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6.22.2016

Gin Lessons with Eric Ross




I am a creature of habit.  I like the same clothes, I am drawn to the same flowers and I order basically the same thing from my favorite restaurants.  The same can be said for my taste in cocktails.  I am a girl who loves her bourbon and champagne and is known to order a vodka and never passes up a fabulous margarita.  One drink I know very little about is gin.  I don't drink it and don't think I have ever served it in our home.  But there is someone rather summery about the idea of a gin and tonic and when I decided to try this new drink I knew exactly who to ask about where to begin and how to purchase a good gin.

My friend Eric Ross is a gin connoisseur.  Meeting him in March I noticed immediately that he always ordered a G+T and I took notice that he was specific about his choice of gin.  I am definitely a girl who knows her strengths and weaknesses and believes on relying on her friends when she needs some assistance.  If I am going to speak on gin cocktails I definitely need to get some expert advice.  

When I reached out to Eric and asked about gin he was more than willing to help me out. Here is his expertise which he shared with me ...


Gin and Tonic is my go to cocktail for any and all seasons.  It is a very light and refreshing drink, especially for summer, although I enjoy it on all occasions.  A traditional London Dry Gin will have a stronger taste of juniper berry, where other Gins can have almost a cucumber infused quality.

Unfortunately, in this day and age of hipsters and everything very specialty in the food and restaurant world, there are times when I can’t get my go to, mass produced, tried and true, Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin.  So, for those times, I go to Uncle Vals.  Most hipster restaurants will carry this one and, although it is very different from the taste of Bombay Sapphire, it is a nice gin with a mild hint of juniper berry.


A pic of my three favorite gins, all for different occasions and palettes.  This is a good selection for varying guests and palettes.


This is my go to combination for my everyday G+T.  What’s not to love about Bombay Sapphire?  This is a very traditional gin with a strong flavor of juniper berry (think Christmas tree).  Another bonus, it has a beautiful bottle in blue that looks good on any bar top.  Look how that blue just POPS!


This is a new favorite gin, given to me by a friend.  It is considered at American Dry Gin, and the flavor is milder than the London Dry.  It also has the hint of juniper berry, but with a sweeter, crisper taste and less alcohol-y (is that even a word?).



After a long day in the studio, a G and T is the perfect, relaxing tonic…no pun intended.

I sent him four gin cocktails I found and asked for his thoughts on each.  Each looked amazing to me, don't you agree?


Limencello Gin Cocktail:  

Limenchello is an Italian aperitif that aids digestion.  (Believe me, it works!) It is lemon infused alcohol (either pure grain, or more commonly vodka).  SO, this is a strong cocktail… beware.  But it would be very refreshing if you drink sparingly.

image and recipe


Gin Gimlet:  

This a refreshing combination and is a good alternative to skinny girl type margaritas (for those of us who can’t tolerate tequila).  Add more simple syrup for sweetness.  A good gin for this would be a milder gin, such as Uncle Vals.  

If you want to make it more bubbly, you could top with prosecco, which makes it very similar to a French 75, which is one of my favorites.  Traditionally, a French 75 is made with lemon juice in lieu of lime, but many times we make it with limes for a tasty alternative.



Gin Buck: 

This is almost like a Moscow Mule, as the ginger ale gives it a twang at the back of your teeth…a London Dry Gin, like Bombay Sapphire would be a perfect ingredient for this cocktail.




Red Queen:  

Isn’t this image moody? Who doesn’t love a coupe champagne glass?  It just exudes a film noir nuance.  This is a great drink for an elegant soiree.  Combine St. Germain (very sweet), gin and cranberry juice.  This would be a great signature cocktail for a holiday party.  Here it is pictured with Hendrick’s gin, considered by many to the be the best (read: most expensive).  It is a mild, cucumber gin, so this would be perfect for the cocktail.  A stronger Juniper berry based London Dry gin would have too much bite with the cranberry and deliver too much tang.  Cocktails are all about balance of flavors, so the gin you select is very important.


Anyone else dying to head out for a fabulous gin cocktail?  My curiosity is definitely peaked and I must try to add in a lovely gin drink to my rotation sooner rather than later!  The incredible bottles are worth the plunge ... I mean how sexy is the Hendrick's bottle? #yesplease

Chin chin and thank you to Eric for the expert advice!  It is always a pleasure to have you!! xo 

2 comments:

  1. Try a Hendricks G&at with cucumber and rosemary muddled in the glass. Delish!

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  2. True fact - The British were able to colonize so many countries in Africa because they drank gin and tonics. The quinine in the tonic protected them from malaria. So I started drinking gin and tonics every time we were in Africa, and it became my go-to drink. I recently had a delish gin drink that we will be featuring on our blog soon. 😀

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