Brief History & Simple Cocktail

As mentioned in last week's introductory post, I planned to share additional background information about myself this week. I'm still struggling with the idea of justifying a blog, and it seemed like knowing more about me would help explain why I'm writing a blog about booze. There is a popular school of thought that holds connecting with your reader in pretty high regard. Also, I have what I think are some really funny, self-deprecating anecdotes about drinking (because no one else has any of those, surely). 

But... is any of that really necessary? I mean, I'm sure readers would like some context for all of my future posts, but I think I already shared my most important credentials for writing a cocktail blog: 1) I really like cocktails, and 2) I have a blog. There will be ample opportunity to share more personal information as time goes on, but it would be pretty self-absorbed of me to assume anyone wants to read an entire blog post about my background or how I became fascinated with mixed drinks. 

So I'm adjusting my plan. No longer must you suffer through my long-winded, slightly clever, 650-word biographical essay. Instead, you will witness the pictorial illustration of "My Life with Alcohol," using copyrighted imagery I shouldn't be appropriating and cute, pop-culture references that I will #hashtag in an attempt to shamelessly increase traffic to my blog (I have no idea if inserting hashtags into a blog post does anything at all, but why not?). I do this only because I promised, and because I actually am kinda self-absorbed. If this sounds like a terrible way to spend the next ten minutes, please feel free to skip down to Part 2: The Cocktail.

My Life with Alcohol - A Pictorial History

Ages 0 - 15

This portion of the history can pretty much be ignored. Unless you're living in a Lifetime movie, ages 0 to 15 should be pretty alcohol-free. Maybe your dad gave you a sip of beer, or maybe your grandmother accidentally let you get drunk on Malt Duck at the K.C. Hall, but if you're like me, there's probably not a lot here that's blog-worthy. Pretty much everything I knew during this time came from the movies, and drinking never really seemed to lead anywhere good:

#StarWars #PoorPonda #DrankTooMuch #BeMoreTolerantNextTime

#RaidersoftheLostArk #Indy #CreepyGuy #Don'tGrabHotArtifacts #ItCouldBeWorseMyFaceCouldBeMelting

#Superman #SupesGoneBad #NutBullets #RichardPryorWTF

Ages 15 - 30

Traditionally, ages 15 to 30 should be more relevant. Maybe only a little experimentation during the under-21 years, but afterward, a whole bunch of partying should kick in. I'll be honest, though: while some of those self-deprecating anecdotes occurred during this period, and I did find the first cocktail I actually enjoyed (the "Tom Collins"), drinking was still a pretty rare thing for me (as in, once-every-few-years-at-a-party rare). It usually just seemed too alien or too loud. 

#ThisIsAlien #StarTrek #10Forward #ClearlyNotRealBooze

#ThisIsLoud #AnimalHouse #TooOldForCollege

Ages 30 - 44 (present)

...and, the Renaissance. No clear reason why I reversed course at this point (mainly in the last few years), but I chalk it up to the following, shorthand equation: Law school + bar exam + practicing law = "Hey, what's that you're drinking?" That, plus wandering into a posh piano bar in downtown Nebraska late one night two years ago, in the bitter cold, and sampling generously from the crazy-cool (and tasty) craft bar menu.

And, of course, cocktail culture has been experiencing a real resurgence in the last few years. Fine spirits and cocktails are making a mainstream comeback--no longer necessarily loud or alien, they can also be classy, inventive, and provocative. And I am giddy at the prospect of discovering all of them. Just like these people (except in moderation and with an actual human soul): 

#MadMen #MinusTheCigs #NotLoud #NotAlien #NotNecessarilyGoodPeopleTho

Part Two: The Cocktail

So that's my best attempt at a summary, and I didn't do a great job at condensing it, anyway. Really, it's all in the title of the blog. I'm a cocktail noob, and I'm on a mission to drink some cocktails and blog about it. 

To kick things off, I figured I would start with one of my favorites. It is one of the cocktails I started with at the very beginning, even before I thought of it as a "cocktail." I was really just looking for an easy drink with a pleasant taste that I could order while out on business or socializing with co-workers. After a very brief search, I landed on the classic Gin & Tonic.

The Drink: Gin & Tonic

Ingredients Used:

• Plymouth Gin - 2 oz
• Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water - 2-4 oz
• Lime - 1-2 wedges
• Ice

According to Douglas Adams, 85% of the worlds in the known galaxy have invented a drink named, in some form or other, the "Gin & Tonic" (source: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe). No wonder, then, that the Earth version of the drink is an enduring classic, having been around since approximately the 1700s. According to multiple sources, it was first introduced by the British East India Company as a means of preventing malaria outbreaks among British soldiers in tropical climates. Quinine, one of the ingredients in tonic water, was apparently helpful in combating the disease, and field doctors would mix the quinine with water, gin, lime, and sugar to make it more palatable. And, despite Wikipedia's attempt to diminish this origin by citing bothersome studies debunking the medicinal value of a good ol' G&T, I am happy to feature a health beverage as the first cocktail on my new blog. 

One of my favorite things about this cocktail is that it is dead-simple to prepare. Even at one of those industry lunches where the "open bar" is really just a makeshift podium with an old bottle of wine and a stack of yellowed napkins, the barkeep on duty is likely to have what's needed to mix one up. All you need is a glass, some ice, a good gin, and some tonic water. Depending on your tastes (and, to a greater extent, the gin used), you probably also want to have a lime wedge handy. 

To make the drink, fill a highball glass with ice and let it chill. Next, add two ounces of gin, then top with tonic. The amount of tonic used really depends on personal taste. Until recently, I was using the pretty standard tonic waters you can find in any grocery store--either Canada Dry or Schweppe's. Despite many people claiming they taste awful, I think they work fine for this drink if you are also adding lime. However, this past weekend, I splurged and bought a few bottles of Fever Tree Indian Tonic, and I have to admit it is a much tastier tonic (likely because it uses all natural ingredients, including pure cane sugar, but also maybe because I spent more money on it). I may be a bit of an outlier because I prefer roughly equal proportions of gin and tonic in my G&Ts, and that should also be taken into consideration when listening to my opinion regarding tonics. In the typical 2-3 parts tonic : 1 part gin ratio, the grocery store tonics may indeed be awful. They're certainly not pleasant on their own, whereas Fever Tree has a nice flavor straight-up.

I actually like to use a rocks glass when mixing a Gin & Tonic, which is traditionally considered a "highball" cocktail. Highball cocktails are a class of cocktails that contain more mixer than spirit, but since I go very light on the tonic, I don't need the extra height. The derivation of the term "highball" is evidently unsettled--it could refer to anything from the size of the glass, to railway signals, to the Irish descriptor "Ball of Malt" (for a glass of whisky). 

On the use of lime, I regard it as a taste preference, though it is a staple of the drink. While I don't think I've seen any recipes for the cocktail that eschew the lime, I've started omitting it when I'm using a gin that has an incompatible flavor profile or deserves to have the starring role to itself. For the mix above, I used Plymouth Gin, which is a great, citrus-forward gin that paired easily with the lime. It was my first time drinking Plymouth, and I am now glad to have it in my bar. When I'm using something more distinctive, such as Hendrick's Gin (with its cucumber notes) or Barr Hill (which is finished with honey), I usually ditch the lime and enjoy the gin flavors on their own.

The question of which gin to use is also a matter of taste, but that's another great thing about this cocktail. It really exists solely to highlight the gin you're drinking, so the "right" gin to use is the gin you like best--or, at least, the gin you're hankering for at the moment. A good Gin & Tonic is bright, crisp, and full of the flavor of your favorite gin. An alternative to Plymouth, if you're interested in a citrus-y gin, is Beefeater London Dry Gin. I like it a lot, and I don't understand why it is sometimes considered a "bottom-shelf" gin. It's not expensive, but it's quite good--a perfect entry point, in my opinion, if you're wanting to start exploring gin drinks. For something more floral, with heavy juniper, go for the Hendrick's, which is another favorite of mine. 

Verdict:

If it wasn't already obvious, I'm a big fan of this cocktail. Easy to make, full of wonderful gin flavor, and a great way to test out a new-to-you gin. I may be biased because the G&T is the drink that ushered me into my cocktail craze, but this is a favorite. Simple, but nearly perfect.