Over the past two months, Nolet’s Gin has sent us a trio of packages as part of it’s Cupboard to Cocktail Program. This program encourages bartenders and home enthusiasts to utilize ingredients found in their cabinets, with less reliance on seasonal ingredients that are difficult to source. It was a fun couple months, as we got to experiment with some ingredients that we’ve never used in cocktails, like lavender leaves and banana jam. First up was the Nolet's Silver New Fashioned (pictured), which paired Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin with sour cherry marmalade and Angostura Bitters. It was tart and refreshing,...

Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin is crafted in Holland by the same family that brought us Ketel One Vodka. But the Nolet’s are not newcomers to the category, as the Nolet family has been producing gin since 1691. Nolet’s Silver is much different than your standard London Dry Gin, as it eschews a strong juniper base for one that’s very floral and fruit-forward. Some of its unique botanicals include Turkish rose petals, peaches and raspberries. On the nose, it’s lush and perfumy, with the fruit hiding behind that big, brash dose of Turkish rose. Take a sip and you’ll find some...

Tuthilltown Spirits Farm Distillery is New York State’s first whiskey distiller since Prohibition, and is best known for its lineup of whiskeys – including a bourbon, rye and single malt. The distillery also produces vodka and corn whiskey, if you’re keeping score at home. And today they announced an addition to that portfolio – Half Moon Gin. Half Moon Gin is named for the vessel upon which Henry Hudson explored the New York river that now bears his name. In producing Half Moon Gin, Tuthilltown goes beyond the typical gin makers’ approach of flavoring neutral spirit with a blend of...

Greenhook Ginsmiths Distillery is a new Brooklyn-based outfit headed by gin aficionado, Steven DeAngelo. The company launched an American Dry Gin in February and will eventually be releasing a full line of small-batch, handcrafted gins. Greenhook Ginsmiths hopes to offer consumers new, accessible gins with more taste and character than what’s currently on the market. To achieve this, the distillery utilizes a unique method that diminishes the atmospheric pressure in the still. As a result, Greenhook Ginsmiths is able to reduce the temperature of the distillation environment to about 132 degrees, which is nearly 40 degrees below the normal alcohol...

Caorunn Gin (pronounced ka-roon) is a small batch Scottish Gin produced at the Balmenach Distillery in Scotland’s Spey Valley. Caorunn builds on the standard gin botanicals – like juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root and citrus peels – with five unique Celtic botanicals. The most prominent is rowan berry, from which Caorunn takes its name (“caorunn” being the Celtic word for the berry). The other Celtic botanicals are bog myrtle, heather, coul blush apple and dandelion leaf. In producing Caurunn Gin, neutral grain spirit is vaporized in a 1920s-era copper berry chamber. The botanicals are infused into the spirit, lending...

Let’s raise a glass to Leap Year, and let’s fill that glass with booze. In this case, the gin-based Leap Year Cocktail, a fitting drink for the once-every-four-years day of February 29th. The Leap Year cocktail was created by Harry Craddock, famed bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London and author of the seminal drinks tome, the Savoy Cocktail Book. Craddock first crafted the drink in 1928, and though it hasn’t caught on as a mainstream cocktail, the eponymous drink is unearthed every four years in bars and boozy homes across the world. Combining gin with Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth and...

G’Vine Gin has just launched its 2012 Gin Connoisseur Program – a global quest for the world’s best gin bartender. This year’s theme is French Classics, remembering the golden age of French mixology from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The intense program requires an absolute understanding of the gin category,. But beyond that, competitors must be excellent hosts, technically skilled bartenders, creative mixologists and engaging personalities. Any bartender, anywhere, can enter the Gin Connoisseur Program. It doesn't matter which gin your bar pours or whether G'Vine Gin is available in your country. Every gin-loving bartender has an equal chance of...

Hendrick’s Gin has been busy this holiday season, having recently unveiled its Enchanted Forest of Curiosities in San Francisco and Brooklyn. The snowy indoor scene was brought to life with trees, woodland creatures and bizarre performances – think ukulele bands and sword swallowers. Also, cocktails. Guests enjoyed Hendrick's cocktails created by Brand Ambassador Jim Ryan. Hendrick’s Gin is comprised of 11 botanicals, including the very distinct infusions of cucumber and rose petals, which gives it great application in cocktails. Like the fine libations detailed below. Alaskan Sour 1 ½ oz Hendrick’s Gin ¾ oz Yellow Chartreuse ½ oz Simple Syrup ½ oz Lemon Juice ¼ oz...

On September 6th, Tanqueray Global Brand Ambassador, Angus Winchester, visited Dallas for an evening of gin and good times at the Joule Hotel’s rooftop pool. Winchester started the evening behind the bar, mixing up gin and tonics, Southsides (gin, lemon, sugar, mint, soda) and Negronis. Upon request for something a bit different, he made me a Perfect Ten, which is simply Tanqueray Ten shaken with a lemon peel, and then strained into a cocktail glass. When asked why he shook the gin instead of stirring it, he mentioned that stirring wasn’t necessary when it’s just gin. But that if he...

Back in June, Denver-based Spring44 released a gin, vodka and honey vodka. Like all Spring44 spirits, the gin is distilled five times, filtered through a virgin coconut husk carbon filtration system and cut with spring water from the Rocky Mountains. The gin is comprised of 12 aromatic botanicals, including juniper berries, lavender, jasmine and citrus peels. Spring 44 Gin is crystal clear, and on the nose it has clean aromas of juniper, lime, sage, wheat and spice. The entrance is cool and creamy on the palate, with mint, spice, flowers and a mild dose of juniper. It finishes long with...