From the bartender’s corner – Botanical Refresher
From the bartender’s corner – Zio’s Coupe
From the bartender’s corner: Gin #15 – Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
Everyone is aware of wine from Sonoma, California. Now get this – this gin is made in Sonoma too! If any one of you have ever like Hendrick’s (a favorite of Sharmila’s and mine), you are bound to like this gin.
This gin derives its name from the company’s chairman’s uncle – Uncle Val from back in Italy who had a penchant for great cooking. And the nephew focused on his uncle’s favorite ingredients to create this gin.
The base alcohol is made from gin and is distilled as many as five times. The botanicals used includes juniper, cucumber, lemon, sage and lavender. This gin is difficult to categorize. It is not a traditional London Dry gin in the sense that the juniper is far more understated. In fact, I would say this is closer to the American style gin. But the strength of cucumber leaves a strong hint of Scottish kind of gin (like Hendricks).
The nose is clearly very floral with the citrus making its presence felt a little later. As I said, not much of juniper strength. The palette almost makes it feel like a weak gin. What it is – is that the lack of juniper is made up by the strong floral effects (especially lavender) and the cucumber makes it lot more cool and soothing as it goes down.
Highly recommend to anybody who is looking for a nice and mild gin but can hold its own with some tonic water.
Enjoying the day out with old friends…
Summer Lily in full bloom
Could he be any angrier?
Who would have guessed?
There was no way any of us would have ever guessed on the day after our tenth standard when the three of us went three different ways that we would actually come together under the same roof thirty four years later. With our spouses with us! In a country on the other side of the world!! In a winery up in the mountains!!
We were barely sixteen years then. The gap in between has been more than twice the number of years we had lived till then!!! As you can see from the middle picture, there was a lot of catching up to do!!!
That was a great afternoon with Manny (Manbir), Virginia, Subrata, Sharmistha, Sharmila. We also got to meet Manny’s daughter Simran and his niece Harneet!!
First run of July
Friday session postponed for a day…
The last time I played the Tabla with Subrata was in 1980 in school. He had played a Runa Laila number on his guitar and I had played the tabla. They was eighth grade.
In between, he has picked up a lot more instruments including the piano and the drums. Also he got married to Sharmistha with the incredible voice and talent for singing. My tabla has not improved much from those days…
That said, it was a great evening.
Actually, it was beyond great!!!