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The joy of gin

Putting a fresh new face on an old spirit with a checkered past
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April 11th, 2007 issue

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST
The choices are many, but London Dry works best with tonic and fresh juice.
Over the centuries, gin has been celebrated and reviled. It is the foundation of sophisticated cocktails such as the martini and gin and tonic, as well as the source of military zeal (“Dutch courage,” a reference to lowlands gin) the scourge of prohibition (bathtub gin), the object of Hogarth’s fury (gin lane) and the locus of Bogart’s lament in Casablanca (“of all the gin joints …”). Few spirits have such a confused reputation.
Gin is a grain alcohol distilled with juniper berries and a variety of botanicals — herbs, spices, citrus peel — that vary from brand to brand. According to legend, producers in the Netherlands and Belgium first bottled the spirit back in the 1500s as a purely medicinal concoction. British troops picked up a taste for the stuff not long afterward and brought it back to the home islands, first to Plymouth, then to London. This essentially accounts for the three most distinct styles of gin.
Genever from the low countries picks up its smooth, whiskeylike character from malted barley and barrel aging. The British styles — Plymouth Dry and the popular London Dry — are more potent, with the latter presenting dominant juniper flavors in balance with botanical notes. Modern twists include flavored potions and the soft blend of cucumber, rose petal and other herbs called Hendrick’s.
According to Martin Hamáček, bar manager at Barego in the Mandarin Oriental hotel, London Dry brands are the best for mixing. “They are not that different,” he explains, “but they react very differently to lime, lemon or other mixers.” Although he prefers Hendrick’s for unadulterated sipping, “London Dry is what you think of when you think gin.”
The strong botanical flavors of London Dry are critical to this particular recipe. The classic gin and tonic calls for citrus, but Hamáček bends the rules a bit. “What’s important is that there’s no lime or lemon in it,” he says. “This allows the gin to interact with the black currant.”
Use the best ingredients possible, and plenty of ice. The end result is sharp, peppery, bittersweet — and very cool.
Martin Hamáček is bar manager at Barego in the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Gin and Tonic With Black Currant
Ingredients Preparation
5–6 centiliters (1.5–1.8 fluid ounces) of good London Dry gin
Tonic
Black currant juice
Plenty of ice 		Fill a long tumbler with ice cubes.
Pour in gin.
Splash with tonic to taste.
Pour in just enough black currant to turn the liquid a deep pink, not purple.
Do not stir. Instead, allow the black currant to sink.


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