Beer and wine have the dubious distinction of being prehistoric — even a Paleolithic nomad can make himself such a tipple given the right rock to use as his open-air brewery. But if you’re like me, such rude pleasures are not always enough. After a day of acting like a Cro-Magnon to my subordinates, I want to feel like a gentleman at home. This is when I turn to the gin and tonic: the cocktail that tastes like civilization.
It took the rotten old British Empire to throw together something as perplexing as the G and T. Its strange flavours are a relic from the Victorian occupation of the malarial parts of the world — army officers combined harsh quinine (a pharmaceutical extract from Peruvian tree bark) with sugar and soda water to make it more palatable. The fact that gin somehow leaked into this medicine just showcases that special kind of ingenuity that the Brits used as they conquered a quarter of the world.
Gin was once the English alcohol of choice, accounting for about 7,500 gin shops in London alone. It’s a light grain spirit that is flavoured by distilling it with juniper berries and some other botanicals (like orange peel or coriander).
What makes the Gin and Tonic so refreshing is its juxtaposition of flavours: the sour citrus, the bitter quinine, the sugar from the tonic, and the herbal complexity of gin. It’s also dead simple to make if you’re one your own because your servants have gone on holiday or are participating in an anti-colonial revolt:
- Place 2-3 cubes of ice in a glass.
- Add 1.5 ounces of gin, a squeeze of lime, and tonic water to fill.
- Garnish with a fresh slice of lime.
- Repeat to the music of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Here are the Short Cellar’s two favourite gins to supply the G in your G and T:
The Original London Hill Dry Gin ($22.95 [Ed. Note: No longer available], Vintages #959684)
“London Dry Gin” is the classic style of gin that has come to dominate the English speaking world . However, “London Dry Gin” doesn’t have to be made in London to qualify for the moniker; it just needs to be distilled with the botanicals in a traditional way without any additives. London Hill is so good because it expresses this herbal character with perfect balance: peppermint, coriander and juniper all sparkle in the glass. This is far superior to some more common London Gins like Gordons. 90/100
Plymouth Gin ($25.00 [Ed. Note: No longer available], LCBO #540682)
“Plymouth Gin” is a protected denomination — unlike London Gin, the law requires that Plymouth Gin be made only in Plymouth. Since there is only one distillery in Plymouth, this makes this bottle somewhat of a rara avis. It is smooth, fragrant and oily from beginning to end. Orange rind and pine-needles feature prominently on the nose and palate. This soft, velvety gin makes a stunning Gin and Tonic. 93/100
Photo by Mark
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He blogs weekly here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column also appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca. Follow along on Twitter: @shortcellar.