Gin is one of our favorite spirits to create at the Distillery of Modern Art. As one of the broadest categories of spirits, it enables us to seek more with endless flavor profiles ranging from botanical to fruit-forward.
Want to know more? Here are four facts about gin, to liven your spirits. Or come in and take a tour of our distillery, where we will show you how we make gin in Atlanta.
A Good Gin Distillery Uses the Right Juniper.
The most important criteria for an aromatic and flavorful gin drink is a palpable juniper characteristic. Without enough juniper, gin begins to mirror its spirited competitor, vodka. Gin offers a distiller range so the juniper botanicals can be mixed and matched with other flavor profiles, from coriander to licorice or orris.
Gin is for Cocktails
While other cocktails are more shot-friendly – tequila, vodka and even whiskey come to mind – gin lends itself to the art of cocktail. When it is mixed in cocktail form, the spirit’s botanicals spring to life and add complexity that rewards the palate. This is perhaps why there are more classic cocktails made with gin than any other spirit.
London Dry Gin can be from Atlanta
Gin doesn’t have the same geographical restrictions as spirits such as cognac, scotch, or tequila. In fact, only a handful of London dry gins are actually made in London. London dry gin does, however, have a strict set of regulations governing how it is made. It must be made with low ethanol alcohol without sugar added, flavored with juniper berries, 140 proof after distillation at minimum, and reduced in alcohol content only by water. But made in London? Not a requirement.
A Martini Means Gin
By definition, a martini consists of gin, dry vermouth, and optional bitters. When the age of the martini was in full swing, most people had not yet tried vodka – it was the cool of James Bond that helped vodka hijack gin’s place in the iconic drink. Even though the vodka martini, shaken not stirred, has come to a place of prevalence in bars around the world, the original (gin) martini remains the effortlessly cool original.
For more information about our gin and how you can enjoy a cocktail at home, click here.