Gin Gin Gin

Fever Tree Angoustora Bark. If you already own a bottle of bitters (and you should), don't bother with this tonic.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

You mean - use standard tonic and add a dash of Angostura bitters?

Yes. And not even posh tonic, a 60c-on-offer bottle of Club and a dash of bitters will taste the same

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Hadn't considered flavouring a G&T with Angostura bitters. Will definitely give it a try - seeing as we have a much-unused bottle lying around. The Fever Tree products seems to be flavoured with Angostura bark - which somewhat ironically, Angostura bitters are not. Not a concern for me (my palate wouldn't be refined enough to notice the difference), but might be for some. Thanks for the tip!

Like that, I have a bottle of bitters which I bought to try and recreate Caribbean rum/coconut water drinks (they were revolting ) - will have to give the next G&T a dash of them and see how I fancy it!

I presume you're talking literally a drop or two?

my3cents wrote: »

My wife bought me a bottle of Lidl's Hampstead London Dry Gin (Green 500ml bottle) because they were out of their normal cheap Gin. OMG that bottle of Hampstead Gin is disgusting crap. Now I've had it before and its been OK not fantastic but easily drinkable but this current bottle just tastes like someone slipped with the chemicals they dump in it to make it taste like Gin and its like drinking perfume.

Will be interesting to see if Lidl give me a refund on it.

As it's labeled London Dry Gin, nothing can be added after distillation except water and neutral alcohol so this can't be explained by too much "gin essence". If it was a compound gin (like Cork Dry Gin or Thin Gin) then it could be explained by a slip of the hand with the flavouring.

However, most producers make what is essentially a gin concentrate and cut it with neutral alcohol and water. This is done by adding double/triple /quadruple /whatever the amount of botanicals and cutting this concentrate with the appropriate amount of alcohol and then diluting to bottling strength.

It is possible that they didn't add the correct amount of alcohol and the gin ended up with a concentrated flavour.

Earlier in the year, Bombay Sapphire released gin that hadn't been diluted to bottling strength. It was around 70%. Mistakes do happen.

my3cents wrote: »

Even when diluted with a lot of Tonic there is an unpleasant tang to the Gin, and as I've drunk a couple of bottles of it before its definitely not right.

The problem with Lidl is that they could have changed supplier. The labeling stays the same but the supplier can change. I know someone whose company supplies Lidl and when they got the contract the product changed slightly but the pubic would never know that.

Diluting with tonic won't bring it to the correct balance, if what I'm suggesting is what is going on. Cutting it with vodka would give a better idea.

Or are you suggesting that it is supposed to taste the way it does and is just horrible?

my3cents wrote: »

Either there is something wrong and its horrible or Lidl have changed suppliers and its a different now horrible Gin. But tbh I can't see that the taste is right.

Have a look at the back label. It used to be produced by Eckes in Germany. Haven't had it in ages, but it used to decent.

Marcusm wrote: »

Forget the tonic altogether and just have a pink gin.

While I quite like a pink gin, if the gin is really good, it just tastes better without the bitters.

Gin, ice and a slice of citrus ftw!

I got a bottle of Tanqueray 10 (€40 in Dunnes) with the intention of making G&Ts, but now I see it's more aimed at cocktails/martinis? Oh well, it'll not go to waste... any recommendations on a vermouth?

Do you mean ordinary Tanqueray or the Ten though?

Tanqueray 10 is €35 in Tesco.

Picked up 2 x €30 Hendricks in Tesco Rathfarnham this evening.

Dubal

the beer revolu wrote: »

Bargain.!
It's a lovely gin. Do whatever you do with gin with it and enjoy it.
Please do try sipping it straight, though.
Good gin is lovely sipped straight.
And often better with ice, imo.

Mm yeah trying it now with just ice, will put tonic in after

You can tell it's 47% taking very small sips!

nialldinho wrote: »

I saw the Boyles sloe and damson gin liqueur in aldi yesterday. What would you do with that?

Remember it's a gin liqueur, so not gin as such.

I think it's best just drunk straight (it's only 25%).
It's pretty sweet so be careful mixing it with sweet mixers. Soda/sparkling water could be nice but not too much.
Nice as a hot drink too. Hot water lemon and orange slices and maybe a touch of sugar. Could add clove cinnamon or other mulled wine spices too.

You could try drinking it more sloe-ly.


I'll get me coat

The OH has expressed surprise that half of the Tanqueray Ten bottle sitting in the wine rack in the kitchen has gone (without her help I hasten to add.) She appears to think that a bottle of spirits is like the Hennessy we buy her mother for a present, there should be a good bit left after a year :rolleyes: to think that when we moved into this house there was a drinks cabinet built into an alcove, mirrored on the inside and all, and I got rid of it. /sigh

....... wrote: »

So I went to an ALDI at lunchtime and no sign of any sloe damson gin at all.

Was it just a christmas special?

Yes it was.

my3cents wrote: »

But it is a traditional seasonal drink. You harvest the fruit at the end of the summer steep the fruit in gin and then drink it at Christmas.

If you are going to be really traditional, you should steep the fruit (picked after the first frost) for three months and drink it the following Christmas - ideally aged buried under the ground!