2:1 Simple Syrup (page 19)
¼ cup (60 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezedlemon juice
Wash the lemongrass and cut about 1½ inches (3.75 cm) off the hard root ends and the top one-third off the stalks, and discard. Remove the tough outer layers and discard. Bruise the tender white stalks with the broad side of a chef’s knife. Coarsely chop the stalks and combine them with the 2:1 Simple Syrup, the water and the lemon juice in a blender or a food processor. Puree until smooth and strain the liquid into a clean container. Any unused puree will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for one week.
This three-ingredient cocktail, presumably named after Hokkaido, Japan, is perfect in its simplicity. And its balanced mix of flavors turns out to be the Asian equivalent of the original martini, which was made with gin, a great deal more vermouth than the modern cocktail, and with orange bitters. If you’re substituting Cointreau for triple sec, add a splash of simple syrup.
1½ oz (45 ml) gin
1 oz (30 ml) sake
½ oz (15 ml) triple sec
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
This elegant cocktail from The Cinnamon Club was created with decadence in mind. Its color—rich golden yellow tinged with glowing red—is reminiscent of the setting sun. Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin is the only saffron gin on the market. If you can’t find it, you can infuse a batch at home using a dry London-style gin. This cocktail works equally well with fruit-infused gin. Blueberries, raspberries or peach with lemongrass are good combinations (see page 22).
2 cardamom pods
1¾ oz (22 ml) Saffron-Infused Gin (page 22)
½ oz (15 ml) crème de mûre, or blackberry syrup, or crèmede de cassis
2 teaspoons Simple Syrup (page 19) Hokkaido Cocktail
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
One gold leaf, broken into pieces, for garnish (optional)
Place one of the cardamom pods in a mixing glass, and muddle until crushed. Add ice, the gin, crème de mûre, Simple Syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with remaining cardamom pod and the flecks of gold leaf, if using.
This Negroni from Miguel Aranda is one that everyone can get behind—Campari lovers and naysayers alike. The classic Negroni is made with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and the bitter deep-red Italian aperitif, creating quite a bracing drink. Here, the addition of tangerine juice and the use of a relatively small amount of Campari—used more like, well, bitters—makes for a more mellow variation on the Negroni. The frothy egg white adds a velvety texture and festive topping. If tangerines aren’t in season, bottled tangerine juice will suffice. Or use fresh-squeezed orange juice instead.
1½ oz (45 ml) gin
½ oz (15 ml) sweet vermouth
½ oz (15 ml) tangerine juice
¼ oz (15 ml) Campari
¼ oz (15 ml) sake
One egg white
Tangerine or orange twist, for garnish
Combine the ingredients and enough ice to fill a large rocks glass in shaker. Shake with extra enthusiasm and pour into a large rocks glass. Add more ice if needed. Garnish with the tangerine or orange twist.
The connection between kitchen and bar is stronger than ever—look no further than the abundance of fresh ingredients and exotic spices and aromatics in the cocktails in this book. John Blue of the Vietnamese restaurant Sapa in NYC, now sadly closed, dreamt up this stiff cocktail while enjoying spicy beef soup with sprouts and Thai basil during a break from the bar. The gin of choice for this cocktail is Magellan, which has a naturally blue cast to it from iris. Bombay gin or any other dry gin will work—the drink just won’t have an arresting blue color.
3 lime wedges
6 to 8 fresh Thai basil leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
¾ oz (22 ml) Simple Syrup (page 19)
2¼ oz (67 ml) gin
¾ oz (22 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
Splash of club soda
Lime wheel, for garnish
Combine the lime wedges, basil leaves and Simple Syrup in a mixing glass, and muddle. Add enough ice to fill a large rocks glass and the gin and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour into a large rocks glass. Add more ice if needed. Top with the club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with the lime wheel and the sprig of basil.
This simple cocktail from the Lab Bar is a twist on one of the oldest classics around. Its cool green color makes it a perfect summer refresher. Try using the vanilla sugar as a rimmer for other cocktails.
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), plus 1 sprig for garnish
3 teaspoons vanilla sugar, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
2 oz (52 ml) gin
1 oz (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Club soda, for topping
Fill a small collins glass with ice. Combine the coriander leaves and vanilla sugar in a mixing glass, and muddle. Add ice, the gin and the lemon juice. Shake vigorously and double strain into the collins glass. Top with club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with the remaining sprig of coriander.
VANILLA SUGAR
Makes ½ pound (250 g)
1 large vanilla bean, seeded and chopped
½ lb (250 g) sugar
Scrap the seeds from the vanilla pods and set aside. Coarsely chop the seeded pods. Place the seeds, chopped pods and sugar in a large food processor and process until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture rest for 20 to 25 minutes. Pour the infused sugar through a sieve to remove the larger pieces of vanilla. Store in a glass jar with a tight lid.
This pleasantly vegetal cocktail from Miguel Aranda is especially enjoyable sitting next to a pool on a hot summer evening. While you don’t have to have those stars aligned to enjoy this cocktail, Miguel suggests you give it a try. This cocktail was created with Hendrix gin in mind but any dry London-style gin such as Gordon’s or Tangueray can be used. Miguel’s sensei for this cocktail is cocktailian Cesar Ortiz of Town (NYC).
4 thin slices Japanese or “baby” cucumber or 2 thin slices English cucumber, plus additional slices for garnish
½ oz (15 ml) Pepper-Infused Shochu (page 23)
3½ oz (75 ml) gin
¼ oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup (page 19)
1½ oz (45 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
Club soda, for topping
Place the cucumber slices in a mixing glass, and muddle. Add enough ice to fill a highball glass, the Pepper-infused Shochu, gin, Simple Syrup and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour into a highball glass. Add more ice if needed. Top with the club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with the remaining cucumber slices.
An Asian twist on the traditional Pimm’s Cup, this refreshing summer drink from Kristen Johnson of Lantern gets a spicy-sweet kick with homemade ginger syrup.
4 to 5 slices Japanese or “baby” cucumber or 3 slices Eng lish (hothouse) cucumber
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) Ginger Syrup (page 19)
2 oz (15 ml) Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
Spicy ginger ale, such as Reed’s or Blenheim
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Place the cucumber slices in a large collins or pilsner glass and fill with ice. In an iced shaker, combine the lemon juice, ginger syrup and Pimm’s No. 1 Cup. Shake vigorously and strain into the collins or pilsner glass. Top with the ginger ale and stir briefly. Garnish with the lemon wheel.
NOTE: A Zombie glass, or any glass with about 14-ounce (420-ml) capacity, will work for this cocktail.
The herbaceous quality of gin compliments the sweet flavor of lychees in this gimlet from Starry Night Café. For a sweeter version, make this drink with the syrup from a can of lychees. The ideal gin for this cocktail is Beefeater or Tangueray, but any dry London-style gin will do.
2 oz (60 ml) gin
½ oz (15 ml) triple sec
1 oz (30 ml) lychee juice
¼ oz (7 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 lychee, for garnish
Combine all the ingredients in an iced shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the lychee.
This deservedly famous drink is incredibly refreshing—fruity but not cloying. It was invented by Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915 for the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore, and in the early years after its creation it was sometimes referred to as the “Straights Sling.” Various recipes abound—each claiming to be the original. This version is very close to the original as put forth by the Raffles Hotel—which claims that Peter Heering’s cherry liqueur is a key ingredient in an authentic Singapore Sling. (You can find their recipe on the Raffles Hotel website.)
1½ oz (45 ml) gin
2½ oz (75 ml) pineapple juice
½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) Cherry Heering
¼ oz (7 ml) Bénédictine
¼ oz (7 ml) Cointreau
Dash of Angostura bitters
Club soda, for topping
Fill a large collins glass with ice. Combine all the ingredients, except the club soda, in an iced shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into the collins glass. Top with the club soda and stir briefly.
Kashmiri chai tea, which blends black tea with spices such as saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, is the inspiration for this lightly alcoholic cocktail from Monsoon. For a sweeter drink, use triple sec instead of Cointreau.
4½ oz (140 ml) chilled Kashmiri tea
¾ oz (22 ml) gin
¾ oz (22 ml) Cointreau
Splash of freshly squeezed
lemon juice Lemon wheel, for garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the ingredients and stir thoroughly. Garnish with the lemon wheel.
KASHMIRI TEA
Makes 1 cup (250 ml) tea
1 cup (250 ml) boiling hot water
1½ teaspoons loose-leaf Kashmiri chai tea
Combine the tea and boiling-hot water in a cup. Steep the tea for 3 to 5 minutes, then strain. Let cool before using.
