The Fitzgerald cocktail comes courtesy of Dale Degroff. Mr. DeGroff was instrumental in the revival of the American bar scene, starting with his early 90s tenure at the Rainbow Room in New York. A firm proponent of fresh juices, his work helped to usher in the era of legit cocktail bars that scoff at bottled juices and sugary swill. That said, The Fitzgerald is essentially a gin sour (sans optional egg white) with bitters. Gin, lemon juice and sugar combine to form a nice drink on their own, but bitters can turn a good drink into a great drink. In...

ROXOR Artisan Gin is a new product that just launched this month. Distilled in partnership between New Artisan Spirits and San Luis Spirits, producers of Dripping Springs Vodka, it’s the first Texas-based gin. New Artisan Spirits is headed by former Coca-Cola executive Don Short and Robert Del Grande, a chef who also holds a degree in biochemistry. Del Grande used that science expertise and cooking talent to create the 12 botanical blend of ROXOR Artisan Gin. He balanced juniper with fresh citrus peels and included other traditional botanicals like coriander and orris root. From there, we’ve got some surprises like...

While there were many great cocktails featured at last month’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic in New York, one that really stood out was the Tom Nichol Cocktail created for the Master Distiller of Tanqueray Gin. The drink was presented to guests at the suite at the Andaz Hotel across from the New York Public Library, which is the scene of the annual MCC Gala. A mixture of gin and fresh juices, this cocktail was dreamt up by wine and spirits expert Steve Olson and Tom Nichol while they were traveling together in Spain. The citrus highlights...

Summer’s approaching, or for many of us, it’s already here. So let’s kick back with some refreshing gin cocktails. These recipes come courtesy of Oxley Gin. Featuring fresh fruit and some basic ingredients, they’re easy to make, whether you’re hosting a Memorial Day pool party or just sitting alone in your air conditioned house. Oxley 75 1 ½ ounces OXLEY Gin 2 tsp superfine sugar 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 4 ounces chilled Prosecco Shake gin, sugar and lemon juice with ice. Pour into a champagne flute and top with Prosecco. Grapefruit Collins 2 ounces OXLEY Gin ½ ounce lemon juice ½ ounce of simple syrup 1 ounce fresh...

Death’s Door Gin comes from Death’s Door Spirits, a relatively new outfit based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company produces a vodka and white whiskey in addition to the gin. Distilled in small batches from local red winter wheat, Death’s Door Gin is unique as far as gins go, in that it’s comprised of just three botanicals – juniper berries, coriander and fennel seeds. And they’re all organic, if you’re into that sort of thing. Death’s Door Gin has a light aroma of juniper that’s somewhat muted by an initial hit of alcohol. Some fennel notes are present as well, folded neatly into...

The Bijou Cocktail was created in the late 1800s and appears in classic cocktail books like The Savoy and Harry Johnson's Bartender's Manual. It's sweet and fiercely herbal, but it's also surprisingly elegant and well-balanced. Play around with your vermouths for fun effect, and note the difference between mainstays like Dolin and richer vermouths like Carpano Antica. If the drink is simply too much to handle, try changing the ratios to two parts gin, one part vermouth and one part Green Chartreuse. Bijou Cocktail 1 oz London Dry Gin 1 oz Green Chartreuse 1 oz Sweet Vermouth 1 dash Orange Bitters Stir all ingredients with ice until...

The Jasmine Cocktail is an easy-to-make, four ingredient drink that pairs gin with lemon juice, bitter Campari and sweet Cointreau. The Jasmine is a great cocktail for those intimidated by gin, as the gin acts as a vehicle for the other flavors, rather than hitting you in the face with heavy juniper. Of course, enjoying this cocktail is predicated on appreciating the wonderfully bitter aperitif, Campari. But even the Campari is somewhat muted by the Cointreau, resulting in a well-balanced drink that looks and tastes similar to grapefruit juice. And like grapefruit juice, it’s a refreshing way to start your morning. The...

The Alaskan Cocktail is a really easy-to-make drink. It starts with the bracing botanicals of gin and then folds in the herbal complexities of Yellow Chartreuse. A dash of bitters rounds it out into a well-balanced, potent cocktail. The Alaskan first appeared in 1930 in the Savoy Cocktail Book. It doesn’t get much play these days, which is a shame. Change that by mixing one up for yourself. A London Dry style gin, like Beefeater, works well here as it complements the sweetness of Yellow Chartreuse. The Alaskan Cocktail 1 1/2 ounces gin 1/2 ounce Yellow Chartreuse 1 dash orange bitters Stir all ingredients with ice...

Citadelle Gin is a French gin distilled from wheat and 19 different botanicals, including juniper, coriander, citrus peels, star anise, fennel and cinnamon.  It’s the only gin on the market distilled in a Cognac pot still over an open flame. That fact and all those ingredients combine to form a very interesting spirit. On the nose, Citadelle Gin has intense aromas of citrus, flowers and spice with a backbone of juniper. On the palate it’s rich and oily with more floral and citrus notes, plus an interesting sweet and salty component. It finishes dry with a little peppery kick. The gin’s assertive...

Martin Miller’s Gin is a London Dry Gin that hit the market in 1999. It’s composed of botanicals including juniper berries, citrus peels, coriander, licorice, cinnamon, nutmeg and more. It’s distilled in London before being shipped off to Iceland where it’s cut to strength with spring water. The gin is bottled at two strengths: 40% ABV and 45.2%. The latter is known as Westborne Strength. Martin Miller is the entrepreneur behind his eponymous gin. He is, among other things, an author and hotel owner, and in the late 1990s he decided to create a new gin – quite an endeavor...