Comments on Gin

What would be the gateway alcohol to Gin?

This question is inherently circular in its answer. Vodka might be the closest in color and flavor, yet it doesn’t really provide the qualities that even the mildest Gin provides, i.e. Juniper. Even highly herbal or botanical vodka’s like Square One Botanical don’t have the ingredients that make a gin, a gin. For a light, smooth, easy drinking gin try Plymouth. Plymouth Gin is exclusive in that it is the only gin that can be called a Plymouth style gin. It is most notable for not having the bitter orange flavor of other gins, yet still having a refreshing citrus flavor. This quality is only enhanced by the traditional lemon twist that is used on the rim and as a garnish in a Plymouth Martini. We are living in a great age of Gin. There are new style, old style, new-old style, and avant guard gins being produced across the world. Anyone can find a gin that tickles their taste buds or their pocket books.

The Power of Advertising

Previously we posted about the power of advertising in the sale of alcohol. Sure big alcohol distributors make a lot of money on single page adds in magazines. However, it's refreshing to find home decor catalogs with clearly discernible bottles of alcohol or cocktails on tables and in cupboards. Sure, it's nice to get the Beverages and More catalog, but so much nicer when the advertising is a little less blatant. We noticed that the Beverages and More catalog formatting is difficult to understand that the photo layout is juvenile. The section on Vodka is set against a bright white background so the whole page is white with bold black letters. Boring. It doesn't make me stand up and say, "I must have that bottle of Hanger 1! It's only $19.99!" I do have to give BevMo the credit of being a lot more interesting than grocery store advertisments.

Interestingly enough, the February 2010 Pottery Barn catalog came out recently. We all thought that there would be a good selection of booze nestled in the room arangements. However, the corporate overlords must have caught on to these subliminal messages and put a stop to them. They probably figured free advertising isn't in their best interest. Afterall, this catalog is aimed at the Upper Middle Class, who can afford to spend, spend, spend. I only counted a half dozen different wines in cuppords and most lables were turned; except a white called 21 which was prominently placed on a table. There was also a bottle of Heiniken with a half full glass next to it on a coffee table. That coffee table set up was pretentious. Who sits around their living room playing scrabble, drinking Heiniken out of a glass, and flipping through ancient tomes or unabridged dictionaries? So disappointing! Pottery Barn, why have you forsaken us?!

I wonder if there are other magazines or catalogs out there that are subliminal booze advertisments? The Crate & Barrel must advertise somewhere. Right? The Gindicate will be on the lookout.

Comments on Gin

The Gindicate is always talking about "the gateway." You know, PSA's tell you that pot is the gateway drug to harder drugs. Bacon is the gateway meat to people. Our members also feel that Pritchard's rum is the gateway to bourbon with its rich, smokey oak flavor. Well, if Pritchard’s is the gateway rum to bourbon, then what is the gateway gin to whiskey and bourbon?

That would be Genever. Most Genevers have a robust flavor that gives the fullness of body that a bourbon or whiskey contains. Gins and vodkas are distilled to such a high proof that you lose the flavor of the grain used to make the base alcohol. Since Genever is pot distilled the flavor is preserved. In aged Genevers those flavors are even more exaggerated.

Our current recommendation is Bols Genever. It has the classic taste one expects with a Genever and yet is easy to mix. Have it in the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail; it'll give you a reason to break out the Absinthe!

Southside Cocktail

2 oz Gin
¾ oz fresh lime juice
2 pieces of lime
2 sprigs of mint
4 oz soda water
1 oz simple syrup

Muddle one sprig of mint with the lime pieces, lime juice, and simple syrup in the bottom of a bar glass. Add gin and shake well. Pour into a goblet over crushed ice and stir until outside of the glass frosts. Top with soda water, garnish with remaining sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy.

The Southside cocktail is a very fresh and summer-time-esque drink. We chose to use New Amsterdam, which is a rather sweet gin. It made the sour of the lime rather distinct. We think next time we’ll choose a more meaty gin that will play off the mint more.

Although, similar to the disturbingly popular mojito, we find this an easier drinking cocktail. We could have a dozen or so of these, without feeling it at all … until too late. This kind of cocktail could reestablish gin as the king of booze once again. In this cocktail, the tartness and flavor of the gin makes it more approachable to the average drinker. This is a definite cross-over drink.

Comments on Gin

What gin do you get someone who claims to not be a gin person?

You want something that is going to be unique in appearance, unique in flavor, eye catching and approachable for the average drinker. It isn’t so heavily juniper in flavor. We recommend Magellan Gin, the world’s only natural blue gin. Yes, it is actually blue in color and doesn’t need a colored bottle to market its “uniqueness.” While very floral, Magellan provides the exclusivity of color and uniqueness of flavor that can be a real enticement for “non” gin drinkers. It also makes a mellow and beautiful martini when made with proper premium vermouth.

Smuggler's Cove SF (soft opening)

In anticipation of tomorrow's ticketed Smugglers Cove SF Soft Opening, we'd like to wet your appetite a little. Here's what you'll find inside:

Heaven.

The Gindicate was allowed entry to the special super-secret Soft Opening on Wednesday Dec. 2nd! The evening was in celebration of how far Martin Cate's dream has come and in appreciation of those who've made his dream a reality. We were truly honored to be allowed to take part in this event.

We are honoring Martin's request that we not post pictures, now. Come back later and you'll catch a glimpse of the amazing interiors, provided by the brilliant Notch. Here are some of the features you'll find inside:

* low profile exterior (excepting only the port and starboard lights)
* wall to wall high class nautical themed decor
* an 8ft anchor & antique cannon
* an amazing block and tackle system suspending items from the ceiling
* 2 well stocked bars with brilliant tenders (& bar-backs)
* the coolest water jet glass cleaners ever
* 3 different levels each with it's own ambience
* tasty cocktails and a 12 page menu of amazing options (not just rum or tiki)
* delicious house wine (Smug Jug) and beer (Smugglers Brew)

Last night we had an abbreviated cocktail list of 5 unique and classic cocktails. The drinks were exemplary; the bartender's skills are obvious. I am certain that Masterful Mixologist that he is, Martin took the flavor pallets of his guests into mind when he chose the following drinks:

* Cora Middleton Cocktail
* Hotel Nacional Special
* Three Dots and a Dash
* Wray & Nephew and Ting
* The Chadburn

There was a cocktail that suited each person to a tee. Obvious favorites were immediately established but with a list of over 80 cocktails there will be plenty of favorites for all! We also had a chance to try the Smugglers Jug and Smugglers Brew! The wine is delightful, full bodied and had hints of stone fruit. The beer was deceptively dark with an oatmeal fullness to it without any of the bite or sting of dark beers. Smuggler's Cove is so well stocked with specialy crafted custom products that I wouldn't be surprised to see them show up in a store.

Of course there is much, much more! We just don't want to ruin the surprise! Be on the look out as well for the website, which is inspired and innovative. The Gindicate looks forward to rating, ranking, and collecting data on our favorite Smug Co. cocktails! We had a fantastic time and truly appreciate the hospitality and warmth of the staff. We look forward to becoming regulars in what will be a true San Francisco treat!

Smug. Co. Endgame.1

Again, sadly we were too wrapped up in this high speed game to capture the images of the directions for the Endgame. We had a fantastic time and used this as an excuse to run into the City on “dates.” No one suspects that you don’t belong somewhere when you’re gazing into your partner’s eyes or taking a picture of them at a historic landmark or bar.

First Puzzle: A picture of an historical landmark placard that was mostly smeared out. The image had some pretty clear rope fencing and wooden pillars like those found around docks. Under the image was the clue “Terry A. Francois & Mission Bay.” There was a box in the image that was blank but obviously outlined a word. There was a corresponding box under the clue for you to put the answer.


Answer: Bosel

Logic: It was easy to pull out an iPhone and use Google maps to find what stood on the corner of Terry A. Francois & Mission Bay S. It was clear that it was a yacht club or boat house. The hard part was figuring out the street number for that location. We searched for a list of yacht clubs in that area of San Francisco and figured out that it wasn’t the Mariposa Hunters Point club since it didn’t match up. Therefore it was the Bay View Yacht Club. Next we searched the website of the club and flickr to see if they had the placard available. An hour later we were preparing to drive into the City and find the placard ourselves. Just as we were going to leave, one last search brought up a picture on the yacht clubs website of the placard. From the image it was easy to see the answer was the name of the original Bosel Boat house.