Maybe we should differentiate between refrigerating and freezing gin. Toria was asking about putting the gin in the fridge or freezer. If I have space in the fridge, I would refrigerate the gin as well as the tonic water just so there won't be so much ice melt. I usually don't have space in the fridge for that, however. I've never tried putting gin in the freezer and so have no opinion on what it does to the flavor, but I thought I did read somewhere around here that some people keep their vodka in the freezer (but then perhaps with vodka, there's not much flavor to deaden?). As for the deadening-the-flavor issue, if its 90 degrees or more outside and the ice is rapidly melting in the glass, wouldn't the gin be warming up as well?

I have a hard time imagining a bottle of gin freezing solid to the point that the volume increased enough to crack the bottle. I have never even been able to get wine ice cubes (alcohol less than 15%) to freeze solid (mostly I wind up with ice slush lumps), so it is hard for me to believe that something that is around 40% alcohol could (a) freeze solid at normal home kitchen freezer temperatures, and (b) expand in volume enough to crack the glass bottle it's contained in. But if someone can show me a photo of this phenomenon, I'll suspend my disbelief.

I have a hard time imagining a bottle of gin freezing solid to the point that the volume increased enough to crack the bottle

I'll agree with that. I will say that I have put vodka into a cold freezer for a couple of days in a metal bowl. It did become thicker. The reason was to drop in a few ice chips to gather the water and increase the proof to sneak into the Derby.

Katie wrote:I have a hard time imagining a bottle of gin freezing solid to the point that the volume increased enough to crack the bottle. I have never even been able to get wine ice cubes (alcohol less than 15%) to freeze solid (mostly I wind up with ice slush lumps), so it is hard for me to believe that something that is around 40% alcohol could (a) freeze solid at normal home kitchen freezer temperatures, and (b) expand in volume enough to crack the glass bottle it's contained in. But if someone can show me a photo of this phenomenon, I'll suspend my disbelief.

As I said, it's unlikely to be a problem, assuming straight spirits and a commercial freezer, but it's not out of the question with some of the lower-proof flavored products being sold in the spirit aisles these days combined with a more professional-grade appliance. A 40% alcohol solution should freeze at around -5 °F/-21 °C. Wikipedia suggests that most home freezers bottom out around -10 to 0 °F (-23 to -18 °C), but that it is not unheard of to get temperatures below −30 °F (−34 °C) on some models.

I don't see any benefit to storing alcohol in the freezer for any length of time, and I do see several potential harms, so I don't do it. I would suggest using more and/or larger ice as a solution to those concerned with temperature & melt, or perhaps even a tonic syrup as the means to better control the overall water content.

Made a gin and tonic yesterday. Wow that tonic is bitter. So I cut it with club soda. Used Canada dry diet tonic water in the little bottles and Schweppes club soda in the small bottles. Still has the bitter taste but not so intense. Will explore other tonics mentioned on this thread in the future.

For tonic water with quinine (I try and have my wife drink it to help her leg cramps) I have been using the soda stream concentrate.
For ice cubes for drinks - I have been using these and they are wonderful - beats paying the $155 for the brass mold from Japan
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10451&langId=-1&categoryId=11470&parent_category_rn=11470&productId=57253&keyWord=Spherical%20Ice%20Tray%20Set&purpose=crawl

The best part is that you can also put in a slice of lime or lemon they are that large.

hmm interesting. I am too lazy to make ice cubes like that. but its a good idea.

To be honest, it it just filling the mold and putting them into the freezer overnight. It is no more effort than filling a normal tray. However, they last much longer and it is fun to experiment with fillings. Very good for scotch as well.

Oh - on freezing things. A few years ago my wife had a friend who she worked with who came from Russia. I was astounded that I had a couple of vodka servers that were filled and frozen. Her friend showed up, saw the first server and exclaimed "Civilization!" dropped all eight (large) shots into his mouth from the first within a minute, smiled and looked at me asking if there was another. I never, ever thought to match a Russian after that drink for drink.

Oh - one that is a favorite with the MOMO ice cubes.
If you take them out while they are still forming, and the trays are partially frozen, open them up, dump the water, and then you can then put in alcohol and then put back into the freezer. The water (if you have a good freezer) seals everything again and you have a drink that "renourishes" itself in a cold environment. It takes a little practice.

Vitesse98 wrote:Navy Strength gin? I thought that was only a rum thing.

It's real, and it's spectacular (and 114 proof).

kl1191 wrote:It's real, and it's spectacular.

Ha ha. One of my favorite Seinfelds.

slight digression: is anyone making their own quinine syrup? http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/06/quinine-syrup/

if so, any luck finding chinchona syrup?

sarcon wrote:slight digression: is anyone making their own quinine syrup? http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/06/quinine-syrup/

if so, any luck finding chinchona syrup?

I assume you mean bark, not syrup? Here you go.

kl1191 wrote:

sarcon wrote:slight digression: is anyone making their own quinine syrup? http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/06/quinine-syrup/

if so, any luck finding chinchona syrup?

I assume you mean bark, not syrup? Here you go.

that is what I meant, thanks!

I had dinner at Longman & Eagle last night and was introduced to a brand new, locally distilled gin -- Letherbee. Not much of a website right now (http://www.letherbee.com/), but there is a facebook presence that mentions where it's currently available (http://www.facebook.com/Letherbee). Letherbee was started by a chef at Lula's, from what I understand, and, in a word, it's really, really tasty.

I picked up a lot more anise flavors than I'm used to (which I didn't mind) and the nose was huge with floral, herbal scents. The body struck me as woody. Or woodsy, maybe. As in, it tasted like an old growth, leafy forest (I should stick to describing beer - I think I'm better at it). It was also unfiltered, which I haven't seen before. When Alan, the bartender, showed me the bottle, my first thought went to goldschlager since the bottle was nearly shimmering with all of the particulates. I wonder if they served a similar purpose as the gold flakes in terms of causing slight abrasions to the gums that the alcohol can sort of react with (that is a thing, right? Or am I making that up?). The Letherbee gin was very refreshing and tasted pretty, well, lively. I didn't catch the proof but I think it was a little higher than that standard 40% I usually see.

Currently only available at bars/restaurants, I was told that Letherbee should be available at retail stores in the next couple of months. Mike Sula wrote about them in April when they delivered their first cases to the market: http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/ar ... distillers

From facebook:
About
Gin made with the bartender in mind......

Description
Letherbee Gin is an unfiltered, handcrafted spirit distilled from 11 botanicals and
made with pride in Chicago, Illinois. With a classic, accessible
flavor profile, high spice content and a substantial body and palate
presence, Letherbee Gin blends seamlessly into artisanal beverages
while maintaining true character. It is deliciously refreshing with
tonic or soda, and stands up in classic cocktails making it a
bartender-friendly, approachable and memorable spirit.

Not much of a gin drinker, never have been. But sitting at Premise the other day, I decided to taste a few that I was curious about, including Hayman's Old Tom and Ransom's Malted Old Tom. Much preferred the former and, pondering it as I was sipping (neat, in both cases), a question popped into my head. Since this thread has more than a few knowledgeable gin-drinkers, I ask you: would Old Tom (specifically Hayman's) work in a gin-and-tonic? I worry that the sweetness of the gin and the sweetness of the tonic might create more problems than anything. But what do I know?...Help.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Not much of a gin drinker, never have been. But sitting at Premise the other day, I decided to taste a few that I was curious about, including Hayman's Old Tom and Ransom's Malted Old Tom. Much preferred the former and, pondering it as I was sipping (neat, in both cases), a question popped into my head. Since this thread has more than a few knowledgeable gin-drinkers, I ask you: would Old Tom (specifically Hayman's) work in a gin-and-tonic? I worry that the sweetness of the gin and the sweetness of the tonic might create more problems than anything. But what do I know?...Help.

At Yusho Alex makes a great G&T, with Ransom Old Tom and house-made tonic. It's one of the best G&Ts I've had. The 2 components work very well together an combine into a tasty cocktail that isn't overly sweet. So, I guess the answer is yes. Old Tom-style gin can definitely work in a G&T . . . with the right tonic. That said, Haymans is sweeter than Ransom, so you'd have to pair it with a fairly austere tonic.

=R=

danimalarkey wrote:I had dinner at Longman & Eagle last night and was introduced to a brand new, locally distilled gin -- Letherbee. Not much of a website right now (http://www.letherbee.com/), but there is a facebook presence that mentions where it's currently available (http://www.facebook.com/Letherbee). Letherbee was started by a chef at Lula's, from what I understand, and, in a word, it's really, really tasty.

The delicious Letherbee gin is also available at Scofflaw. My wife and I had it there and really liked it. So, when we were at Lula recently for a cocktail, she saw it on the back bar and ordered a Letherbee martini by name. Our bartender, Brenton Engel, started asking us a lot of questions about how we came to know about it. After a bit of discussion, he revealed to us that he was, in fact, the maker of the gin (along with his S.O. Miriam Matasar who we'd met at Scofflaw). In any case, the gin is excellent. They recently ran a new batch and choose to go unfiltered with it. The result is a slightly cloudy but distinctively flavorful spirit with moderate spiciness. I told Brenton that the bottle reminded me of a snow globe. Also, I'm told that the name is derived from the proclomation 'Let There Be gin,' which is a wonderful thought.

A couple months ago, Mike Sula wrote a blog entry about the Letherbee at The Reader . . .

at the Chicago Reader, Mike Sula wrote:If you were a fan of the band Pool of Frogs a few years back you might have had a little taste of bassist Brenton Engel's Illinois Joy. At the time, Engel was living on a farm downstate near Springfield and commuting up to Chicago once a week for practice and classes at Columbia College. "We were whiskey-drinking hippies," he says. "We thought to save money we could start making our own and learn about the possibility of making fuel for motors and engines."

Moonshiner goes legit: Letherbee Distillers

=R=

sarcon wrote:slight digression: is anyone making their own quinine syrup? http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/06/quinine-syrup/

if so, any luck finding chinchona syrup?

After having zero luck procuring Jack Rudy, I ordered a bottleof Tomr's 750 ml.

Produced from cichona annd other additives, its a totally different taste than traditional quinine.
-Dick

If I could find a source for pharmaceutical grade quinine, I would purchase and make my own.

danimalarkey wrote:I had dinner at Longman & Eagle last night and was introduced to a brand new, locally distilled gin -- Letherbee. Not much of a website right now (http://www.letherbee.com/), but there is a facebook presence that mentions where it's currently available (http://www.facebook.com/Letherbee). Letherbee was started by a chef at Lula's, from what I understand, and, in a word, it's really, really tasty...

Looks like it's about to hit retail. From an email I got from Noble Grape earlier today:

This Wednesday The Noble Grape has Miriam from Lagniappe Beverage in the shop with Brent Engel, distiller of Letherbee Gin! Letherbee Gin is a handcrafted spirit distilled from 11 botanicals and made with pride in Chicago, Illinois. Described by its loving parents as “utilitarian,” it is affordable and versatile, yet decidedly distinctive and is developing a ferocious local following. Boasting a high spice content, substantial body, and a balanced palate, Letherbee blends seamlessly into cocktails while maintaining true character. At an above average 96 Proof, Letherbee Gin appeals to drinkers who appreciate its full flavor and versatility. Juniper forward on both the nose and first taste, it has a cooling, green herb vibe hinting at cardamom and faint fennel. Letherbee is unfiltered which will create "louche" (cloudiness from botanicals falling out of suspension) when in contact with ice or water.

Would this be the right thread to discuss the differences between jenever and gin? I've never been much of a gin drinker (I usually prefer brown liquors), but a number of years ago at a great little bar in Denver the owner poured us a bunch of jenever that I found absolutely delicious. That was my first, and thus far only, foray into the world of jenever.

I, too, have been quite taken with genever, particularly after my first experience (which was Anchor's Genevieve). I enjoy that it has more "oomph", which I would guess comes from being less highly distilled. Unfortunately, the European stuff is a little hard to get out here in San Diego, and I'd never made an attempt to procure it in Chicago.

Enjoying an absolutely lovely gin & tonic as I type--letherbee gin (my new favorite G&T gin), fever tree tonic and the tiniest splash of pairs4life's pineapple/vanilla/rosemary syrup, garnished with a sprig of pineapple sage. Almost making the memory of my 2-hour commute home tonight disappear.

Just picked up Letherbee from In Fine Spirits - looking forward to trying some tonight.

How does Letherbee compare to North Shore #6 in flavor?

Looks like Letherbee is already set to release a seasonal gin:
http://timeoutchicago.com/restaurants-b ... tumnal-gin

I like the idea about a G&T with an orange rather than lime, though I would want to try this seasonal variety before committing to a whole bottle. I can't say I like pumpkin beer, and I don't really want a pumpkin gin, either.

And BR, to answer you old question, I think Letherbee is a little... it's more lively, maybe. Being unfiltered, the particulates act as tannins like in a wine and it can taste like it has a little more "bite". It's still easy to drink but perhaps not as well-rounded as North Shore's #6. Specifically as to the flavor, Letherbee struck me as having a strong anise flavor where as North Shore is a more generically herbal flavor. I'd suggest heading to one of the better cocktail bars and asking for a drink made from each -- enjoy the differences firsthand!

Picked up a bottle of Letherbee at Whole Foods* this afternoon. Much amusement during checkout at the "GIN FOR WELLNESS" slogan on the label.

* the Huron St. one

Few's barrel-aged gin appears to be on shelves now. It's priced pretty well @ $40. I didn't actually try it yet but based on the Trib's article a while back on barrel-aged gin, I decided to pull the trigger (Josh Noel seems to know what he's talking about when it comes to booze). The article is here; this is the excerpt on Few's barrel-aged gin:

A marvelous blend of gin and wood, and therefore closer to a floral whiskey than a brown gin. The wood sits upfront on the palate, followed by gin's familiar soft botanicals. Add a wonderful silky texture, and this is my go-to brown gin. So lovely, it's best served neat.

Has anyone had a chance to try the new Letherbee Autumnal Gin? I was wondering how it is and how it compares to the original. I was thinking of picking up the Letherbee gift box with both gins and their barrel-aged absinthe but I'm not sure if I want the Autumnal.

fropones wrote:Has anyone had a chance to try the new Letherbee Autumnal Gin? I was wondering how it is and how it compares to the original. I was thinking of picking up the Letherbee gift box with both gins and their barrel-aged absinthe but I'm not sure if I want the Autumnal.

Yes, it's great. Reminds me a bit of Old Tom-style gins. It's got a very nice, full flavor; much 'heavier' (for lack of a better description) than their standard issue product. I think it's a very nice gin for cockails, especially Martinezes and the like.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

fropones wrote:Has anyone had a chance to try the new Letherbee Autumnal Gin? I was wondering how it is and how it compares to the original. I was thinking of picking up the Letherbee gift box with both gins and their barrel-aged absinthe but I'm not sure if I want the Autumnal.

Yes, it's great. Reminds me a bit of Old Tom-style gins. It's got a very nice, full flavor; much 'heavier' (for lack of a better description) than their standard issue product. I think it's a very nice gin for cockails, especially Martinezes and the like.

=R=

Would you say that they're distinct enough that it's worth owning them both? It sounds like the regular would be good for things that call for a lighter bodied gin (Corpse Reviver #2, Tiki, etc) and the Autumnal would be good for things that would benefit from a more medium-bodied gin like Martinezes and Tom Collins and such.