625263 Thu Jun 04 17:12:25 -0700 2009 15 36 Spirits 0 4743489 I really enjoy clean botanicals ... but decided to mix .. play/venture off a bit. I thought, the supplement had to be vegetal ... so I've given a "drop" of ... Fernet Branca, Cynar, Campari ... and liked the added aspect. Thoughts/experiences? Thu Jun 04 17:12:25 -0700 2009 67783 TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis 1 4753280 All three are pretty much my go-to gin mixers. Mon Jun 08 11:08:52 -0700 2009 4743489 92744 invinotheresverde 1 4753439 Have you tried Hendrick's, the Scottish gin? Mon Jun 08 11:55:11 -0700 2009 4743489 23776 DavidT 2 4815787 Hendrick's is my absolute favorite gin; I've been pleased to see more and more bars carrying it over the last year. In currently 100-degree Dallas, it's a day-changer of a drink. ;-) Second favorite is probably Aviation's New Western Dry Gin. A bar around here uses it for its "Pepper Smash" cocktail made with red bell peppers... delicious. Mon Jun 29 13:35:27 -0700 2009 4753439 177875 magmae 1 4753981 All good choices, though a little Fernet goes a long way. I'd look into potable bitters in general, including other Italian amari (Amaro Nonino, Ramazzotti, Averna, Abano, etc.). Other fun stuff: monastery liqueurs (Benedictine, Charteuse), Maraschino (Luxardo is my favorite), various vermouths sweet and dry (including Vya, Antica Formula, Punt et Mes, and Dolin) and similar aromatized wines (like Lillet and Dubonnet), various orange liqueurs (Cointreau, Amer Picon, Curacao), and the little aromatic bitters (Angostura, Angostura Orange, the various Fee Brothers bottlings, Regan's Orange #6, etc.). You might want to try Plymouth Gin, too, which has a far subtler juniper note than most English gins. It's what I use when I want to fool my gin-hating friends into liking gin (I start them on Aviations). http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Mon Jun 08 14:30:17 -0700 2009 4743489 10143 MC Slim JB 2 4754376 DT: I find the cucumber note of Hendrick's so pronounced that I relegate it to G&Ts and Pimm's cups. MC.S.JB: I switch London Drys and Plymouths but have never "played" with the latter ... good suggestion. Angostura/Fee Brothers was my first branch ... I've also given Aperol a shot. B&B/Charteuse intrigues. Mon Jun 08 16:35:53 -0700 2009 4753981 67783 TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis 3 4767566 A good summer cooler: gin and fresh grapefruit with a dose of Aperol (not too much). On rocks in a tall glass, über refreshing as an aperitif. Fri Jun 12 13:26:22 -0700 2009 4754376 61098 marais 2 4755048 Luxardo Marashino and gin is my summertime favorite (with a dash of citrus for acid). Simply wonderful. Mon Jun 08 19:58:31 -0700 2009 4753981 92744 invinotheresverde 2 4867343 Ah yes - Aviations! Any luck trying the new violet liqueurs on the market? I just make my Aviations without. Love the Luxardo Maraschino and used some recently to make my own marasca style cherries. Not quite like the real thing but darn tasty. Also a big fan of a martini style cocktail with gin (usually 209), cointreau, lemon juice and a twist. Or just a Hendrick's martini. Which seems like the perfect thing for later today. Fri Jul 17 09:22:41 -0700 2009 4753981 200569 emmaroseeats 1 4767241 saffron (as in Old Raj gin) ginger (as in Canton ginger cognac) apricot (as in Rothman&Winter, or better yet, Giffard Abricot du Roussillon) Fri Jun 12 11:53:04 -0700 2009 4743489 13161 barleywino 2 4806929 If the rain ever lets up I'll have to give marais's recipe a turn ... with ruby grapefruit. However, your suggestion of apricot played with my buds ... gin and ... wait ... beaume de venise ... an insidious base for a tall drink indeed. Thu Jun 25 18:00:32 -0700 2009 4767241 67783 TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis 3 4807633 nice...icewine could also work Fri Jun 26 04:26:02 -0700 2009 4806929 13161 barleywino 4 4844810 Given the economy, how about a trochenbeerenauslese? Thu Jul 09 18:20:16 -0700 2009 4807633 67783 TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis 5 4845465 in bad times, people spend more on booze ;)...Moto in Chicago does the icewine martini Fri Jul 10 03:49:45 -0700 2009 4844810 13161 barleywino 6 4849724 "in bad times, people spend more on booze" ... ( So if we catch a "raw W", work FAZ by day and long "VO" .-) ) Following through on fruit ... my weak attempt at sourcing Luxardo (MC.S.JB's suggestion) left me with no alternative: I dropped a Vignola ... http://www.toschi.it/eng/amm/image/33857_1_N88_Orologio_b.jpg not bad! Sat Jul 11 15:46:31 -0700 2009 4845465 67783 TheDescendedLefticleOfAramis 1 4827700 I don't claim to be a gin conniseur, I've thought of myself as a Scotch person but I recently came across a gin that changed that. I'm siiting in my cabin on Hornby Island enjoying a boutique gin...Phrog...distilled on the Island. Its so flavourful that I haven't mixed it with anything yet and prefer it room temp to bring out all its flavour. If you can find it buy it. Fri Jul 03 12:49:48 -0700 2009 4743489 49053 pgj98m3