I think most people who have spent any time at all with a bottle have a particular spiritual nemesis (mine is bourbon, which makes me weep like a baby). But for some reason, gin has this notoriaty of turning Dr. Jekylls everywhere into drunk, venom-spewing Mr. Hydes. I heard this theory the other night while bartending, that the culprit is a sensitivity to juniper berries, which seems plausible. In its unripened form, the juniper berry is hard and green which lends the tannic bitterness to both the gin and its drinker.
Then there's the seedy side of gin--the roaring twenties with luscious egg-white thickened cocktails. Of course these fancy cocktails came into existence because of the foul taste of nefariously produced 'bathtub gin.' Trust me, no one wants an extra-dry martini with soap scum floating at the top.
But we no longer have to resort to the bathtub as distillery, we can leave it to the professionals. Hendrick's, for instance, makes a gin so deliciously pure and clear that you are never in danger of choking on a stray pube. Infused with cucumbers and rose petals, this gin with nothing added has that classic herbaceous quality characteristic of a high end spirit. It doesn't drag your palate through the herb garden as does Herbsaint or Absinthe, but it is luscious and green. It may be a bit frilly for the Tanq drinkers out there, but it is worth straying for those with an adventurous spirit.
Best of all, Hendrick's requires nothing at all to balance or mask its flavor. Skip the vermouth and serve straight up, extra chilled and garnished with cucumbers (rose petals if you want to be extra fancy).
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