Sloe Gin Fizz

We've got a friend who's getting into the Sloe Gin Fizz of late, and sent an envoy to us asking if we knew any good recipes. Truth be told, we didn't, because while we've heard of this particular cocktail we've never sought it out. However, being the liquor nerds we are, we were able to dig through our many cocktail recipe books and come up with a few recipes that might fit the bill. We also found a recipe for something called a "Sloe Comfortable Screw," that we had to include just because it had an awesome name.

Find the recipes (and their sources) after the jump.

Update: We just found an article on Esquire that hints the reason for sloe gin's decline in the States - we don't have access to the real stuff, just artificially-flavored knockoffs that don't do the drink justice. Has anyone found a truly good sloe gin out there to combat this claim? Anyway, maybe that's why, as reader Megan puts it in the comments, "old people like sloe gin." It's because they've had the good stuff we don't have access to, and know what the drink can really aspire to.

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Brave Spirits: In Remembrance or Celebration

We're not usually ones for waxing patriotic, but not too long ago, the 44th president of the US was sworn in to much pomp and circumstance. He made a great speech, and we can't think of any way to celebrate that moment better than acknowledging the men and women who spend their lives protecting the nation and its citizens. That's why we're telling you about Brave Spirits line of liquors, made up of Valor Vodka, First In Whiskey, Standing Guard Gin, and At Ease Rum.

Brave Spirits is for Soldiers. Marines. Sailors. Airmen. Police officers. Fire fighters. You come to the rescue. You protect. You defend American freedom. You are America's bravest.

We honor you by celebrating your bravery and dedication with something to truly call your own.

For every bottle sold, Brave Spirits donates $2 toward charities that support the men and women of America's military, fire departments and police departments.

So far, they've donated $19K, and here's to more.

Brave Spirits are distributed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington DC, as well as on select Army and Air Force bases. They are are also available nationwide from several online merchants. More at Brave Spirits

Guest Review: Bluecoat Gin

We haven't had too many guest reviews lately (hell, we haven't had many in-house reviews lately, but that'll change soon). Our man Kevin from over at The Scotch Blog has put together a nice little piece on Bluecoat Gin, a spirit we've heard a lot about but never had a chance to try. We're being the bigger men by not being jealous he got a bottle of the stuff...especially after his review. Check it out after the jump.

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Death's Door Spirits Gin and Vodka - Go Into the Light

Looking to see a little further with your natural spirits than the world around you? A small company out of Wisconsin - Death's Door Spirits can help you see further. This company has created two products, a vodka and gin. Death's Door Spirits prides itself in supporting local agriculture and sustainability. Death's Door Vodka uses only organic wheat grown on Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin. And the juniper berries for the gin are picked wild on Washington Island. Death's Door Spirits actively participates and supports local farmers and agriculture. Death's Door is company worth noting in the growing field of sustainability. The website provides info on infusions, recipes, cooking with spirits, and locations of where to purchase the product. Enjoy!

At Deaths' Door Spirits

VodkaFest (with Gin) Roundup - June '07

We hit the June VodkaFest this Sunday down in Manhattan, and it was great to hobnob (is that a word?) with some of the elite of independent spirits distributors. We had some drinks, had some laughs, but overall had to take it easy because after the event we had to drive four hours home. We were still able to taste just about everything that was on display, however - and we hope we didn't gross anyone out too much when we sipped and then spit it right back into the cup.

We've rounded up info on everyone we interacted with, along with some quick notes on the folks we haven't done full reviews on yet. Read on for our thoughts on each brand and our tastes of each, in more-or-less chronological order.

Also - we didn't run into any of the VodkaFest contest winners, probably because we skinned out a bit early, but we'd love to hear from you if you made it. You know who you are.

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Discount Code for VodkaFest (With Gin)

We told you last week about the VodkaFest (With Gin) that's happening in NYC this Sunday, and while our supply of free tickets has gone away we still want to see you there.

The organizers of the event have graciously offered Liquor Snob readers a $10 discount on the tickets - just register online and include the code "SNOB." Don't say we never did anything for ya.

Polished Palate - VodkaFest (With Gin)

Whitley Neill Gin Review

A man more clever than us recently noted that if people keep monkeying around with vodka and adding more and more flavors, pretty soon they'll invent gin. That might not be such a bad thing - gin was a popular libation among drunkards for a lot of years, but with in recent years vodka has slipped in and taken hold of a lot of its market niche. Some folks have decided they want some additional complexity in their flavored white spirit, and they're doing some very interesting things with gin.

Not the least of these is Whitley Neill, a gin "inspired by Africa, made in England." With nine different botanicals in it, it's not designed to club you over the head with juniper as some gins have been known to do. Plus, it contains fruit from the Baobab tree - how can you go wrong with something distilled from the "Tree of Life?"

Read on for the full review.

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Free Tickets to VodkaFest (With Gin)

We have recently gotten our hands on a whole passel of free tickets to VodkaFest with Gin in NYC in June, and instead of scalping them on the streetcorner we're going to pass those savings on to you, our beloved readers. These VIP tickets are usually $60 each at the door, and we're giving them away in pairs to the first folks who email us at news [at] liquorsnob.com.

Update: The free tix to VodkaFest were snapped up almost as quickly as we posted them. Guess that's what we call a "snooze you lose" situation, but we'll let you know if there's anything else we can do for you.

Whether you get free tickets or not, don't miss out on your chance to hob nob with vodka and gin luminaries from the world over (including our man Dave at Orange V), plus hang out with our Editor in Chief, who will be attending the event. The 'Fest is in a couple weekends (Sunday, June 10), and should be a great time. Check out the link below for more details, or email us if you need anything else.

The Polished Palate - VodkaFest (with Gin)

G'Vine Gin Review

We've said it before, and we'll say it again - we like the resurgence of boutique gins we're seeing right now. With a well-made gin, you can rely on your drinks to be generally on a different level than other white spirits - plus, you put it in martinis, and there's nothing wrong with that. A few sips of a good gin martini and the complexity will understand why the British used to call it "Mother's Ruin."

There's a whole laundry list of botanicals that are added to G'Vine, not the least of which is green grape flowers, along with a host of others. With so many flavors added, you can either end up with a complex drink, or a muddled mess where you can't tell what's going on. Find out what we thought below - plus find out how one of the botanicals in the drink might help clear up that embarrassing burning sensation you picked up on your last trip to Mexico.

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Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin

We're digging on boutique-y type gins lately. Even though we haven't reviewed our bottle of G'Vine yet, but we're excited about it. Since we've got some gin on the brain, we were excited to hear about another small gin maker - and this one is organic to boot.

Juniper Green is a 100% organic gin, all the ingredients are USDA certified organic, British Soil Association Certificate, and CCOF certified. It is made with demineralised water and organic grain spirits. The botanicals are organic juniper, organic coriander, organic angelica, and organic savory. It has won many awards and medals in International competitions.

Read the tasting notes below.

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G'Vine Gin Arrives for Review

We just got ourselves a bottle of G'Vine Gin, and we're looking forward to checking it out. For those of you who haven't heard of it, G'Vine is the first white liquor distilled from grape vine flowers, which makes it a pretty close relative to wine. We wonder if it's going to offer us the same health benefits as a glass of red wine. We'll let you know if we feel any more vim and vigor after we conduct our review.

Read a bit more about G'Vine after the jump, including what our good friend Rick from Martini Lounge had to say. Plus, for all you Internet marketers out there, find out why comment Spam isn't a good way to go when you're promoting a product!

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Review: DH Krahn Gin

DH Krahn
Ultra-Premium Gin with Juniper, Coriander, Citrus, and Ginger
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: About $27 for 750ml
Website

Our Editor in Chief is not usually the jealous type, but sometimes we like to make him feel that little green tinge. It usually happens when someone gets to drink something he didn't get to try - especially when it's something he's heard as many good things about as DH Krahn gin.

We've been hearing nothing but positives about this stuff, and the Interns made a little wager with the EIC about whether he'd be able to try it or not. We won't share the details of the bet itself, but the Interns split the bottle and drank it all without sharing a single drop with our taskmaster. So what did we think of it?

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Martini Advice from a Real Bartender

For a drink that everyone professes to love so much, there's a lot of confusion and just plain myths that center around the martini. From choosing whether to make it with vodka or gin to deciding exactly how much vermouth belongs in there (consensus seems to say 1-2 molecules), everyone seems to have their own snooty way of mixing one.

We've found a great Q&A from Jeffrey Morganthaler, a pro bartender, centered around martini myths and how you can craft the perfect frosty beverage. We also like the fact he seems to share our sentiment that if you don't put any vermouth in your martini, it's just a shot of gin with an olive floating in it. Same goes for your typical "vodka martini."

As an aside, please note that it’s not possible to “bruise” gin. This is just a bullshit myth perpetuated by Martini “connoisseurs” who want to impress you with their “knowledge” and “sophistication”. It’s a meaningless term, trust me. However, they’re right about not shaking a martini - they just don’t get why.

via Jeffrey Morganthaler - Ask Your Bartender: Martini Advice

Bulldog Gin Review

Bulldog Gin
London Dry Gin with Poppy, Dragon Eye and Citrus
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: Around $30 for 750ml
BulldogGin.com

It just sits there staring at you. Squat, grey, mean-looking, with that tough little studded collar giving it an extra air of menace. No, we're not talking about your neighbor's pit bull...we're talking about that bottle of Bulldog we got in last week, and the added bonus is that unlike your neighbor's dog the bottle is full of gin.

On the plus side before we even tasted it, we found out Bulldog has poppy in it (which they make heroin out of), and it has Dragon Eye (aka Longan, which is related to lychee, which they make Lichido out of). Find out how Bulldog measures up after the jump.

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