Gin Gin Gin

L1011 wrote: »

I think you'll find that the idea that people are drinking beers because they're not macro brewed they don't like is pretty much constrained to you and you alone on here.

I don't know any people who intentionally drink beers they don't like. I know quite a lot of people who drink beers they don't like because they've never tried the beer and are adventerous in their tastes.I know a lot of people who choose to drink other stuff over macros because they simply prefer other stuff, for both beer and gin. And I know a lot of people who have a lot of reasons to not drink macros, and it's nothing to do with being trendy.

A friend of mine runs a pub that's been around for decades. It's not a trendy pub, they have a lot of regulars that like the place because of the pub, and the know the people there. They also get a huge amount of write ups in things aimed at foreign tourists, some big things like Lonely Planet and the Condee Nest(sp) publications, but also smaller publications, and in personal recommendations, so they get a lot of foreign tourists coming in. The foreign tourists often want Guinness, because it's Irish. They also want other "Irish" things, food, beer and spirits. So the pub stocks a lot of small Irish gins, because it's possible to get 100% Irish owned gin, it's also possible to get 100% Irish owned beer, it'll happen with whiskey too but we'll have to wait for the casks to sit. If a tourist asks for Guinness, they'll get a great pint of Guinness. If they ask for something Irish, they'll be pointed towards and given samples of fully Irish beers and spirits. Irish heritage and ownership is huge for tourism. This is in no way a craft bar, or anti-macro bar, they stock mostly macro stuff. But they also stock a good portion of Irish craft stuff because they want their customers to have real Irish products.

The locals in there mostly like the "macro taste." There are plenty of craft lagers that would be similar enough to macro lagers. The craft fan might have them, but would usually have a more adventurous taste. The locals in this bar want an average lager. But the bar stocks a craft lager, two actually. And a lot of the locals have decided to buy the craft product, because it's equivalent to their taste in macros, but they actively want to support Irish business. Taste is important, vital for most, but I fully understand why a lot of people want to fully Irish businesses, employing people in Ireland, and keeping 100% of their money in the Irish economy. And especially when they don't have to sacrifice on taste.

I drink a fair bit of Blackwater No. 5. It's always stocked in my local, it's reasonable priced, I like the taste, and I want to support The Beer Revolu. I also quite like the Blacks gin. Both Blackwater and Blacks are local to me and I have talked to the people involved with both.

I haven't had Hendricks in a while. It was my first "better" gin. Someone made me one with the cucumber slice. I really liked it.

I haven't tried Dingle Gin, but I've heard great things about it.

I actually quite like Cork Gin. I know there's nothing great quality about it, but it's too my tastes, in much the same way a Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger is.

Edit: I've tried the Blackwater Strawberry Gin. I had it straight. I wouldn't drink it straight, or in a simple gin and tonic. I think it's much more suited to being part of a cocktail. Gin, tonic, mint, strawberry, and black pepper is enough ingredients for me to consider a cocktail.

Bogsnorkler wrote: »

The Bertha's Revenge Milk gin blew my socks off. It was amazing, albeit tasting so different as to almost not really taste like gin. Had it with tonic and it was like a creamy korma or something.

Yup. Bertha's is what I would call a spiced gin (although all gins are spiced to one extent or another).

I quite like the following:

1. Martin Millers gin from Iceland
2. Copperhead gin from Belgium - nice citrus, great with orange
3. Gin Mare - great with rosemary and olives. Very Mediterranean
4. Monkey Shoulder - great with strawberry

I haven't tried many of the Irish gins at the moment, but Dingle Gin is quite OK, good with orange & grapefruit.

I just finished off a bottle of Ungava, a yellow gin from Canada. Nothing amazing though, just decent. Nothing wrong with Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray etc. They're all very decent gins. Hendricks is also quite nice and cooling, particularly with the much-mentioned slice of cucumber.

dudara wrote: »

I quite like the following:

1. Martin Millers gin from Iceland
2. Copperhead gin from Belgium - nice citrus, great with orange
3. Gin Mare - great with rosemary and olives. Very Mediterranean
4. Monkey Shoulder - great with strawberry

I haven't tried many of the Irish gins at the moment, but Dingle Gin is quite OK, good with orange & grapefruit.

I just finished off a bottle of Ungava, a yellow gin from Canada. Nothing amazing though, just decent. Nothing wrong with Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray etc. They're all very decent gins. Hendricks is also quite nice and cooling, particularly with the much-mentioned slice of cucumber.

Martin Millers is an English gin - with Icelandic water. A bit gimmicky but very nice gin.

I like Gunpowder gin. It's a savoury sort of gin.

Slattsy, just how many gins have you tried?
You do know that there are over 200 British gins alone?
I've tasted a lot of gins and I've hardly scratched the surface.

Firstly, i don;t know much about gin but i picked up a bottle of blue bottle gin while i was in Guernsey recently.

It is produced there so they highly rate it, taste nice with fever tree tonic, but then again, i'm no expert.

I tried Bertha's Revenge at Taste of Dublin. Very impressed by it

Saffron Gin. Fairly difficult to find though.

imme wrote: »

not sure
I don't have the vocab, can't put my finger on it

just wasn't my thing.

I'm still drinking it all the same, couldn't bring myself to pour it down the drain.:cool:

I taking a gamble here, but perhaps it isn't ginny enough for you, being a sweet gin instead of a London dry?

I know it's a lot milder than other gins but
I love drinking it neat.

IWSC Results out today only 3 Irish gins, it seems.

Shortcross : Silver
Shortcross G&T Category: Bronze
Bertha's Revenge : Bronze
Blackwater No.5 : Silver
Blackwater No.5 G&T Category : Silver Outstanding
Blackwater Juniper Cask : Silver Outstanding