Gin, Dry Vermouth and Orange bitters.

Was wondering what to try out with a orange-nose-led gin like Wint and Lila. Tried some ginger and aniseed with it. Went for a Perky Goth, which is gin, ginger liqueur, absinthe, bitters and orange syrup. The nose was strongly anise and orange. The finish was anise too. The palate was complex with the ginger playing well with the botanicals but keeping the juniper and anise subdued.

I was introduced to this gin last year by my good friend John who owns and runs one of my favorite haunts – Zola’s in Milton. I remember having the first taste and exclaiming – Wow! the Oranges!!

For the next two weeks this will be the Spanish gin I will be researching and experimenting different cocktails with.

First the history. The name is derived from one Juan de Wint and Margarita de Lila who had started one of earliest trading companies (with the East and Americas) back in the mid 1600s. The gin was named in their honor by the family of Casalbors who have run the distillery for nearly 200 years. It is situated in the port city of Puerto de Santa Maria in the Cadiz area of Spain.

Next the ingredients and the process: It has 10 botanicals – of course, juniper, coriander, angelica and angelica root and cinnamon which are staple for all gins. But additionally, it has orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, peppermint and orange blossom. All these are mixed with corn and then distilled – not with direct heat or steam but water bath. This makes for a slow process but the botanicals retain all their richness. And then this is distilled five times over!!

One of the unique features of this gin is the bottle it comes in. The exterior is actually white clay and inside is glass!

The nose is rich with juniper and oranges. The palate continued with the orange and a hint of mint. The finish was distinctly citrusy.

Orange infused vodka with Campari

This is the last in the series of The Dutch Courage gin. For one, it has been two weeks and for another, my bottle is nearly empty 🙂

It is primarily gin and tonic with a splash of Jack Daniel’s. Lime or lemon for garnish.

This is of course The Perfect cocktail (just a name – there are other great cocktails). Used the Dutch Courage gin, both varieties of vermouth and a dash of bitters…

To continue with the Dutch Courage series, last evening, before sitting with music, tried to make a cocktail that was originally featured in Cafe Royal Cocktail Book in 1937 by W.J.Tarling. The idea was to see how much the Grand Mariner could prevail over the junipers or the lemons. The answer – completely overwhelmed. I frankly could not detect much of the junipers or lemon in the drink. On the sweeter side, this was more of a orange based cocktail.

The soft and sweet color is the effect of the Grand Marnier and grenadine.

Gin (Dutch Courage), Grand Marnier, dash of grenadine and a dash of lemon juice.

Continuing to experiment with the Dutch Courage gin. Sharmila is not at home today – so tried a cocktail with a few ingredients that she is not a fan of. A Corpse Reviver #2 has gin, fresh lemon juice, Cointreau and Lillet in equal parts. Given that the gin name originates from Dutch soldiers boldly going into the bar after drinking this, a Corpse Reviver may or may not be appropriate to go with it… 🙂

First cocktail I tried with the Dutch Courage gin. This is the traditional Gimlet with gin, lime juice and sugar. The lime of course added overwhelmingly to the flavor but the botanicals came thru pretty well in the finish.