“Red meat and gin” – Julia Child, when asked about the reason for her longevity.
It’s debatable if the combination of gin and red meat has life extending properties, but gin is credited with preventing malaria from consuming much of the tropical parts of the British Empire. Gin, as well as quinine powder, a bitter tasting anti-malarial drug, were both issued as part of the regular rations. To stave off malaria, soldiers soon began mixing the quinine with water, sugar and lime to make a more palatable “tonic.” It wasn’t long before the gin made it into the mix, and the quintessential British cocktail, the Gin and Tonic was born.
The gin part of the equation made its way to England much earlier from Italy and southern France, by way of the Dutch. Originally a medicinal liquor made by monks using distilled juniper berries, it made its way across Europe to the Netherlands where it became known as “Jenever” the Dutch name for juniper. Politics made William of Orange, a Dutch prince the King of England, Ireland, and Scotland in 1689. He heavily taxed the popular imported French brandies, and encouraged the import of his favored Jenever. Soon the British began distilling the spirit for themselves, and developed it into an ever more “clean” refined liquor that is the “gin” we know today. Currently there are at least four legally defined but similar categories of gin. The recipes below use “Dry Gin” which means the amount of added sweetener has been limited, and the predominant flavoring is juniper berries.
Gin and Tonic / Vodka and Tonic
2 oz high quality gin/vodka
4 oz tonic water
1 or 2 lime wedges or slices
Swipe a slice wedge of fresh lime around the rim of an old-fashioned glass, squeeze it, and drop it in. Fill with ice, and pour in the gin/vodka and tonic. Stir until mixed. Garnish with a lime slice.
Alternately, swipe a slice wedge of fresh lime around the rim of an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. In a cocktail shaker, squeeze the lime slice, and drop it in. Pour in the gin/vodka and tonic and shake gently to mix. Pour into the old-fashioned glass and garnish with a lime slice.
More Cocktails
Some people don’t care for the juniper flavored taste of gin. A frequently used substitute is vodka. Distilled from a variety of ingredients, including potatoes and cereal grains, vodka is now mostly made from barley, corn, rye, or wheat. Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Sweden all lay claim to inventing it, and still produce it today. Most vodka is flavorless, but some is produced for local or traditional markets using fruits, herbs and spices for flavoring. In all these recipes a good quality unflavored vodka can be substituted for the gin. Just be aware it may not work the other way around, juniper flavored gin may not always be a good substitute for vodka. I included one that will work at the end.
Gin Martini / Vodka Martini
2 oz gin/vodka
1/2 oz dry vermouth
Lemon Twist or Green Cocktail Olive
Stir the vermouth and gin/vodka with ice in a mixing glass. Stir into a chilled martini glass. Run the lemon peel around the rim, twist it over the drink, and drop in. If using the olive, just drop it in.
Gimlet / Vodka Gimlet
1 1/4 oz gin/vodka
1 1/4 oz Rose’s Lime Juice
Lime Wedge
Shake the gin/vodka and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Squeeze the lime wedge into the drink.
Tom Collins / Vodka Collins
2 oz gin/vodka
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
3 oz chilled club soda
Lemon Slice
Maraschino Cherry
Pour the gin/vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup into an ice filled collins glass. Top with the club soda and stir gently. Garnish with the cherry and lemon slice.
This last one is a typically vodka drink made with gin. A little twist on the theme.
Cosmopolitan / Gin Cosmo
1 1/2 oz Citron Vodka/Citron Gin
1 1/2 oz Cointreau
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 cranberry juice
Lemon Twist
Combine the vodka/gin, Cointreau, lime juice, and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.