Classicgin - Classicgin.com

What are the reasons behind the popularity of tonic gin?

No other drink beats a tonic gin on a sunny afternoon. For gin lovers a gin and tonic is all that they would want. The story of gin and tonic goes a long way. Until some time back the origins of this drink was not really clear. But this drink was invented by none other than the British in the most unlikely place. This drink was introduced by the British East India Company in India.

The story behind the drink is quite intriguing. Tonic water is said to contain quinine which is useful in preventing and treating malaria. The 18th century tonic water bottles contained a substantially large amount of quinine giving tonic water a very bitter taste.

The officers from the Company simply added gin to make the tonic water more palatable. As luck would have it the trend caught on and then stuck. Today almost everyone loves a gin and tonic.

Tonic water is essentially a carbonated soft drink with quinine dissolved in it. It was originally used to prevent malaria. Tonic water was initially intended to be consumed only in tropical areas in South Asia and Africa as in these areas malaria was endemic

Today the tonic water in the tonic gin that we drink contains a far lesser amount of quinine making it a lot less bitter. In fact you can also get tonics that are a little sweetened. What makes gin and tonic complement each other is the flavor of the quinine present in the tonic water. Tonic gin go hand in hand just like gin and dry vermouth in the classic martini mix. The association of gin drinking during warmer seasons is mainly because of the connection that gin has with warm climates.

Gin and tonic are popularly known as G & T in Britain and Ireland. The perfect way to make this drink is to take a highball glass filled with ice. Pour the gin over the ice and then top it off with tonic water.

You can garnish your tonic gin with a wedge of lemon or a lime. The amount of gin that can be used to make this drink can vary depending on the persons taste and liking. However, the ratio suggested by mixologists to make the perfect G&T is 1:1, 1:2 or 2:3.

Tonic gin is so popular in Britain that at times it is also called a T&T. A T&T is also a type of gin and tonic but the gin used here is Tanqueray. Tanqueray is a type of London Dry Gin and is very popular amongst gin drinkers across the world.

There are many references that are made to the classic tonic gin. It has achieved cult status and finds a mention even in P. G. Wodehouse novels. The character of Bertie Wooster swore by this drink in all of PG Wodehouse novels. Billy Joel mentions tonic gin in his song the Piano Man.

While tonic gin is generally considered an old man’s drink this allocation is quite unfair as this drink is very refreshing, elegant, smooth and extremely dignified. In fact a gin and tonic is perfect for those long and balmy afternoons where you have nothing much to do.

The original tom Collins recipe and its evolution

A Tom Collins recipe is very popular amongst people who love gin based cocktail drinks. This drink was memorialized for the first time by Jerry Thomas in 1876. Jerry Thomas is also called the “father of American mixology”.

The story of the Tom Collins is very interesting. This drink earned its name from a proven hoax of exposure. Called ‘The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874, the speaker of this hoax would urge the listeners with compelling stories about the inimitable, yet fictitious, Tom Collins.

This speaker would pick a listener and would agitate the desired listener with outrageous Tom Collins stories so much so that the listener would often head out in the search of the fictitious Tom Collins.

The Tom Collins recipe first came out in 1876 in The Bartenders Guide written by Jerry Thomas. Thomas took full advantage of this hoax and developed a lime based gin drink and gave it the name of Tom Collins.

The original recipe had 5 to 6 dashes of gum syrup, 1 large wine glass full of gin, 3 to 4 cubes of ice and the juice of one lemon. This concoction was shaken up and poured into a large bar glass. Once the drink had been poured carbonated water was added to top off the drink and make it feel livelier.

While the Tom Collins recipe was quite similar to the Gin Fizz recipes there is a major distinguishing factor. While in a Gin Fizz three dashes of lime juice is fizzed with carbonated or soda water, a Tom Collins uses a considerably larger quantity of lime juice in its preparation. This leads to the making of a gin and sparkly lemonade drink which was further sweetened by using gum syrup.

Though a Tom Collins can be made with any type of gin, it is the Holland Gin that suits this drink the best. In fact this drink tastes better with Holland Gin than with London Dry Gin. Holland Gin or Jenever is from where gin actually evolved.

The Tom Collins recipe was widely appreciated by the masses of New York and by 1878 this drink had taken the city by storm. As the popularity of the drink grew in New York and everywhere else it was identified in The Modern Bartenders Guide as “a favorite drink in demand everywhere” in the year 1878.

As time passed by the Tom Collins recipe began to evolve. Initially the drink was sweetened with gum syrup. The gum syrup was then replaced with ordinary sugar and Holland gin was replaced with the Old Tom gin. Old Tom gin is a much lighter tasting gin and was extremely popular in England in the 18th century.

The Tom Collins recipe which came out in 1891 had the juice of half a lemon, a bar spoonful of sugar, two to three lumps of ice, a bottle of plain soda and gin. All these ingredients are mixed well and served in a large glass. As the century progressed the lemon juice in the original Tom Collins recipe was replaced with lime juice.

The Tom Collins recipe has gone through a number of permutations and combinations. You will find your Tom Collins being served with a cherry or an orange slice or sometimes even both. However garnished the drink might be, it is an amazing cooler for a hot afternoon.

What makes tanqueray gin a hot favorite with the gin aficionado

When a G&T (gin and tonic) becomes T&T you know that the Gin and Tonic has become Tanqueray gin and Tonic. Tanqueray is a type of British gin that is produced in Scotland. Tanqueray gin was distilled for the first time in 1830 in Bloomsbury in England by Charles Tanqueray.

After the death of Charles Tanqueray his son Charles Waugh Tanqueray inherited the distillery and operated it until the bombings during the World War II severely damaged them.

Tanqueray is a type of London Dry Gin and is called so because of its distillation process. The largest market for the Tanqueray gin is the United States. The key botanicals used to make tanqueray London Dry Gin are juniper berries, coriander root and angelica root. These botanicals are sourced from across the world and gave the drink a unique multi layered flavor.

It is the same recipe that is being followed since the drinks inception and still remains a closely guarded secret. Spain and Italy are the other two very large markets for this drink.

The angelica root present in the gin gives the gin its sweet and warm flavor. Only the finest angelica roots sourced especially from Saxony are used to make this drink. Coriander seeds give Tanqueray gin its delicately spicy flavor. The coriander seeds used here are sourced from the Russian plains.

The seeds from this area are richest in flavor and the seed oils. Fresh picks seeds of coriander have a rather musty aroma but as they mature and become dry a more lemony flavor is released which balances the sweetness of the angelica root in the drink. The best juniper berries sourced exclusively from the Tuscan mountains are used in making Tanqueray gin as they are considered the backbone of a great gin.

It takes almost two years for the juniper berries to ripen and yet not all of them get to this stage at the same time. It becomes extremely essential to get the right berries and Tanqueray makes sure that it painstakingly gets the best berries to make their gin.

So legendary is Tanqueray gin in its flavor that it has wowed gin lovers and mixologists across the world. They have received a number of awards for their classic drinks. It has been receiving the Gold Awards at the International Wine and Spirits Competition consistently.

Apart from the Tanqueray London Dry Gin which is extremely popular for its taste and has received a number of awards, the other Tanqueray gin that has made a name for itself is the Tanqueray Rangpur Gin. The Tanqueray Rangpur Gin was introduced in 2006 in Washington D.C and is known for its strong lime flavor. This gin has a predominant flavor of the rare Rangpur limes which are rich in their zest and juiciness.

Along with these rare limes the other botanicals that are added to this spirit are coriander roots, ginger and bay leaves making the drink unique, smooth, extremely subtle and mixable.

Tanqueray gin understands the gin lovers obsession with the Martini. For this purpose alone they introduced the Tanqueray No. Ten range in 2000. This gin was made perfect to suit martinis by putting it through a quadruple distillation process.

What makes seagrams extra dry gin so popular amongst gin lovers

Since 1857 Seagram’s Gin has been extremely popular amongst gin lovers. Seagram’s Gin gets its fantastic flavor from the juniper berries and other exotic botanicals that go on to make this sprit so great.

The Master Distillers at Seagram’s go on to select the finest range of botanicals to create unparalleled flavors. You have Spanish orange peels to Sri Lankan cardamoms which are used in their gin. These recipes have been a closely guarded secret since its inception.

Another thing that makes Seagram’s gin so special is their unique distillation process. The distillation process of the gin is temperature controlled. They fist filter the spirit through the finest selection of American grains. This grain spirit is then processed with a wide array of botanicals which imparts its flavor to the gin. It is this lengthy and slow process which makes this gin so special.

Seagram’s gin is as interesting outside as it is inside. The bottle of Seagram’s gin is also a part of its history. The uncommon texture of the bottle of this gin earned the brand the title of ‘the smooth gin in the bumpy bottle’. The off white label of the gin bottle is representative of the charred and smooth oak barrels which are used in the gins unique distillation process.

The family crest of Seagram’s still sits on the front label of the bottle just in the same way as it adorned the bottle in 1857. Seagram’s gin was commissioned by the royalty who called this gin “the Perfect Gin”.

The extra dry gin contained in this imperfectly perfect bottle has been loved across the world. So much has this gin been popular that now the company is introducing new and innovative flavors giving America’s best loved spirit a new life.

While you can enjoy the classic extra dry gin, Seagram’s has launched its first apple flavored drink for the non purist and the purist alike. Pour the Seagram’s Apple Twisted Gin over ice and add some ginger ale to it and you have a fantastically refreshing drink to enjoy.

If you are a gin and tonic drinker and love your drink with a twist of lime then you will enjoy the lime twisted gin from Seagram’s. You can conveniently forget all about cutting and slicing lime wedges. All you will need to do is pour out some tonic water over Seagram’s Lime Twisted gin to get the perfect gin and tonic of your choice. If you would like a slight variation from this classic ‘twist’, you can take a look at the Seagram’s Orange Twisted Gin. This gin has warm and refreshing notes of delightful mandarin oranges. Drink it up the classic way or add it to other drinks, you will always find a way to enjoy this orange twisted gin.

The newest flavors to be added to the Seagram’s twist range are that of raspberry and grape. The raspberry twist drink has a tart and fresh appeal and adds a great deal of zing to many drinks. The grape twist delivers the subtle sweet taste of grapes coupled beautifully with the sharpness of the gin making every sip a delightfully fresh experience.

If it is a martini that you love then the Seagram’s gin for you is the Extra Dry Gin. This is the drink that took the company to the heights that it sees today and has a taste that takes an ordinary and simple martini to becoming great!

Plymouth gin

Plymouth gin was made by Dr. Francisus ylvus. He was a Dutch chemist of the 16th, century and he attempted to clean the blood of people suffering from renal (kidney) disorders by this creation. Plymouth gin is a full bodied, crystal clear and a slightly fruity gin. He named this gin product genievre, French for juniper.

England soon started bulk production of gin because King William III started grudging against France and put a ban on expensive and sophisticated liquor imports from France and made every effort to make gin affordable for his own countrymen.

It was on the English Channel – that is the port of Plymouth that, this Gin originated. But now the only distillery that can legally produce Plymouth Gin now is – Plymouth Coates & Co. This gin is made of cereal grains which have few congeners – these could be a mash of barley, rye, wheat, corn etc. Other herbs or botanicals- as they are called , which make an ingredient for gin are – lemon, fennel orange peels, coriander, cassia, almond, anise and angelica.

The major contribution of flavor and aroma comes from the juniper berry. It goes without saying that – some popular cocktails – such as Douglas Fairbanks Cocktail and an Admiral Benbow definitely call for Plymouth Gin. This Gin has a proof range between 80 and 94. The law does not allow the manufacturers, to describe their gin by age.

Plymouth History says that Plymouth gin and the Black Friars Distillery where the gin is manufactured have an interesting and a long past. Black Friars Distillery is as good as the home of Plymouth Gin as it is the oldest operational distillery in England. It is located in the centre of Plymouth city, which is a historic port city, south west of England.

The old distillery building is of the 1400s age and the Refractory Room is the one that is in full tact. It is the Medieval Hall, made of timber with hull shaped roof. This is the oldest building of Plymouth. It is well maintained and preserved as the city’s national monument and a precious and valuable heritage.

Plymouth Gin had a very lethal appearance – until some dedicated people geared up and bought it from Allied Domecq in 1996. After four years everyone was proud of Plymouth’s bottoms up position. This particular gin was much liked by some prestigious personalities of those times like – Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ian Fleming. By 1996, Plymouth was regarded a little more than a rail drink.

By mid –nineties – all the gin brands had a down trend in their sales as again gin had fallen from public opinion and favor. Gin, then became closely linked with lower class of people in the early 18th century and was then referred to as – “white wine” and also “nig”. This was done to jus t save the reputation of the drink and the people ordering it.

.Now the best base and blend for a cool and exotic gin cocktail is Plymouth. It is known worldwide and in the UK as the best-selling premium gin. – Bottoms up Plymouth!!