A New Generation of Gin

The explosion of new vodkas cannot have been missed by anyone and it seems that gin is now trying to compete, and competing it is. Within the last year there have been a number of new brands of gin released and many more are said to be available soon. The majority of these are not your average gin, many are far from it and are pushing the limits of what is gin. Gin is essentially a flavored vodka in which the flavors are distilled rather than infused into the spirit (like most flavored vodkas). One requirement for gin is that juniper must be the dominant flavor, and with some of the newest gins, that line is being pushed to the point in which, if anything other than juniper were added, it would not be gin. A few of the new brands are tempting the vodka lover, going with a lighter, more refreshing taste such as that of Tanqueray Rangpur. Sweeter fruit flavors in these spirits create a softer way to ease into the real Martini. Others, like Bulldog Gin, are taking an entirely different route and redefining the gin drinker's gin. They're dry like old favorites such as Tanqueray and Beefeater, with a full range of botanicals that await a new discovery with every sip. But these newbies are going beyond their forefathers by adding exotic botanicals in ratios that almost overpower the juniper. In January, Gary Regan wrote an article about this very subject for the San Fransisco Chronicle. In it he explores his thoughts on a few of the new brands of gin and the redefinition of the liquor as we're introduced to a new generation of it.

Photo Credit: © Shannon Graham