MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2 - 26

Tom Collins

Fill a shaker with ice. Add

2 oz. gin

gin, lemon juice, syrup and

2 oz. fresh lemon juice

bitters. Shake until the out-

1 oz. simple syrup

side of the container is chilly,

dash bitters

approx. 15 seconds. Strain

¼ cup seltzer

into a highball glass filled

ice

with ice. Top with seltzer and

lemon

garnish with lemon wedge

maraschino cherry

and cherry.

like berries of the blackthorn (or sloe) plant. Although
it's been out of fashion for decades, the ginaissance
has revived interest in gin's sloe cousin.
It's not just your basic rail gins that are having a
moment. The premium and super-premium categories have also become increasingly popular. Malfy Gin,
based in Italy, has a full range of top-shelf spirits, including Con Limone (lemon-flavored), Gin Rosa (pink
in color, made with rhubarb and Italian grapefruit),
and Con Arancia (blood orange-flavored). Another
example is the craft distiller Captive Spirits from Seattle. They produce a series of gins made with unique
finishes. Their Bourbon Barreled Big Gin matures for
six months in bourbon casks, while Peat Barreled Big
Gin sits for four months in single-malt Scotch barrels. Both spirits take on the essence of the whiskey
in which they were aged, producing a complex and
multi-textured drink.

26 PURE SPIRITS

The originality doesn't stop there. There are plenty of others-from small artisanal distillers to huge
multinationals-making gin that's new and exciting.
Without looking too hard, you can find bottles that
are 100 percent vegan, made from Chardonnay grapes,
or infused with sugar kelp. Collagin is a brand made
with collagen and other anti-aging, anti-hangover ingredients. Some distillers are adjusting the methods
by which various botanicals are distilled and how flavors are introduced into the spirit. Others are distilling each botanical individually. This results in a pure,
strong concentrate of juniper, grapefruit, or whatever
other ingredient is being used. Afterward, the distinct
favors are blended together according to the distiller's
proprietary recipe.
With today's gin, everything is being tweaked and
reimagined. Whether it's the flavoring, finish, infusion, proof, or the distilling process-every avenue is
explored in the pursuit of maximum flavor. In the end
this is a victory for the consumer who, because of this
restless experimentation, has a lot to choose from.

Gin Buck
1½ oz. gin
juice from ½ lemon
ginger ale
lemon wedge
Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add gin and lemon juice. Top with
ginger ale and briefly stir. Garnish with lemon.

MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2

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