When I think of Alaskan Brewery, I do not envision lush tropics or gin but the brewery does have a Rainforest Gin & Tonic and in my experience, to date, G&Ts are the most consistent RTDs out there.
Rainy Gin
Old Thomasina
On my latest visit to Portland, I went to the Freeland Distillery and quite liked their gins. I missed out on trying their latest though, an Old Tom. It is their Dry Gin barrel-aged “for 6 months in hand-selected whiskey barrels from women-owned Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.” I do like their whiskey and story as well.
Also, “This exclusive release marries the art of distillation with a cause—supporting women entrepreneurs. AND $5 of each bottle supports Re:Her.”
That is a win, win and win.
Gin Day – Lindemans Old Kriek
Time to talk gin again bit this time with both a Belgian and beer twist to it as Lindemans, known for their sweeter fruited lambics and some harder to find distinctly Belgian beers also has a gin! And it is made from Old Kriek distillate!
You know that I will be seeing how I can get myself some.
Gin Day – Rested v Aged
I have been intrigued by barrel-aged gins and even have bought a couple but both were lightly aged and on not pungent wood, as it were. That changes with the new releases from The Botanist.
One is Islay Cask Aged and the second is Islay Cask Rested Gin. The latter “has been matured in cask for a minimum of 6 months, and Aged has been matured for a minimum of 3 years.”
The Botanist has a big selection of botanicals that just might meld with an Islay cask.
Spirits Book Review – Gin Tasting Course by Anthony Gladman
Starting the year with a Gin book that I heard about on the Food Programme podcast, The Gin Tasting Course by Anthony Gladman.
Two big reasons why I liked this book. One – it was British and world-centric. The U.S. gets a couple mentions but this book took me around Europe to Australia and South America too. Second – the book is centered on flavors. So instead of a section on Scottish gins or Spanish gins, you got classic gins, umami gins, citrus gins. Much easier way into the spirit in my opinion.
I also like the illustrations used. Bright and colorful without losing helpfulness in the mix. The cocktail list was tightly curated and actually seem doable for a gin enthusiast. On the downside, some font size choices made the book a little hard to read.
Gladman also accomplishes the feat of being opinionated while not being off putting about it or pedantic. To borrow the I would like to have a drink with him construct, I would like to have a G&T with him.
Books like these invariably rise or fall on the featured gins chosen. Here is where Gladman shines. His descriptions have repetition but it is due to the main required ingredients and less to adjectives used. I came away with a goodly long list of gins to be on the lookout for.
Holiday Season 2023 – Day 8 – Christmas Gin from Old Curiosity
Let’s take a beer breather and look at my favorite spirit, gin. Specifically Old Curiosity Christmas Gin.
“The Gin is distilled with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom which gives the undeniably familiar smell of Christmas and provides a festive spicy flavour. The drink is infused with mallow petals to provide a distinctive festive colour which transforms to a vibrant pink when mixed with tonic water; the perfect showstopper for any Christmas party. The seasonal gin is smooth and elegant with a light base. For a real festive feel, garnish with a slice of dried orange peel, a cinnamon stick and a dash of tonic to witness the glorious colour change”
FWIBF – Paso Distilled
It is not really a trip to Paso Robles without visiting at least one distillery.
First up was CalWise Spirits just down Ramada Drive from Firestone Walker. That is important because they get their wash from them. CalWise does gin, rum, whiskey and liqueurs. I tasted a little bit of everything. Most impressive to me were the gins. Their flagship and their blood orange worked well for me. And I bought a bottle of their Vermut for cocktail use at home. Distiller and tasting tour guide Leo gave a lot of info about the distillery and what they liked and even played the new Ben Folds album was I was sipping.
Second was Bethel Rd. Distilling next to Castoro Cellars and Peachy Canyon. It is a lovely indoor / outdoor space with grapevine views. All of their spirits come from grapes and brandy is their forte. I sample three brandies from neutral to flagship to VSOP. I was quite surprised by the first, expecting a harsh vodka bite but it was delicate. The VSOP was another winner. The gin was great as well, enough for me to buy a bottle.
Seasonal Magic
Craft beer has seasonal beers, most notably in winter but there are certainly beets for spring, summer and fall too. When obe thinks of gin, you may not think that way but Leopold’s Distilling in Colorado does and their summer gin is out now for 2023.
“This gin draws on the warm climates from which its exceptional ingredients are harvested by hand: Spanish Blood Oranges for a rich sweetness, French Immortal Flowers and Juniper Berries for a cool and clean flavor, and Australian Lemon Myrtle for a fresh, citrus finish. Each ingredient is distilled individually to honor its distinctive flavors.”
Dogged Whiskey & Gin
It was a sad day when Portland’s famed Hair of the Dog Brewing closed up shop but that news has been tempered by the fact that a new brewery will take up the space and now CopperWorks Distilling is upcycling used oak barrels from HotD for a cask finished Single Malt Whiskey and a Cask Finished Gin.
There is a Matt and Adam expression of both so you can compare and contrast.
Older Aviation
Old Tom doesn’t get the same shelf space as gin but maybe that will change with Aviation Gin adding it to their line-up. Sometimes you need the marketing muscle of a celebrity distillery to open a style up.
I have as many oak aged gins now as I do the regular. Now if Aviation would make a Genever, that would be great.