Navigating the Diverse New World of Gin. The so-called global Cocktail Renaissance has created a platform for bartenders around the world to truly elevate our craft, and has provided us the opportunity to experiment, create, and prosper, introducing our clientele to exciting new cocktail expressions. As the base for so many of the most important classic cocktails, GIN has exploded as a favorite base for these expressions, from a handful of Gins available 25 years ago, to thousands of choices on the market today. GIN has truly become a diverse international spirit, and is today distilled literally all over the world, not just in the UK or France, but from the US to Greece to Japan to Africa, representing every style we know, and allowing the creativity to distill new styles, incorporating perhaps exotic, often local ingredients, with seemingly no boundaries or restrictions. Where do we draw the line…or do we? There is a fine line of differentiation between a distillation that truly embodies the spirit of Gin and embraces the botanicals in a balanced and integrated fashion, and Gins that may break down barriers, but, do they work?..and, how do we incorporate them into cocktails? Can we actually discuss terroir…in Gin?
Join Steve Olson, co-founder of Beverage Alcohol Resource (and acknowledged Gin fanatic), as he guides us on a journey of a handful of his choices of outstanding gins from all over the world that he believes may deserve a place on our backbars, but you decide…does it work for you? AND, perhaps most importantly…how in the world do I use it in a cocktail?
.png)
