what gin brands are like Plymouth Gin?

[momskitchen]

What brands of gin taste similar to Plymouth?

[LauraB]

A couple of my favorite bars use Beefeater as their standard gin for cocktails such as the Aviation and Last Word (same family as the Aviation with equal parts gin, lime juice, maraschino and yellow chartreuse - if you like the aviation and can find yellow chartreuse - it was quite hard to find in Minneapolis - I would recommend it highly). We are planning to keep Plymouth for martini's at our house, but around here it has gotten as expensive as Bombay Sapphire/Tanqueray so for other things we are planning to switch to Beefeaters.

[french roast]

That drink sounds GREAT. I have green chartreuse, do you think it would work? Or would it be too much?

[kenito799]

I have only seen the recipe with green chartreuse. Amazingly, all those strong flavors merge to make a refreshing cocktail that is quite accessible and bit like lime sherbet.

[LauraB]

I first had the Last Word at Eastern Standard in Boston and they use yellow chartreuse. For the sake of accurately recreating it for the sake of nostalgia as well as taste, I was willing to make the search for the yellow chartreuse. I think green would also be very tasty. I think they have a similar flavor profile - the yellow is just a bit less intense (40% vs 50some% alcohol for the green).

[jgg13]

I am almost positive that I've seen yellow at charles st liquors.

[tbone_msp]

Do you happen to remember where you tracked down Yellow Chartreuse in the MSP area? Curious to try it.

[HaagenDazs]

JMF has it right - it's a brand AND a style of gin. So if you want another brand that is similar in taste, well you probably won't find what you're looking for. All other gins are going to be a little bit different.

[momskitchen]

I hadn't yet looked - but I'm sure I could find it. I was just wondering if the gin I already have might be similar in taste to it so I don't have to buy any more for a cocktail recipe I would like to try.

[HaagenDazs]

If you're making cocktails, I wouldn't be too picky about the type of gin you have. Sure, some may have more juniper taste and aroma than others, etc. but really you're going to be mixing it up with other stuff anyway. I wouldn't waste the gas to drive to the store if you have another brand on hand.

Tanqueray, to me, has a stronger juniper taste than Plymouth.

[JMF]

What's the cocktail recipe?

Here are a few dozen gin reviews at a site I used to write for. They may be helpful.
http://www.slashfood.com/search/?q=gin&searchsubmit=

and here's my thoughts from two years ago on Plymouth gin
http://www.slashfood.com/2006/11/05/g...

[momskitchen]

here's the recipe...I really don't think a juniper taste would work well with this drink:

North Pole Martini
Ingredients:
2 ounces Plymouth gin
1 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 egg white

Directions:
1. Shake ingredients vigorously over ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Gently float heavy cream on the top.

[JMF]

I disagree that a strong flavored or juniper heavy gin wouldn't work in this cocktail. Actually I think they would be preferable, the simple recipe is designed to focus on the gin.

That's a riff on the old classic, the Aviation Cocktail, but has added egg white to give it a frothy head, and a bit of cream floated on top. So it's more like an Aviation Flip.

The Aviation is great because the simple ingredients play up on the gin. As a matter of fact, the Aviation Cocktail is sometimes used as a benchmark for seeing how different brands of gin work in cocktails. I have been to events where Aviations were made to the same recipe, but with dozens of types of gin, and then compared to each other. Can you imagine dozens of cocktailians and mixologists sipping dozens of cocktails and then discussing the interplay of the various gins? At the top of their lungs in a noisy, crowded, and dimly lit bar?

Aviation
2 oz gin
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Shaken on ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

[momskitchen]

Might be - but I don't really like a junipery tasting gin, thanks to an unfortunate incident with at 18 year old me and too many Tom Collinses! I did end up getting the Plymouth Gin - it was pretty spendy!

[HaagenDazs]

"it was pretty spendy!"

Tanqueray is more expensive or at the very most equivalent to the price of Plymouth.

[momskitchen]

I don't buy Tanqueray, so that doesn't really matter all that much to me. I had a bottle of Bombay here that's been gathering dust (I am sure it didn't cost the $40 it cost me to buy the Plymouth) that I was hoping to use. As JMF suggested, I might try making this drink sans cream and egg white as an Aviator, and compare the two gins and see if either one appeals to me.

Thanks for all the advice!

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Dag, $40 for Plymouth? I just bought a bottle for $27! That seems awfully high.

[momskitchen]

Yep - that's what I thought, too, but that's how much it is here in Michigan.

[HaagenDazs]

...and how much are the other bottles of gin? #1 how big was the bottle? #2 call another liquor store and ask how much that bottle will cost at their store. I know there are different prices in different states due to different taxes, but I can buy that bottle here in Georgia for half that price.

[french roast]

I concur--in fact, here in California, Plymouth usually costs LESS than Tanquerey, Bombay Sapphire, and the like. In fact, that's once reason I use it regularly! You might want to call around.

[momskitchen]

Thanks for your idea. I called around - there's only one store that carries it here, and the price was double. I do know that in Michigan, the minimum price a liquor can be sold for is regulated, but the maximum can be anything the proprietor wants.

[momskitchen]

same size bottle...

[HaagenDazs]

What price is double?

See if you can get another liquor store to order it for you and tell them the price that you paid and that you're looking for a better deal... Again, liquor laws are notoriously ridiculous all over the country and distributor rules and laws are close behind, but here in Georgia, if one store can get an item then ALL STORES can get the item.

In other words, the liquor distributor(s) in your area supply more than just one store. So if Mr. Distributor supplies Liquor Store A, he also supplies Liquor Store B down the road. Both stores can order the same items because they are ordering from the same person/company (Mr. Distributor). Try to create a little competition in your area and let the stores know that you're interested in the item. It's the only way you can gain an advantage. Right now this guy basically has a monopoly on the Plymouth gin business. I know it's a little silly to go through all this trouble for just a few bucks, but this is a lesson in how things work in the liquor business (at least where I'm from). It's good to know how things work.

Sounds like someone up there in Michigan is having a little fun with prices and is unfairly jacking up the price for no apparent reason.

[momskitchen]

I'll give it a shot if I end up liking the Plymouth. Haven't tried it yet!

[HaagenDazs]

Good point! But... same rules apply to all things liquor store.

[phantomdoc]

For some reason there is a liquor store on the Queens/Nassau Long Island border that sells Plymouth 750ml for $16.99 plus tax. Just bought 4 bottles last weekend. Not a special sale price. Maybe they were overstocked. Just do not tell them other places are charging $30-$40.

http://www.winemarketny.com/

[HaagenDazs]

I don't think that your experience is out of the ordinary, phantomdoc. Here in the Atlanta, GA area we can get it for about $18 - $20 which is pretty close to the $17 you mentioned and could easily be explained by minor differences in tax & liquor laws. The experience of buying a bottle for $40 is far more expensive than I would have ever guessed and that's why we're talking about the different ways to try and drop the price.

[JMF]

if you got it at the old price of $17 a bottle you lucked out. Last year Plymouth raised their prices significantly as they are re-posturing themselves in the premium gin market. When the stores get new inventory the prices will be around $10+ more a bottle.

[kenito799]

I find Burnett's to be an excellent cheaper substitute for Plymouth. Smooth, dry, not heavy on the juniper.

[Bob_Sacamano]

Burnett's is waaay cheaper. That's all that can be said for it. I find it to be just awful.

[phantomdoc]

Can you not find Plymouth where you are? They seemed to get it right in 1793. Where I shop it is about half the price of Tanqueray 10.

[french roast]

also, if you have the Fine Living channel on cable, there was an episode recently to the the town of Plymouth, England (where the pilgrims came from!) to visit the Plymouth distillery. They showed the exact botanicals that went into the gin to flavor it. I believe some were--juniper berries, orange peel, and whole cardamom pods. So, that may be a lead to find out what flavors you're liking in your gin!

[quazi]

those are fairly common gin ingredients the key is the portions. Some gins will add a single item such as cucumber or saffron to differentiate.

Your best bet is to go to a well stocked bar a try a few

[JMF]

Are you asking specifically about taste? Or smoothness? or lightness?

Those are all things that Plymouth is known for.

Plymouth Gin is a Style as well as a brand, and it's the only brand in its style.

if you are looking for similarities in other gins, let us know what it is you are looking for so we can point the way.

[thew]

i find the juniper-ness similar, though more gentle and balanced than, the juniper-ness of bombay sapphire

[french roast]

IMHO, Plymouth is one of the best. Very smooth. The one readily available gin I've found that also works for me is Tanquerey 10 (not the regular Tanquerey)