#also i’ve been good greece has been nice and sunny and i’m getting ready to go for a quick swim!

[ashmp3]

teo! i hope your trip has been fun!!!

also i am curious... i know you've talked about this before but i only vaguely remember, and i want a more indepth answer... what kind of perfumes/scents in general do you like wearing? anything you really hate smelling like?

hehehe well let me start off by saying that perfumes jeonghan uses (ormaie no28 and creed virgin island water) are something i love 🤓 now to me and my perfumes:

let me start of by saying i’ve been using and collecting perfumes since i was very young (8 or 9yo) - my mom always had a big collection and i was influenced what can i say! I have three things i like to embody: clean and light 🧼, edible 🍮 and fun and flirty 🪷. So with all that being said i am very picky with my deodorant too (i use borotalco which smells like baby powder) and i layer my perfumes with body butters, oils and lotions. Also, certain outfits require certain scent so i always match them too! Now let me get into the categories:

🧼 my first “clean” smelling perfume was donna karan be delicious. for SURE not everyone’s cup of tea - it smells like fresh green apple and cucumber and it’s so light and long lasting and effortless. It’s also such a unique scent. Anyway young me was obsessed. Another one i like to use now is calvin klein eternity - also fresh and clean and light. Both are very summery and not too heavy - they literally smell like you just took a shower and put on a linen dress

🍮 oh gourmands… I’ll tell you right now i love a nice rich caramel notes. And vanilla, when it’s done right, will always hit for me. Now childhood perfume that smells edible and brings out so many memories in me has to be olympea by paco rabanne… yes yes everyone has it everyone knows it but i got it just when it dropped in 2015 and i used it throughout the 2015 and 2016 which were coincidentally party girl very very fun years of my life. salty notes mixed with vanilla and it dried down so beautifully on my skin i loved it and whenever i smell it on someone it evokes very pleasant memories. Now for my gourmand of choice - i use d&g the only one (sweet caramel) for colder months and d&g garden (don’t let the name fool you, it’s a tropical coconut and vanilla mix) for summer. Sweet perfumes are always tricky to me because i get headaches and nausea if it’s too strong (looking at l'interdit rouge and hypnotic poison) or as i say it’s choking me. It took me ages to find these two and i love how they smell on my skin. oh and when i wear either of d&g ones i rub raw cocoa butter on my skin and i’ve been told multiple times i smell edible and i was like… well yes! that’s the point!

🪷 okay this one is tricky because first ones that come to mind are both (discontinued) miss dior cherie. Yes they still exist and yes they reformulated them and no they don’t smell anything like the past versions. i was 8 when i first got my first cherie and oh my! scent i’ll never forget. mix of fruits (cherry strawberry pineapple) with my beloved caramel and jasmine and with base notes of musk and patchouli. It was a lot! Second cherie is more similar to what we have now but not to the new version - it’s similar to blooming bouquets. It was fun and flirty and girly and my favorite floral smell that didn’t induce headaches. Now, if i am feeling florals (white florals!) i opt for calvin klein eternity moment and hugo boss femme. think girl in a white frilly dress and rosy cheeks and a wicker basket with fresh flowers in it - and that’s how they both smell.

and lastly, i want to talk about my newest addition that can’t really be boxed in any of these categories. Gucci Rush is something that i bought the moment my mom smelled it and said “oh this is you as a perfume”. And she was SO right. sexy, in your face, neon, intense, original i can go on. It has peach note which reminds me of a very affordable perfume i used to wear daily in high school - bruno banani woman. When i first smelled rush i said to my mom “this is bruno’s older sister”. i don’t know how else to describe it but it smells like a very chic woman but in the 90s…

i don’t really enjoy citrus scent - i find it nauseating most of the time. the only one i can think of that i have now is ck woman - it’s my moms perfume i bought it for her and on her it smells nice and fresh. On me though… it smells too much like a peppery cologne - not really something i go for. even when i was young, i never really liked them! only spice i like is warm spicy (versace crystal noir is something i liked) but just harsh citric scent is not for me (or my body chemistry apparently). my sister uses versace bright crystal which has yuzu as a top note and it STICKS to me it’s all i can smell when i wear it.

thank you for asking this got so LONG sorry about that (i’m not). What perfumes do you use? or what scents do you like i am curious!

[beecherdrysdale]

Hiiii my bbs, I have literally been dreaming about going to Greece sooo I hope this is good

Adding onto brigids thoughts:

Okk so half of us pass out in the Uber that we take to the airport, so everybody is just holding onto each other barely awake or literally just fall asleep on you while waiting in line to get to security. Hehe ofc Ryan gets lost, and he’s like panic calling us and I just start laughing at him through phone. But then he finds us and I get beeped at security as usual and he’s chirping me and he gets beeped too and I chirp him, so it gets a bit chaotic at security.

Look at you brigid being organized and not over packing anything. I do the same thing to I just always add extra everything hehe. Hehe yes ‘Quinner how do you have more shit then me’ quinner likes pack extra as well hehe . We have a mini competition to see who brought more clothes lol.

Okkk everybody, Brigid has chosen, she is officially Jamie’s girl :)). Anywayssss you and Jamie are just sleeping and cuddling each other. You are in Jamie’s hoodie 🥺. Kesh and Kirby are also cuddling each other. Aww yes I’m in Quinners beanie !!. So far me and Ryan aren’t chirping you lol cuz it’s reallyyyyy early.

I wear a hoodie and sweats as well or for my bday my brother bought me a really cute sweatsuit so I might wear that lol. But I would love to wear Quinners 😌hehe we get on the plane and it’s you + Dylan and cozzy and Jamie sees and gets jealous ‘no Jamie I just got comfortable’ ‘please cozzy she’s my GIRLFRIEND’ and cozzy gets mildly terrified and says ‘only for $50’ so that happens and Jamie is super happy that he gets to sit with you. Hehe me and Ryan chirp you guys. Ok so I’m behind you, Jamie and Dylan. Then quinton, Braden and Peyton are behind my row. Kesh and Kirby are just sitting away from everybody because they aren’t ready to deal w us yet lol.

You+ Jamie +dyl. Okk so you are watching an action movie. Dylan falls asleep real quick, and you see that he’s in an uncomfy position so you just help him get more comfortable. So now that Dylan’s passed out Jamie cuddles up to you and you start playing with his hair and he loves it and it’s making him fall asleep but he’s still trying to stay awake because he wants to be w you. But you reassure him and help him get comfortable. You wrap him in a blanket hehe. Brigid you have a hard situation here because you have two hockey players asleep on you. After a bit they wake up to eat and make you rewatch the movie and your like why do I have to I didn’t pass out. Oo uno is fun, same with poker. But Jamie gets bored and just starts to braid your hair while you play with Dylan. Also when Jamie wakes up he whisper ‘thank you baby’ and you give him a kiss. Oo also while he’s sleeping you trace his freckles 🥺.

Kesh and Kirby are just chilling and being adorable. They both just make sure that they are comfy. Top tier couple.

Lexi+quinner(+Ryan)- hehe yes Quinner is immune to coffee even after drinking his two cups and half of mine. We made Ryan carry the drinks cuz we are clumsyyyyy. Awww yes, I’m vv in my Quinner feels tonight so Quinner falls asleep on me and I cuddle him and play with his hair because I am not giving back that beanie. I’ll make sure he’s comfy and all. Haha yes me and Ryan are just super loud and competitive w the game we are playing, probably uno, poker or connect 4 lol. And you turn to us and say ‘guys can you shut up, Jamie and everyone is sleeping’ and we are like ‘ok and?’ And you chirp us and we chirp you back until we realize that we really don’t want to wake everybody up lol. Ya I get up a lot on the plane so Ryan and I and you would just be walking along the aisles hehe. Ryan gets tired eventually and passes out and Quinner wakes up and we have some cute moments🥺. We just cuddle and I lay my head on his shoulder and he kisses my mild freckles.

Let’s say we are in first class cuz we got good salaries lol and we really need the leg room since we tall. Airplane food isn’t to bad. But the snacks would be elite. I’ll make sure to get our snacks brigid cuz we have similar tastes in snacks :)). Hehe yes I keep stealing snacks from them, and then get hungry and ask me to give you some but I get annoyed lol. So the y start throwing the snacks and accidentally hit Jamie and Dylan in the head but thankfully they didn’t notice.

Okkkk so now the captain announced that we are landing in like 10 mins and everybody is just super excited to get off the plane. Oo Jamie keeps showing you things through the window 🥺.

Ok so we landed, I get up quick and so do some off the other boys so that the team can get off the plane first. It’s kinda chaotic with everybody trying to get their luggage and some people get smacked in the face. Question does your hair start to curl when the air is humid. Cuz that always happens to me and it’s what I love about traveling to warm places because my hair looks good lol.

Okkk so pass border control etc and all get out of the airport. Also you and Jamie are holding hands the entire time ;)). Would you rather rent a car or take a taxi to the hotel?. Anyways we leave the airport and everybody is just so happy that we are in Greece right now!! It’s sunny and beautiful.

Skip to getting to the hotel: I think our hotel is pretty nice, and we get there at like 2 . would you share your room with Jamie or get a solo? Anywayssss we get to the hotel and all say that we are going to meet up to go to the beach for a bit? Because we just wanna wake up and cool off in the water and possibly tan.

Brigid you walk out in your bikini and Jamie is in awe like how is she that gorgeous. And some boy makes a comment and he glares at him. And he literally carries you into the water. Kesh and Kirby just want to be constantly around each other so they are cuddles to together under an umbrella sipping on drinks or possibly swimming together. Quinner and I are racing each other into the water, and then we both tackle each other at the same time. And then we see who can jump over the wave. And maybe we just hold onto each other and have moments😏 same w you and Jamie .

Side note: I’ve had some bad/funny experiences w waves because some big ones just pulled me under and I would just land on the shore lol. It would take me such a long time to regain my breathing lol.

Some of the boys are chilling and tanning because they want to get some good tans. Some boys have already met some girls and some are in the water with us.

Later we all go shower and get changed to go out for dinner w the team. I never blow dry my hair esp on vacays because it dries really quickly and I get curls wbu? You me and kesh get dressed into really cute summery outfits, I see myself in a flowy skirt and a tshirt or a sleeveless top- I am owning the freckles on my arms hehe. Brigid I can see you in shorts or maybe even in a denim skirt? And in a top that shows your pretty bralette. Kesh I see you in a sundress? Like a red or yellow sundress that looks amazing !!

They boys are speechless because we are owning our outfits. Anywayssss we all go to a restaurant by the beach and just have such a nice time. And maybe after some Brigid +Jamie and Kirby +kesh time on the beach at night 😏

Okkk I hope this was ok. Pt 4 will be more of our trip !!

omgggg i love all of this! lexi you’re amazing, thank you for providing the quality team canada content it is amazing. anywayssss long post

haha all of us just falling asleep on each other in the car and then when we’re in line for security. like jamie just rests his head on my shoulder while we’re standing there and somehow falls asleep lol. and then ryan gets lost bc ofc he does and we’re laughing at him but then we’re like oh shit we need to help him find us so we don’t miss our flight. so then we help him back to security where he and lexi both get beeped and chirp each other about it lmao

hehe yes i finally chose jamie🥰. dyl and i are more like chaotic best friends who are maybe a little flirty but ultimately are just friends lol. so anywaysss jamie is the softest bf so he lets me wear his hoodie and we cuddle up and sleep together in the airport🥺 and kesh and kirby are also cuddling and lexi is wearing quinner’s beanie that she stole lol. and thankfully ryan’s still tired and lexi’s busy with quinner so they won’t start chirping me and jamie yet. and also we’re all wearing the boys’ sweartshirts that they gave to us

hehe yes then we’re on the plane and jamie sees me with dyl and cozzy and he just begss cozzy to switch with him. and cozzy’s already gotten comfortable so he’s like “no jamie just sit in your own seat". but jamie’s like “pleaseeeeee it’s my girlfriend”. so then cozzy seeing the perfect money-making technique (and also mildly terrified lmao) it like “fine i guess i’ll switch but only if you pay me $50″. and jamie’s just like “done” and hands the money over. so then jamie and i are both really happy and ofc you and ryan are awake enough to chirp us now lol. and the two of you are sitting behind us with quinner and then quinton, braden, and peyton are behind you guys. and kesh and kirby aren’t ready to deal with us bc it’s too damn early so they purposely chose the seats far away from us lol. and the other boys are just scattered throughout the plane

me+jamie+dyl - so we’re watching our movie and dyl falls asleep realllll quick bc he didn’t sleep at all in the airport. so then i help him get comfy bc besty things and i feel bad for him bc i think sleeping in airplanes is uncomfy lol. and then jamie cuddles up to me and i start playing with his hair🥺 so then he starts falling asleep again so ofc i help him get comfy and give him a blanket so he can sleep. and then while he’s sleeping i get to play with his hair and trace his freckles🥰 so then when he wakes up he just kind of mumbles “thank you baby” and i’m like “of course” and kiss him. and then they make me rewatch the movie with them and i’m just like “whyyyyyy” but then i make them play uno and poker with me so it’s all good. but then jamie gets bored and starts playing with my hair and braiding it🥺 and it actually turns out decent this time

kesh+kirby - perfect, amazing, adorable together. trying to keep us under control, but eventually just give in and ignore the chaos and pretend they don’t know us lmao

lexi+quinner(+ryan) - hehe yes lexi and quinner made ryan carry the coffee bc they’re too clumsy and then quinner drank a shit ton of it, but he still manages to fall asleep on the plane. and then lexi makes sure he’s comfy and starts playing with his hair, all while wearing his beanie ofc. but then you’re being super loud and competitive with ryan playing a ton of games and stuff. so then i’m like “guys stfu, jamie and the other guys are sleeping” and you guys are like “so what?” before realizing you really don’t want to wake everyone up. so then you guys shut up and start wandering the plane lol. but then eventually ryan gets tired and falls asleep and quinner wakes up and you guys are being all cutsie. and you’re cuddling and kissing each other’s freckles and then me and jamie chirp you guys bc payback lol

hehe yes first class bc rich boyssss. so we actually have pretty good food but the snacks are still better. and then eventually the guys just start throwing snacks to me bc it’s faster than handing them to you to hand them to me lol

and then we’re about to land so jamie’s pointing out things out the window to me and getting super excited, so ofc i’m excited too. and then we land and all get up fast af bc we’re not waiting for other people to get off the plane lol. also i pray to God that no one in our group claps when the plane lands bc that shit pisses me off lol. so anyways it’s just chaotic getting our stuff and getting off the plane lol. my baby hairs would be getting curly from the humidity, but the rest would just turn wavy. so anyways then me go through border control and me and jamie are holding hands and so are kesh and kirby but lexi and quinner can’t bc they both have sm shit to carry lol. and then we rent a car to take to the hotel and everyone’s just in a super good mood bc we finally made it

hehe then we finally get to our hotel which is nice bc again rich boyssss. and then me and jamie would share a room bc i’m broke lol and also bc i love him and want to be as close to him as i can😍 so then we put our stuff in our rooms and get ready to go to the beach. and then obviously all our boys are so impressed by us in our swimsuits, and each of them (jamie, quinner, and kirby) is just like “damn she’s gorgeous, how’d i get so lucky” and then some guy tries to like catcall me and jamie just death glares him lmao

hehe jamie just carrying me to the water “jamie i can walk myself yk” “ik i just love you, i want to carry you” “ok thank you bb” and then kesh and kirby ALWAYS together. swimming together, cuddling together on the beach, going to get food together etc. and then lexi and quinner racing and tackling each other into the waves and stuff lol. and i make jamie join bc i’m a competitive bitch lol and i obvi can’t just leave him alone. hehe getting pulled under by waves isn’t a problem for me bc i have good breath control lol. and then you and quinner and me and jamie could have moments😏 esp bc we’re in the water which makes everyone look extra hot. meanwhile the other guys are like all playing volleyball together or picking up girls lmao

then we all go shower to get ready for dinner. personally i never blow dry my hair and my showers are really fast so i would be ready fast lol. ooh lexi and kesh looking cute, lexi with her sleeveless shirt and flowy skirt and kesh with her sundress. i’m wearing shorts bc i basically refuse to wear anything else lol. hehe but i have a cute shirt that shows off a cute bralette so it makes up for my lack of skirt lol. and then the boys are just speechless bc of our outfits and they’re making sure to keep us close the whole night. oooh and then beach time at night😏

okkkk i love all of this and i’m so excited for part 4!!

[wineanddinosaur]

VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?

Despite gin’s historic popularity in the United Kingdom, and surging popularity in much of Europe, the United States has long lagged behind in botanical clear spirit appreciation. That hasn’t stopped bold prognosticators from predicting an incipient “gin boom” in the U.S., but there was never much proof of a gin-loving American public — until now.

Gin has seen a spike in both sales and general consumer interest in 2020; that we know, but the question of “why” remains. Is it due largely to the gin and tonic, that summer staple that’s been even easier to make at home in the Covid-19 era? Is it because of the slew of gin-based cocktails that great bars have popularized over the past decade?

That’s what to tune in for on this week’s episode of the VinePair Podcast, when VinePair’s Adam Teeter, Erica Duecy, and Zach Geballe discuss why this time, the “gin boom” might just be the real thing — along with what’s driving it and how we’re tracking where it’s going.

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Or check out our conversation here

Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica Duecy: From Connecticut, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair Podcast. And before we launch into today’s topic, a word from this week’s sponsor. This podcast is sponsored by Gosling’s Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Gosling’s presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. Take that Black Seal. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth — that sounds really good. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains a color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Gosling’s stormy ginger beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time, use code VinePair at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on your Gosling’s Rum order.

Z: All I’ve got to say is, Andrew Holmes, Gosling’s brand ambassador and former guest on this podcast, where is my bottle of Gold Seal Rum?

A: Seriously, I never got a bottle, either, come on guys!

Z: I’m not going anywhere, I need some rum

A: So, how’s everybody doing? I’m going on vacation so you guys are going to do the podcast without me next week. But how are you guys doing?

E: Good. I’m ready for a rum cocktail. It has been hot, hot, hot.

A: It’s gross, right? You know it’s really funny, I had a conversation with someone today that was like, “Adam, love the podcast. Just one comment, you guys talk about the weather a lot at the beginning of the show.”

Z: That’s because we’re f***ing old. What do you guys want?

A: That’s really funny and then without telling you that happened, Erica talked about the weather.

Z: I will tell you it says it is sunny and 70 degrees in Seattle today so New York can kiss my a**.

E: It is muggy and disgusting here, just yuck.

Z: Adam, does your entire neighborhood smell like garbage? I remember that not so fondly.

A: No, because I’m in Brooklyn. Well, have you guys drank anything really delicious recently?

E: I’ve been sticking to my Ranch Waters. That’s what I’ve been drinking. That and some rosés, that’s pretty much been my landscape for the last week.

A: Zach?

Z: I actually, I’m going to say something that close listeners of the podcast are going to be shocked by, I actually have been drinking some Pinot Noir rosé, which has been really delicious — a couple of Oregon producers. This gives me the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug my upcoming free Pinot Noir class on Tuesday. Tuesday, Aug. 18, it’s about a 45-minute class all about Pinot Noir. You can find more information at my website disgorgedwine.com. I will now stop plugging myself and we can talk more about anything else.

A: I drank some good stuff last weekend. I had a bottle of Cos that was amazing. I love that producer so much — from Sicily. I had their Frappato and it was sick. I got it at this wine bar I love — we had them on the podcast a while ago. I wanted to go and see how they were doing. They and a few other restaurants on their street petitioned to fully shut down Vanderbilt which is the main thoroughfare of Prospect Heights, the neighborhood in Brooklyn, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s really cool because while I know some people that live in New York and listen to the podcast may be used to seeing the dining in one parking spot —the parking spot in front of your restaurant you’re allowed to build a little platform and put as many chairs and tables that are socially distanced acceptable on that platform in that one spot, but now on Vanderbilt, they’re allowed to spread out throughout the entire thoroughfare. It’s really awesome. You walk down the middle of the street and there’s just tons of tables and restaurants. Dave, one of the owners of Lalou, was saying it could really help save a lot of these restaurants because a lot of them, due to this, are now able to be at or even over the capacity they normally would be if they were just indoor dining. And even though it’s just three days, it’s three days of the week that people go out and spend the most money. So some restaurants are able to use this to help fuel them now that the question “what happens as it starts to get cold?” as we’ve talked about before and we’ll talk about more as the fall continues — but I thought it was super cool and I got to take this amazing bottle of wine home and drink it with Naomi. It was absolutely delicious.

E: Nice.

Z: And it seems like the kind of thing where once we’ve started doing it societally you go like, “Wow, this is a lot nicer than just cars going by.”

A: it is.

Z: It’s a lot better for the quality of life in the neighborhood.

A: He was saying a lot of people in the neighborhood who have cars were really pissed because they’re like, “It’s so much harder to get my car to my street.” But wouldn’t you rather have a place where the entire neighborhood can congregate and be outside? There were kids in the street playing together and throwing the football as their parents all sat around drinking great cocktails because Weather Up is also an amazing cocktail bar that is on that block. It was just super cool to watch and there’s not really other places that this can happen because once you’ve decided that you’re sitting at this restaurant in this parking space that’s where you are. And this felt much more like a community coming together to support the businesses on this thoroughfare and really have a place that everyone could be whether you are eating or drinking at the spot or not. Obviously, kids were not drinking cocktails. It was super cool. So let’s get into today’s topic which I think is really interesting and that is something we’ve talked about a little bit on the show before. I have some theories, I’m sure you guys do as well, and that is there ever going to be or are we already beginning to see a gin boom in the U.S.? People have been predicting this gin boom for years and that is based on the fact that there’s been a massive gin boom in Europe. Apart from Spain that’s been in love with gin for well over a decade, you’re now seeing gin being wholly embraced in France, Italy, Greece, you’re also seeing gin continuing to be this massive spirit in Great Britain, where it’s always been very popular. But it never had as massive a following in the U.S. as I think a lot of people thought it could be. I’m going to start our conversation with a very bold statement and that is, I think it’s more likely now than ever and I think the reason for that is thanks to Covid-19. And what I mean by that is I think a lot of the reason that a lot of people really never truly embraced gin is because they never understood how delicious a truly well-made gin and tonic could be. And that’s because so many people around the country have been drinking gin and tonics in which the tonic water has been coming off the gun at a bar. And most of that tonic water is usually pretty garbage. Now that people are home and they’re buying their own tonic water and they’re making gin and tonics they’re realizing how delicious that drink is and that’s making them explore lots of other gins and lots of other gin cocktails. that’s my take. What do you guys think?

E: Nice. I think that that is a good assertion. It’s also an easy cocktail to make, so as you are thinking of what you’re going to be sipping, it’s so easy. This winter I was drinking a lot of Martinis, I was exploring different Martini recipes, and playing with variations and then that just spilled over into the gin and tonics of summer. I’ve tried all sorts of different tonic waters, all sorts of different gins. Some of them are savory, some of the tonic waters have a Mediterranean influence, I think there’s so much variety. But I think that we as journalists have been saying for years, gin is a thing, gin is happening, it’ s finally happening, nope this year it’s happening, nope next year it’s happening. But I think, finally, we actually are starting to see that traction. If you look at Nielsen data over a couple-year period you do see this upward trajectory just in the last 12 weeks the sales have been up 37 percent. To put that in context that’s a little bit lower than tequila, which has been on a massive tear, but it’s higher than bourbon or Irish whiskey, or rum or vodka. So in gin I think we’re finally starting to see that it really is moving up in people’s mind and that people are probably using them most often in a gin and tonic. I’m glad to see that it seems like it’s actually happening.

Z: I think that one of the interesting pieces of this is that pre-Covid in the landscape where gin was maybe on the come but no one really knew who that was going to happen, the problem was there was a real divergence between the gin cocktail as a gin and tonic, or even a Martini, where the gin in and of itself is really the centerpiece and where the thing that could hold it back as a drink is crappy tonic water, sh*tty vermouth, someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. That is on one side of the gin equation. The other side is a whole host of really delicious, interesting cocktails: Negronis, Last Words, all this stuff that rely on gin but not really designed to showcase gin as much as integrate it into a much more complex whole. And in that area, gin has made great strides in cocktail programs around the world and the United States and other places. But weirdly, in both my professional experience and experience as a consumer, the gin that’s used in a lot of these drinks, as long as it’s of decent quality, it’s almost better the less intrusive it is. So you had this weird split where you had a cocktail in form — a gin and tonic or the Martini — where an expressive, distinctive, interesting gin really shines but one that maybe was not being enjoyed by a lot of people, and then you have this other format where an unintrusive less distinctive gin is more appreciated so that the vermouth and liqueur can shine through. And I think, despite what we’ve talked about before on this podcast, you’re seeing a lot more people making gin and tonics than making Negronis at home. So I think, yes, it’s given an opportunity for gin, as the spirit itself really takes the center stage here. And I think that is really exciting and I don’t expect that to walk backward, but what I wonder is, are you going to see those other gin-based cocktails kick up in popularity for home bartenders as people just get more comfortable working with gin as a spirit?

A: That’s what I’m curious about. And I’m deferring to Erica here, our cocktail book author. What other cocktails are out there that you think that if you’ve now embraced the gin and tonic, could be the next big gin cocktail that really does showcase how delicious gin is? I think Zach is right that people will probably make more Negronis and things like that, and maybe now with better gin, but what are some of the other really classic gin cocktails that should be on people’s radars?

E: There are so many ways to use gin. One that’s my favorite is the bee’s knees, a gin sour that uses lemon and honey and that is kind of a back-to-classics. It was made classically around Prohibition, and the lemon and honey were used to mask the hard smell of bathtub gin. That’s kind of a fun version. There’s a variety of different ways to use it. The Last Word I would say is one of my favorites that hasn’t gotten enough traction. That’s equal parts of gin, chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime. That one was actually a cocktail out of Detroit during Prohibition, and it has lineage back to the Detroit Athletic Club where all these well-heeled imbibers who were the titans of the car industry in Detroit would be at their gala events … and they’d slip outside to this speakeasy out back where the Last Word was being made. That’s one of my favorite variations and one of my favorite cocktails that I think is super underutilized. You can also play with various different Gimlets with some mint, cucumber, and blackberries, these summery Highball cocktails. There are so many ways to use gin, it’s really versatile and I would say that that’s one of the things that I think is driving interest in gin right now. For a long time, you had these traditional London dry gins that have that profile of coriander and angelica root and citrus and licorice and the juniper, of course, but then you moved into a phase where there is so much innovation happening in the spirits space but with gin in particular. The botanicals that people are using, the regions that are producing it, the different consumers that are being targeted, it’s really dynamic. You’ve got pink gin, you’ve got savory gin, you’ve got gin spiced with all these different botanicals. And this New Western style of gin, that we’ve written about a lot at VinePair, I think has really taken off. What that means is that the New Western style of gin is less focused on juniper and more focused on other things. For example, I know that there’s a gin out of Texas that is focused on lavender, grapefruit, and even has pecans in it. There’s one out of Japan, Suntory’s Roku, that is a yuzu-driven gin. It has flowers and herbs and botanicals, even tea in it, and a little bit of Sancho pepper that is a really incredible flavor expression that you would have never found with gin before. With this explosion of innovation, that’s one of the key things that’s driving this category forward.

Z: I want to add a couple of cocktails to Erica’s recommendations.

A: Please. I’m sure you’re adding the Aviation.

Z: No, I’m actually not, although that is another cocktail that I actually do love. I was going to offer a couple that I think are maybe easier stepping stones for people who are moving away from a gin and tonic. I think one great option for people is the French 75 — that’s a gin-based cocktail that also usually includes lemon juice and sparkling wine of some sort, some people will also add a sweetener like simple syrup. But again that, to me, is a nice option for someone who wants the lightness and brightness of a gin and tonic, the summery freshness, but is going to get more of a citrus note. Depending on how much lime you add to your gin and tonic, that could be equivalent. And then a Gin Fizz, another really classic cocktail — it is traditionally made with an egg white, but you can skip out if your don’t want it or if that’s too daunting for you — but again, a cocktail that marries gin and citrus but showcases the flavors of the gin you’re working with quite nicely. And then, to Erica’s point of these Western-style gins, I want to mention St. George Spirits in California, because to me they were one of the first producers that I came across that was really focused on, “we’re going to make a gin that is really reflective of where we are,” and their Terroir Gin is based on only local botanicals in the North Bay Area, and it’s really cool. It’s an awesome example of what gin can be, which is this platform to showcase a lot of different flavors, as Erica mentioned.

A: Do you both think then that part of gin’s appeal — besides the fact that the gin and tonic is so easy to make and now that people are finally making it with good tonic they’re realizing it’s delicious — is this local aspect of it that it really can reflect where it’s made in a way that a lot of other products can’t and that’s what makes it so interesting to so many people?

E: From my perspective, it’s really these small distillers who have been significant in the growth of gin. The smartest thing they’ve done is really focus on providence, they’ve focused on these authentic brand stories. There are of course the big Tanquerays and so forth out there, but when I think about the gin category, and even when you walk into a store, there are so many craft producers — and they all are telling a different story they’re trying to reach different types of consumers, they’re leveraging those different flavor profiles. So, I think that this trend is really timed perfectly with consumers’ growing interest in authentic brand stories, and in experimentation in a pretty simple and easy way. And to add to what we were saying about simple cocktail variations, with all of these new ones like the Japanese yuzu-driven gins and these other ones that feel very terroir-oriented, I think one thing to note is that you don’t necessarily want to be [using] it in a Negroni because that’s not a London Dry gin, that’s not what that cocktail was created for. The place to showcase all of these different flavors and different expressions of gin is in something simple: either in a gin and tonic, or I like the idea of a French 75; I also really like the idea of a Collins. A Collins is super simple, it’s just gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and then you can add an additional flavoring. If you want a little bit of berry, add a little bit of elderflower cordial —which needs to make a comeback — and then just top it off with soda. It’s a long drink, it’s a highball. But these simpler expressions are going to be the best place to highlight those very diverse gins.

A: It sounds like you both think a gin boom is going to come.

Z: I might be marginally more skeptical.

A: Why?

Z: Here are the two reasons. One, is that maybe the gin boom as defined in like “the gin-and-tonic boom” I can buy in. I’m still a little skeptical that the average consumer is going to move too far away from that. Again, as we started this conversation, it’s such a simple drink yet yields such great results if you use good gin and good tonic that I think a lot of people are happy to stay there. And that’s fine. And for a lot of these gins that we’re talking about, that’s great. As Erica said, that’s a great way to showcase these more terroir or pronounced driven gins, it’s frankly delicious — gin and tonic is one of my absolute favorite cocktails — and that’s totally fine. When I think of the gin boom I think of the idea that the average person who is reasonably serious about drinking at home has four, five, six, seven different gins on hand. And I kind of think that gin is still going to largely exist in the space that vodka has existed in that, for most people who consume at home, they have a brand that they turn to or at least one bottle at home at a time than when they drink that they go buy another. Not like how they might look at whiskey or tequila or something like that where they are like, I have to have a few different bottles on hand because I want different versions of this. Now I would be happy to be wrong. Gin is delicious and I would love for there to be more money going into the gin producer direction and less in some other spirits. But I think that I’m skeptical that people are going to see the need for three, four, five, six different gins on their bar shelf at home, even in this world where that is the only place you’re getting a cocktail for most people.

E: If you do want some gins that are more versatile, we have a massive resource of what the best gins are. It’s called “The 30 Best Gins for Every Budget 2020,” we update this every year. We tasted through over 100 different gins this year. I helped, it was on my Instagram and it was so much gin, it was shocking. But we have “the best gins under $25,” the best gins under $45, etc. That is a great place to go and read the reviews, they all have the tasting notes, and figure out what is the best gin for you. Because I do think it is a great idea to have maybe one or two bottles. Right now, I’ve got two bottles in my house and that’s enough. One is more savory, one has more of a floral botanical profile, and that’s enough for any type of cocktails that I want to make.

A: Yeah, I agree. Zach, I do agree with you that I think it’s going to be connected to the gin and tonic, but hey, I think that’s all it needs. The tequila boom is really being fueled by the Margarita. If you look at the explosion of the Margarita as a cocktail it’s very aligned with the explosion of tequila in general. That’s mostly how people are consuming tequila. Now some people are branching off and having Ranch Water like Erica or Palomas but it’s pretty much the Margarita. If it’s the gin and tonic that continues to fuel the boom, that’s great. I think the thing that’s really crazy about the gin and tonic that we’ll definitely see within the next few months is probably a lot of canned gin and tonics. There’s got to be some of these gin brands that already have them in development. There’s no way that gin and tonics aren’t coming out in cans very soon. Again, because of how delicious the cocktail is, to most people how simple it is, and how easy that probably is to put a high-quality tonic in a can with good gin.

E: I know that Greenhook Ginsmiths has one. We do have an article about some of the best canned gin and tonics, I know Cutwater has one. They’re coming out more and more. And I think whereas they weren’t so good in years past, they’ve really started to nail what we like to call “the citrus problem.” That’s the biggest problem with these canned products, is nailing the citrus notes. It’s so difficult and we’ve done multiple articles looking at how you fix flavorings, how you get these natural flavorings, how you incorporate them, how they’re shelf-stabilized, all of the technology that goes into creating a really good lime experience in a canned cocktail is significant. When we did our tasting we said that Greenhook Ginsmith’s gin and tonic was the best one on the market, and this was last fall. So if people have other gin and tonics that they are excited about, let us know.

A: Seriously, let us know, podcast@vinepair.com. And if you have some samples send them our way, I’d love to taste a canned gin and tonic. I know Zach would but he wants his Gosling’s rum first.

Z: I can drink both of them at the same time, let’s be clear. I have a question for you two about gin and the gin and tonic: Am I weird for sometimes preferring just a gin and soda?

E: No. That’s partway to a Collins, add a little bit of lemon juice and simple syrup. No, I think gin and soda is nice.

A: Yes.

E: You think that’s weird?

A: I do.

Z: Yeah, Adam clearly does. That’s fair. What I would say is, I’m not really sure what I’m going for in that cocktail other than just a longer drink. I love Martinis, although I can’t drink them in the summer, weirdly, despite it being a gin-based drink, it’s too intense for me.

A: I agree.

E: Yeah [me too].

Z: I want my Martinis in the fall and winter. But I do like just gin sometimes. Sometimes I’ll just do gin on the rocks but I like to lighten it just a touch. I don’t do that with other spirits too much but with gin, I think just a little bit of soda water or tonic certainly, but sometimes the sweetness in tonic is a little much for me, especially with these more delicate, aromatic floral styles of gin, I want them to be dry. A gin and soda is maybe a borderline “do-I-have-a-problem? drink” because it’s very pleasurable, there’s not a lot of things that generally get us excited about drinking [in it]. But on the other hand, I really enjoy it.

A: Hey man, you have to do you.

E: I think it’s the perfect way to showcase a gin if you really want to appreciate a gin, and all the botanicals it’s bringing to the table. For the yuzu gin from Suntory, that’s the perfect way. You want to showcase all the different things that are in it, the tea and florals, and a little bit of pepper, and anything else is probably going to cover it up a little bit, so I would go soda.

A: See, Zach, Erica came to your rescue. You’re not a weirdo.

Z: I’m not sure the person who wrote a cocktail book, she’s the authority, but she was inclined to be on my side, anyhow.

A: Guys, it’s been a really interesting conversation as always. I hope you have a really fun one next week without me. It probably won’t be as good. But I know you’ll get through it. What are you guys going to talk about? Seattle?

E: No idea. Probably Seattle.

Z: We’ll just talk about the weather in Seattle.

A: Tune in next week when Erica and Zach dissect the weather in Seattle.

E: It’s going to be riveting.

Z: We’re going two hours, folks.

A: For everyone else, they’ll see you back here next week, I will see everyone in two weeks.

Z: Have a nice vacation.

E: Take care.

A: Before we go, a word from our sponsor, Goslings Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Goslings presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains the color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Goslings Gold Seal rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time use code “VinePair” at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on all of your Goslings Rum purchases.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now, for the credits: VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/is-gin-boom-finally-here/

[johnboothus]

VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?

Despite gin’s historic popularity in the United Kingdom, and surging popularity in much of Europe, the United States has long lagged behind in botanical clear spirit appreciation. That hasn’t stopped bold prognosticators from predicting an incipient “gin boom” in the U.S., but there was never much proof of a gin-loving American public — until now.

Gin has seen a spike in both sales and general consumer interest in 2020; that we know, but the question of “why” remains. Is it due largely to the gin and tonic, that summer staple that’s been even easier to make at home in the Covid-19 era? Is it because of the slew of gin-based cocktails that great bars have popularized over the past decade?

That’s what to tune in for on this week’s episode of the VinePair Podcast, when VinePair’s Adam Teeter, Erica Duecy, and Zach Geballe discuss why this time, the “gin boom” might just be the real thing — along with what’s driving it and how we’re tracking where it’s going.

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Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica Duecy: From Connecticut, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair Podcast. And before we launch into today’s topic, a word from this week’s sponsor. This podcast is sponsored by Gosling’s Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Gosling’s presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. Take that Black Seal. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth — that sounds really good. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains a color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Gosling’s stormy ginger beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time, use code VinePair at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on your Gosling’s Rum order.

Z: All I’ve got to say is, Andrew Holmes, Gosling’s brand ambassador and former guest on this podcast, where is my bottle of Gold Seal Rum?

A: Seriously, I never got a bottle, either, come on guys!

Z: I’m not going anywhere, I need some rum

A: So, how’s everybody doing? I’m going on vacation so you guys are going to do the podcast without me next week. But how are you guys doing?

E: Good. I’m ready for a rum cocktail. It has been hot, hot, hot.

A: It’s gross, right? You know it’s really funny, I had a conversation with someone today that was like, “Adam, love the podcast. Just one comment, you guys talk about the weather a lot at the beginning of the show.”

Z: That’s because we’re f***ing old. What do you guys want?

A: That’s really funny and then without telling you that happened, Erica talked about the weather.

Z: I will tell you it says it is sunny and 70 degrees in Seattle today so New York can kiss my a**.

E: It is muggy and disgusting here, just yuck.

Z: Adam, does your entire neighborhood smell like garbage? I remember that not so fondly.

A: No, because I’m in Brooklyn. Well, have you guys drank anything really delicious recently?

E: I’ve been sticking to my Ranch Waters. That’s what I’ve been drinking. That and some rosés, that’s pretty much been my landscape for the last week.

A: Zach?

Z: I actually, I’m going to say something that close listeners of the podcast are going to be shocked by, I actually have been drinking some Pinot Noir rosé, which has been really delicious — a couple of Oregon producers. This gives me the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug my upcoming free Pinot Noir class on Tuesday. Tuesday, Aug. 18, it’s about a 45-minute class all about Pinot Noir. You can find more information at my website disgorgedwine.com. I will now stop plugging myself and we can talk more about anything else.

A: I drank some good stuff last weekend. I had a bottle of Cos that was amazing. I love that producer so much — from Sicily. I had their Frappato and it was sick. I got it at this wine bar I love — we had them on the podcast a while ago. I wanted to go and see how they were doing. They and a few other restaurants on their street petitioned to fully shut down Vanderbilt which is the main thoroughfare of Prospect Heights, the neighborhood in Brooklyn, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s really cool because while I know some people that live in New York and listen to the podcast may be used to seeing the dining in one parking spot —the parking spot in front of your restaurant you’re allowed to build a little platform and put as many chairs and tables that are socially distanced acceptable on that platform in that one spot, but now on Vanderbilt, they’re allowed to spread out throughout the entire thoroughfare. It’s really awesome. You walk down the middle of the street and there’s just tons of tables and restaurants. Dave, one of the owners of Lalou, was saying it could really help save a lot of these restaurants because a lot of them, due to this, are now able to be at or even over the capacity they normally would be if they were just indoor dining. And even though it’s just three days, it’s three days of the week that people go out and spend the most money. So some restaurants are able to use this to help fuel them now that the question “what happens as it starts to get cold?” as we’ve talked about before and we’ll talk about more as the fall continues — but I thought it was super cool and I got to take this amazing bottle of wine home and drink it with Naomi. It was absolutely delicious.

E: Nice.

Z: And it seems like the kind of thing where once we’ve started doing it societally you go like, “Wow, this is a lot nicer than just cars going by.”

A: it is.

Z: It’s a lot better for the quality of life in the neighborhood.

A: He was saying a lot of people in the neighborhood who have cars were really pissed because they’re like, “It’s so much harder to get my car to my street.” But wouldn’t you rather have a place where the entire neighborhood can congregate and be outside? There were kids in the street playing together and throwing the football as their parents all sat around drinking great cocktails because Weather Up is also an amazing cocktail bar that is on that block. It was just super cool to watch and there’s not really other places that this can happen because once you’ve decided that you’re sitting at this restaurant in this parking space that’s where you are. And this felt much more like a community coming together to support the businesses on this thoroughfare and really have a place that everyone could be whether you are eating or drinking at the spot or not. Obviously, kids were not drinking cocktails. It was super cool. So let’s get into today’s topic which I think is really interesting and that is something we’ve talked about a little bit on the show before. I have some theories, I’m sure you guys do as well, and that is there ever going to be or are we already beginning to see a gin boom in the U.S.? People have been predicting this gin boom for years and that is based on the fact that there’s been a massive gin boom in Europe. Apart from Spain that’s been in love with gin for well over a decade, you’re now seeing gin being wholly embraced in France, Italy, Greece, you’re also seeing gin continuing to be this massive spirit in Great Britain, where it’s always been very popular. But it never had as massive a following in the U.S. as I think a lot of people thought it could be. I’m going to start our conversation with a very bold statement and that is, I think it’s more likely now than ever and I think the reason for that is thanks to Covid-19. And what I mean by that is I think a lot of the reason that a lot of people really never truly embraced gin is because they never understood how delicious a truly well-made gin and tonic could be. And that’s because so many people around the country have been drinking gin and tonics in which the tonic water has been coming off the gun at a bar. And most of that tonic water is usually pretty garbage. Now that people are home and they’re buying their own tonic water and they’re making gin and tonics they’re realizing how delicious that drink is and that’s making them explore lots of other gins and lots of other gin cocktails. that’s my take. What do you guys think?

E: Nice. I think that that is a good assertion. It’s also an easy cocktail to make, so as you are thinking of what you’re going to be sipping, it’s so easy. This winter I was drinking a lot of Martinis, I was exploring different Martini recipes, and playing with variations and then that just spilled over into the gin and tonics of summer. I’ve tried all sorts of different tonic waters, all sorts of different gins. Some of them are savory, some of the tonic waters have a Mediterranean influence, I think there’s so much variety. But I think that we as journalists have been saying for years, gin is a thing, gin is happening, it’ s finally happening, nope this year it’s happening, nope next year it’s happening. But I think, finally, we actually are starting to see that traction. If you look at Nielsen data over a couple-year period you do see this upward trajectory just in the last 12 weeks the sales have been up 37 percent. To put that in context that’s a little bit lower than tequila, which has been on a massive tear, but it’s higher than bourbon or Irish whiskey, or rum or vodka. So in gin I think we’re finally starting to see that it really is moving up in people’s mind and that people are probably using them most often in a gin and tonic. I’m glad to see that it seems like it’s actually happening.

Z: I think that one of the interesting pieces of this is that pre-Covid in the landscape where gin was maybe on the come but no one really knew who that was going to happen, the problem was there was a real divergence between the gin cocktail as a gin and tonic, or even a Martini, where the gin in and of itself is really the centerpiece and where the thing that could hold it back as a drink is crappy tonic water, sh*tty vermouth, someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. That is on one side of the gin equation. The other side is a whole host of really delicious, interesting cocktails: Negronis, Last Words, all this stuff that rely on gin but not really designed to showcase gin as much as integrate it into a much more complex whole. And in that area, gin has made great strides in cocktail programs around the world and the United States and other places. But weirdly, in both my professional experience and experience as a consumer, the gin that’s used in a lot of these drinks, as long as it’s of decent quality, it’s almost better the less intrusive it is. So you had this weird split where you had a cocktail in form — a gin and tonic or the Martini — where an expressive, distinctive, interesting gin really shines but one that maybe was not being enjoyed by a lot of people, and then you have this other format where an unintrusive less distinctive gin is more appreciated so that the vermouth and liqueur can shine through. And I think, despite what we’ve talked about before on this podcast, you’re seeing a lot more people making gin and tonics than making Negronis at home. So I think, yes, it’s given an opportunity for gin, as the spirit itself really takes the center stage here. And I think that is really exciting and I don’t expect that to walk backward, but what I wonder is, are you going to see those other gin-based cocktails kick up in popularity for home bartenders as people just get more comfortable working with gin as a spirit?

A: That’s what I’m curious about. And I’m deferring to Erica here, our cocktail book author. What other cocktails are out there that you think that if you’ve now embraced the gin and tonic, could be the next big gin cocktail that really does showcase how delicious gin is? I think Zach is right that people will probably make more Negronis and things like that, and maybe now with better gin, but what are some of the other really classic gin cocktails that should be on people’s radars?

E: There are so many ways to use gin. One that’s my favorite is the bee’s knees, a gin sour that uses lemon and honey and that is kind of a back-to-classics. It was made classically around Prohibition, and the lemon and honey were used to mask the hard smell of bathtub gin. That’s kind of a fun version. There’s a variety of different ways to use it. The Last Word I would say is one of my favorites that hasn’t gotten enough traction. That’s equal parts of gin, chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime. That one was actually a cocktail out of Detroit during Prohibition, and it has lineage back to the Detroit Athletic Club where all these well-heeled imbibers who were the titans of the car industry in Detroit would be at their gala events … and they’d slip outside to this speakeasy out back where the Last Word was being made. That’s one of my favorite variations and one of my favorite cocktails that I think is super underutilized. You can also play with various different Gimlets with some mint, cucumber, and blackberries, these summery Highball cocktails. There are so many ways to use gin, it’s really versatile and I would say that that’s one of the things that I think is driving interest in gin right now. For a long time, you had these traditional London dry gins that have that profile of coriander and angelica root and citrus and licorice and the juniper, of course, but then you moved into a phase where there is so much innovation happening in the spirits space but with gin in particular. The botanicals that people are using, the regions that are producing it, the different consumers that are being targeted, it’s really dynamic. You’ve got pink gin, you’ve got savory gin, you’ve got gin spiced with all these different botanicals. And this New Western style of gin, that we’ve written about a lot at VinePair, I think has really taken off. What that means is that the New Western style of gin is less focused on juniper and more focused on other things. For example, I know that there’s a gin out of Texas that is focused on lavender, grapefruit, and even has pecans in it. There’s one out of Japan, Suntory’s Roku, that is a yuzu-driven gin. It has flowers and herbs and botanicals, even tea in it, and a little bit of Sancho pepper that is a really incredible flavor expression that you would have never found with gin before. With this explosion of innovation, that’s one of the key things that’s driving this category forward.

Z: I want to add a couple of cocktails to Erica’s recommendations.

A: Please. I’m sure you’re adding the Aviation.

Z: No, I’m actually not, although that is another cocktail that I actually do love. I was going to offer a couple that I think are maybe easier stepping stones for people who are moving away from a gin and tonic. I think one great option for people is the French 75 — that’s a gin-based cocktail that also usually includes lemon juice and sparkling wine of some sort, some people will also add a sweetener like simple syrup. But again that, to me, is a nice option for someone who wants the lightness and brightness of a gin and tonic, the summery freshness, but is going to get more of a citrus note. Depending on how much lime you add to your gin and tonic, that could be equivalent. And then a Gin Fizz, another really classic cocktail — it is traditionally made with an egg white, but you can skip out if your don’t want it or if that’s too daunting for you — but again, a cocktail that marries gin and citrus but showcases the flavors of the gin you’re working with quite nicely. And then, to Erica’s point of these Western-style gins, I want to mention St. George Spirits in California, because to me they were one of the first producers that I came across that was really focused on, “we’re going to make a gin that is really reflective of where we are,” and their Terroir Gin is based on only local botanicals in the North Bay Area, and it’s really cool. It’s an awesome example of what gin can be, which is this platform to showcase a lot of different flavors, as Erica mentioned.

A: Do you both think then that part of gin’s appeal — besides the fact that the gin and tonic is so easy to make and now that people are finally making it with good tonic they’re realizing it’s delicious — is this local aspect of it that it really can reflect where it’s made in a way that a lot of other products can’t and that’s what makes it so interesting to so many people?

E: From my perspective, it’s really these small distillers who have been significant in the growth of gin. The smartest thing they’ve done is really focus on providence, they’ve focused on these authentic brand stories. There are of course the big Tanquerays and so forth out there, but when I think about the gin category, and even when you walk into a store, there are so many craft producers — and they all are telling a different story they’re trying to reach different types of consumers, they’re leveraging those different flavor profiles. So, I think that this trend is really timed perfectly with consumers’ growing interest in authentic brand stories, and in experimentation in a pretty simple and easy way. And to add to what we were saying about simple cocktail variations, with all of these new ones like the Japanese yuzu-driven gins and these other ones that feel very terroir-oriented, I think one thing to note is that you don’t necessarily want to be [using] it in a Negroni because that’s not a London Dry gin, that’s not what that cocktail was created for. The place to showcase all of these different flavors and different expressions of gin is in something simple: either in a gin and tonic, or I like the idea of a French 75; I also really like the idea of a Collins. A Collins is super simple, it’s just gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and then you can add an additional flavoring. If you want a little bit of berry, add a little bit of elderflower cordial —which needs to make a comeback — and then just top it off with soda. It’s a long drink, it’s a highball. But these simpler expressions are going to be the best place to highlight those very diverse gins.

A: It sounds like you both think a gin boom is going to come.

Z: I might be marginally more skeptical.

A: Why?

Z: Here are the two reasons. One, is that maybe the gin boom as defined in like “the gin-and-tonic boom” I can buy in. I’m still a little skeptical that the average consumer is going to move too far away from that. Again, as we started this conversation, it’s such a simple drink yet yields such great results if you use good gin and good tonic that I think a lot of people are happy to stay there. And that’s fine. And for a lot of these gins that we’re talking about, that’s great. As Erica said, that’s a great way to showcase these more terroir or pronounced driven gins, it’s frankly delicious — gin and tonic is one of my absolute favorite cocktails — and that’s totally fine. When I think of the gin boom I think of the idea that the average person who is reasonably serious about drinking at home has four, five, six, seven different gins on hand. And I kind of think that gin is still going to largely exist in the space that vodka has existed in that, for most people who consume at home, they have a brand that they turn to or at least one bottle at home at a time than when they drink that they go buy another. Not like how they might look at whiskey or tequila or something like that where they are like, I have to have a few different bottles on hand because I want different versions of this. Now I would be happy to be wrong. Gin is delicious and I would love for there to be more money going into the gin producer direction and less in some other spirits. But I think that I’m skeptical that people are going to see the need for three, four, five, six different gins on their bar shelf at home, even in this world where that is the only place you’re getting a cocktail for most people.

E: If you do want some gins that are more versatile, we have a massive resource of what the best gins are. It’s called “The 30 Best Gins for Every Budget 2020,” we update this every year. We tasted through over 100 different gins this year. I helped, it was on my Instagram and it was so much gin, it was shocking. But we have “the best gins under $25,” the best gins under $45, etc. That is a great place to go and read the reviews, they all have the tasting notes, and figure out what is the best gin for you. Because I do think it is a great idea to have maybe one or two bottles. Right now, I’ve got two bottles in my house and that’s enough. One is more savory, one has more of a floral botanical profile, and that’s enough for any type of cocktails that I want to make.

A: Yeah, I agree. Zach, I do agree with you that I think it’s going to be connected to the gin and tonic, but hey, I think that’s all it needs. The tequila boom is really being fueled by the Margarita. If you look at the explosion of the Margarita as a cocktail it’s very aligned with the explosion of tequila in general. That’s mostly how people are consuming tequila. Now some people are branching off and having Ranch Water like Erica or Palomas but it’s pretty much the Margarita. If it’s the gin and tonic that continues to fuel the boom, that’s great. I think the thing that’s really crazy about the gin and tonic that we’ll definitely see within the next few months is probably a lot of canned gin and tonics. There’s got to be some of these gin brands that already have them in development. There’s no way that gin and tonics aren’t coming out in cans very soon. Again, because of how delicious the cocktail is, to most people how simple it is, and how easy that probably is to put a high-quality tonic in a can with good gin.

E: I know that Greenhook Ginsmiths has one. We do have an article about some of the best canned gin and tonics, I know Cutwater has one. They’re coming out more and more. And I think whereas they weren’t so good in years past, they’ve really started to nail what we like to call “the citrus problem.” That’s the biggest problem with these canned products, is nailing the citrus notes. It’s so difficult and we’ve done multiple articles looking at how you fix flavorings, how you get these natural flavorings, how you incorporate them, how they’re shelf-stabilized, all of the technology that goes into creating a really good lime experience in a canned cocktail is significant. When we did our tasting we said that Greenhook Ginsmith’s gin and tonic was the best one on the market, and this was last fall. So if people have other gin and tonics that they are excited about, let us know.

A: Seriously, let us know, podcast@vinepair.com. And if you have some samples send them our way, I’d love to taste a canned gin and tonic. I know Zach would but he wants his Gosling’s rum first.

Z: I can drink both of them at the same time, let’s be clear. I have a question for you two about gin and the gin and tonic: Am I weird for sometimes preferring just a gin and soda?

E: No. That’s partway to a Collins, add a little bit of lemon juice and simple syrup. No, I think gin and soda is nice.

A: Yes.

E: You think that’s weird?

A: I do.

Z: Yeah, Adam clearly does. That’s fair. What I would say is, I’m not really sure what I’m going for in that cocktail other than just a longer drink. I love Martinis, although I can’t drink them in the summer, weirdly, despite it being a gin-based drink, it’s too intense for me.

A: I agree.

E: Yeah [me too].

Z: I want my Martinis in the fall and winter. But I do like just gin sometimes. Sometimes I’ll just do gin on the rocks but I like to lighten it just a touch. I don’t do that with other spirits too much but with gin, I think just a little bit of soda water or tonic certainly, but sometimes the sweetness in tonic is a little much for me, especially with these more delicate, aromatic floral styles of gin, I want them to be dry. A gin and soda is maybe a borderline “do-I-have-a-problem? drink” because it’s very pleasurable, there’s not a lot of things that generally get us excited about drinking [in it]. But on the other hand, I really enjoy it.

A: Hey man, you have to do you.

E: I think it’s the perfect way to showcase a gin if you really want to appreciate a gin, and all the botanicals it’s bringing to the table. For the yuzu gin from Suntory, that’s the perfect way. You want to showcase all the different things that are in it, the tea and florals, and a little bit of pepper, and anything else is probably going to cover it up a little bit, so I would go soda.

A: See, Zach, Erica came to your rescue. You’re not a weirdo.

Z: I’m not sure the person who wrote a cocktail book, she’s the authority, but she was inclined to be on my side, anyhow.

A: Guys, it’s been a really interesting conversation as always. I hope you have a really fun one next week without me. It probably won’t be as good. But I know you’ll get through it. What are you guys going to talk about? Seattle?

E: No idea. Probably Seattle.

Z: We’ll just talk about the weather in Seattle.

A: Tune in next week when Erica and Zach dissect the weather in Seattle.

E: It’s going to be riveting.

Z: We’re going two hours, folks.

A: For everyone else, they’ll see you back here next week, I will see everyone in two weeks.

Z: Have a nice vacation.

E: Take care.

A: Before we go, a word from our sponsor, Goslings Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Goslings presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains the color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Goslings Gold Seal rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time use code “VinePair” at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on all of your Goslings Rum purchases.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now, for the credits: VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here? appeared first on VinePair.

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[isaiahrippinus]

VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?

Despite gin’s historic popularity in the United Kingdom, and surging popularity in much of Europe, the United States has long lagged behind in botanical clear spirit appreciation. That hasn’t stopped bold prognosticators from predicting an incipient “gin boom” in the U.S., but there was never much proof of a gin-loving American public — until now.

Gin has seen a spike in both sales and general consumer interest in 2020; that we know, but the question of “why” remains. Is it due largely to the gin and tonic, that summer staple that’s been even easier to make at home in the Covid-19 era? Is it because of the slew of gin-based cocktails that great bars have popularized over the past decade?

That’s what to tune in for on this week’s episode of the VinePair Podcast, when VinePair’s Adam Teeter, Erica Duecy, and Zach Geballe discuss why this time, the “gin boom” might just be the real thing — along with what’s driving it and how we’re tracking where it’s going.

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Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica Duecy: From Connecticut, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair Podcast. And before we launch into today’s topic, a word from this week’s sponsor. This podcast is sponsored by Gosling’s Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Gosling’s presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. Take that Black Seal. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth — that sounds really good. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains a color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Gosling’s stormy ginger beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time, use code VinePair at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on your Gosling’s Rum order.

Z: All I’ve got to say is, Andrew Holmes, Gosling’s brand ambassador and former guest on this podcast, where is my bottle of Gold Seal Rum?

A: Seriously, I never got a bottle, either, come on guys!

Z: I’m not going anywhere, I need some rum

A: So, how’s everybody doing? I’m going on vacation so you guys are going to do the podcast without me next week. But how are you guys doing?

E: Good. I’m ready for a rum cocktail. It has been hot, hot, hot.

A: It’s gross, right? You know it’s really funny, I had a conversation with someone today that was like, “Adam, love the podcast. Just one comment, you guys talk about the weather a lot at the beginning of the show.”

Z: That’s because we’re f***ing old. What do you guys want?

A: That’s really funny and then without telling you that happened, Erica talked about the weather.

Z: I will tell you it says it is sunny and 70 degrees in Seattle today so New York can kiss my a**.

E: It is muggy and disgusting here, just yuck.

Z: Adam, does your entire neighborhood smell like garbage? I remember that not so fondly.

A: No, because I’m in Brooklyn. Well, have you guys drank anything really delicious recently?

E: I’ve been sticking to my Ranch Waters. That’s what I’ve been drinking. That and some rosés, that’s pretty much been my landscape for the last week.

A: Zach?

Z: I actually, I’m going to say something that close listeners of the podcast are going to be shocked by, I actually have been drinking some Pinot Noir rosé, which has been really delicious — a couple of Oregon producers. This gives me the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug my upcoming free Pinot Noir class on Tuesday. Tuesday, Aug. 18, it’s about a 45-minute class all about Pinot Noir. You can find more information at my website disgorgedwine.com. I will now stop plugging myself and we can talk more about anything else.

A: I drank some good stuff last weekend. I had a bottle of Cos that was amazing. I love that producer so much — from Sicily. I had their Frappato and it was sick. I got it at this wine bar I love — we had them on the podcast a while ago. I wanted to go and see how they were doing. They and a few other restaurants on their street petitioned to fully shut down Vanderbilt which is the main thoroughfare of Prospect Heights, the neighborhood in Brooklyn, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s really cool because while I know some people that live in New York and listen to the podcast may be used to seeing the dining in one parking spot —the parking spot in front of your restaurant you’re allowed to build a little platform and put as many chairs and tables that are socially distanced acceptable on that platform in that one spot, but now on Vanderbilt, they’re allowed to spread out throughout the entire thoroughfare. It’s really awesome. You walk down the middle of the street and there’s just tons of tables and restaurants. Dave, one of the owners of Lalou, was saying it could really help save a lot of these restaurants because a lot of them, due to this, are now able to be at or even over the capacity they normally would be if they were just indoor dining. And even though it’s just three days, it’s three days of the week that people go out and spend the most money. So some restaurants are able to use this to help fuel them now that the question “what happens as it starts to get cold?” as we’ve talked about before and we’ll talk about more as the fall continues — but I thought it was super cool and I got to take this amazing bottle of wine home and drink it with Naomi. It was absolutely delicious.

E: Nice.

Z: And it seems like the kind of thing where once we’ve started doing it societally you go like, “Wow, this is a lot nicer than just cars going by.”

A: it is.

Z: It’s a lot better for the quality of life in the neighborhood.

A: He was saying a lot of people in the neighborhood who have cars were really pissed because they’re like, “It’s so much harder to get my car to my street.” But wouldn’t you rather have a place where the entire neighborhood can congregate and be outside? There were kids in the street playing together and throwing the football as their parents all sat around drinking great cocktails because Weather Up is also an amazing cocktail bar that is on that block. It was just super cool to watch and there’s not really other places that this can happen because once you’ve decided that you’re sitting at this restaurant in this parking space that’s where you are. And this felt much more like a community coming together to support the businesses on this thoroughfare and really have a place that everyone could be whether you are eating or drinking at the spot or not. Obviously, kids were not drinking cocktails. It was super cool. So let’s get into today’s topic which I think is really interesting and that is something we’ve talked about a little bit on the show before. I have some theories, I’m sure you guys do as well, and that is there ever going to be or are we already beginning to see a gin boom in the U.S.? People have been predicting this gin boom for years and that is based on the fact that there’s been a massive gin boom in Europe. Apart from Spain that’s been in love with gin for well over a decade, you’re now seeing gin being wholly embraced in France, Italy, Greece, you’re also seeing gin continuing to be this massive spirit in Great Britain, where it’s always been very popular. But it never had as massive a following in the U.S. as I think a lot of people thought it could be. I’m going to start our conversation with a very bold statement and that is, I think it’s more likely now than ever and I think the reason for that is thanks to Covid-19. And what I mean by that is I think a lot of the reason that a lot of people really never truly embraced gin is because they never understood how delicious a truly well-made gin and tonic could be. And that’s because so many people around the country have been drinking gin and tonics in which the tonic water has been coming off the gun at a bar. And most of that tonic water is usually pretty garbage. Now that people are home and they’re buying their own tonic water and they’re making gin and tonics they’re realizing how delicious that drink is and that’s making them explore lots of other gins and lots of other gin cocktails. that’s my take. What do you guys think?

E: Nice. I think that that is a good assertion. It’s also an easy cocktail to make, so as you are thinking of what you’re going to be sipping, it’s so easy. This winter I was drinking a lot of Martinis, I was exploring different Martini recipes, and playing with variations and then that just spilled over into the gin and tonics of summer. I’ve tried all sorts of different tonic waters, all sorts of different gins. Some of them are savory, some of the tonic waters have a Mediterranean influence, I think there’s so much variety. But I think that we as journalists have been saying for years, gin is a thing, gin is happening, it’ s finally happening, nope this year it’s happening, nope next year it’s happening. But I think, finally, we actually are starting to see that traction. If you look at Nielsen data over a couple-year period you do see this upward trajectory just in the last 12 weeks the sales have been up 37 percent. To put that in context that’s a little bit lower than tequila, which has been on a massive tear, but it’s higher than bourbon or Irish whiskey, or rum or vodka. So in gin I think we’re finally starting to see that it really is moving up in people’s mind and that people are probably using them most often in a gin and tonic. I’m glad to see that it seems like it’s actually happening.

Z: I think that one of the interesting pieces of this is that pre-Covid in the landscape where gin was maybe on the come but no one really knew who that was going to happen, the problem was there was a real divergence between the gin cocktail as a gin and tonic, or even a Martini, where the gin in and of itself is really the centerpiece and where the thing that could hold it back as a drink is crappy tonic water, sh*tty vermouth, someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. That is on one side of the gin equation. The other side is a whole host of really delicious, interesting cocktails: Negronis, Last Words, all this stuff that rely on gin but not really designed to showcase gin as much as integrate it into a much more complex whole. And in that area, gin has made great strides in cocktail programs around the world and the United States and other places. But weirdly, in both my professional experience and experience as a consumer, the gin that’s used in a lot of these drinks, as long as it’s of decent quality, it’s almost better the less intrusive it is. So you had this weird split where you had a cocktail in form — a gin and tonic or the Martini — where an expressive, distinctive, interesting gin really shines but one that maybe was not being enjoyed by a lot of people, and then you have this other format where an unintrusive less distinctive gin is more appreciated so that the vermouth and liqueur can shine through. And I think, despite what we’ve talked about before on this podcast, you’re seeing a lot more people making gin and tonics than making Negronis at home. So I think, yes, it’s given an opportunity for gin, as the spirit itself really takes the center stage here. And I think that is really exciting and I don’t expect that to walk backward, but what I wonder is, are you going to see those other gin-based cocktails kick up in popularity for home bartenders as people just get more comfortable working with gin as a spirit?

A: That’s what I’m curious about. And I’m deferring to Erica here, our cocktail book author. What other cocktails are out there that you think that if you’ve now embraced the gin and tonic, could be the next big gin cocktail that really does showcase how delicious gin is? I think Zach is right that people will probably make more Negronis and things like that, and maybe now with better gin, but what are some of the other really classic gin cocktails that should be on people’s radars?

E: There are so many ways to use gin. One that’s my favorite is the bee’s knees, a gin sour that uses lemon and honey and that is kind of a back-to-classics. It was made classically around Prohibition, and the lemon and honey were used to mask the hard smell of bathtub gin. That’s kind of a fun version. There’s a variety of different ways to use it. The Last Word I would say is one of my favorites that hasn’t gotten enough traction. That’s equal parts of gin, chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime. That one was actually a cocktail out of Detroit during Prohibition, and it has lineage back to the Detroit Athletic Club where all these well-heeled imbibers who were the titans of the car industry in Detroit would be at their gala events … and they’d slip outside to this speakeasy out back where the Last Word was being made. That’s one of my favorite variations and one of my favorite cocktails that I think is super underutilized. You can also play with various different Gimlets with some mint, cucumber, and blackberries, these summery Highball cocktails. There are so many ways to use gin, it’s really versatile and I would say that that’s one of the things that I think is driving interest in gin right now. For a long time, you had these traditional London dry gins that have that profile of coriander and angelica root and citrus and licorice and the juniper, of course, but then you moved into a phase where there is so much innovation happening in the spirits space but with gin in particular. The botanicals that people are using, the regions that are producing it, the different consumers that are being targeted, it’s really dynamic. You’ve got pink gin, you’ve got savory gin, you’ve got gin spiced with all these different botanicals. And this New Western style of gin, that we’ve written about a lot at VinePair, I think has really taken off. What that means is that the New Western style of gin is less focused on juniper and more focused on other things. For example, I know that there’s a gin out of Texas that is focused on lavender, grapefruit, and even has pecans in it. There’s one out of Japan, Suntory’s Roku, that is a yuzu-driven gin. It has flowers and herbs and botanicals, even tea in it, and a little bit of Sancho pepper that is a really incredible flavor expression that you would have never found with gin before. With this explosion of innovation, that’s one of the key things that’s driving this category forward.

Z: I want to add a couple of cocktails to Erica’s recommendations.

A: Please. I’m sure you’re adding the Aviation.

Z: No, I’m actually not, although that is another cocktail that I actually do love. I was going to offer a couple that I think are maybe easier stepping stones for people who are moving away from a gin and tonic. I think one great option for people is the French 75 — that’s a gin-based cocktail that also usually includes lemon juice and sparkling wine of some sort, some people will also add a sweetener like simple syrup. But again that, to me, is a nice option for someone who wants the lightness and brightness of a gin and tonic, the summery freshness, but is going to get more of a citrus note. Depending on how much lime you add to your gin and tonic, that could be equivalent. And then a Gin Fizz, another really classic cocktail — it is traditionally made with an egg white, but you can skip out if your don’t want it or if that’s too daunting for you — but again, a cocktail that marries gin and citrus but showcases the flavors of the gin you’re working with quite nicely. And then, to Erica’s point of these Western-style gins, I want to mention St. George Spirits in California, because to me they were one of the first producers that I came across that was really focused on, “we’re going to make a gin that is really reflective of where we are,” and their Terroir Gin is based on only local botanicals in the North Bay Area, and it’s really cool. It’s an awesome example of what gin can be, which is this platform to showcase a lot of different flavors, as Erica mentioned.

A: Do you both think then that part of gin’s appeal — besides the fact that the gin and tonic is so easy to make and now that people are finally making it with good tonic they’re realizing it’s delicious — is this local aspect of it that it really can reflect where it’s made in a way that a lot of other products can’t and that’s what makes it so interesting to so many people?

E: From my perspective, it’s really these small distillers who have been significant in the growth of gin. The smartest thing they’ve done is really focus on providence, they’ve focused on these authentic brand stories. There are of course the big Tanquerays and so forth out there, but when I think about the gin category, and even when you walk into a store, there are so many craft producers — and they all are telling a different story they’re trying to reach different types of consumers, they’re leveraging those different flavor profiles. So, I think that this trend is really timed perfectly with consumers’ growing interest in authentic brand stories, and in experimentation in a pretty simple and easy way. And to add to what we were saying about simple cocktail variations, with all of these new ones like the Japanese yuzu-driven gins and these other ones that feel very terroir-oriented, I think one thing to note is that you don’t necessarily want to be [using] it in a Negroni because that’s not a London Dry gin, that’s not what that cocktail was created for. The place to showcase all of these different flavors and different expressions of gin is in something simple: either in a gin and tonic, or I like the idea of a French 75; I also really like the idea of a Collins. A Collins is super simple, it’s just gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and then you can add an additional flavoring. If you want a little bit of berry, add a little bit of elderflower cordial —which needs to make a comeback — and then just top it off with soda. It’s a long drink, it’s a highball. But these simpler expressions are going to be the best place to highlight those very diverse gins.

A: It sounds like you both think a gin boom is going to come.

Z: I might be marginally more skeptical.

A: Why?

Z: Here are the two reasons. One, is that maybe the gin boom as defined in like “the gin-and-tonic boom” I can buy in. I’m still a little skeptical that the average consumer is going to move too far away from that. Again, as we started this conversation, it’s such a simple drink yet yields such great results if you use good gin and good tonic that I think a lot of people are happy to stay there. And that’s fine. And for a lot of these gins that we’re talking about, that’s great. As Erica said, that’s a great way to showcase these more terroir or pronounced driven gins, it’s frankly delicious — gin and tonic is one of my absolute favorite cocktails — and that’s totally fine. When I think of the gin boom I think of the idea that the average person who is reasonably serious about drinking at home has four, five, six, seven different gins on hand. And I kind of think that gin is still going to largely exist in the space that vodka has existed in that, for most people who consume at home, they have a brand that they turn to or at least one bottle at home at a time than when they drink that they go buy another. Not like how they might look at whiskey or tequila or something like that where they are like, I have to have a few different bottles on hand because I want different versions of this. Now I would be happy to be wrong. Gin is delicious and I would love for there to be more money going into the gin producer direction and less in some other spirits. But I think that I’m skeptical that people are going to see the need for three, four, five, six different gins on their bar shelf at home, even in this world where that is the only place you’re getting a cocktail for most people.

E: If you do want some gins that are more versatile, we have a massive resource of what the best gins are. It’s called “The 30 Best Gins for Every Budget 2020,” we update this every year. We tasted through over 100 different gins this year. I helped, it was on my Instagram and it was so much gin, it was shocking. But we have “the best gins under $25,” the best gins under $45, etc. That is a great place to go and read the reviews, they all have the tasting notes, and figure out what is the best gin for you. Because I do think it is a great idea to have maybe one or two bottles. Right now, I’ve got two bottles in my house and that’s enough. One is more savory, one has more of a floral botanical profile, and that’s enough for any type of cocktails that I want to make.

A: Yeah, I agree. Zach, I do agree with you that I think it’s going to be connected to the gin and tonic, but hey, I think that’s all it needs. The tequila boom is really being fueled by the Margarita. If you look at the explosion of the Margarita as a cocktail it’s very aligned with the explosion of tequila in general. That’s mostly how people are consuming tequila. Now some people are branching off and having Ranch Water like Erica or Palomas but it’s pretty much the Margarita. If it’s the gin and tonic that continues to fuel the boom, that’s great. I think the thing that’s really crazy about the gin and tonic that we’ll definitely see within the next few months is probably a lot of canned gin and tonics. There’s got to be some of these gin brands that already have them in development. There’s no way that gin and tonics aren’t coming out in cans very soon. Again, because of how delicious the cocktail is, to most people how simple it is, and how easy that probably is to put a high-quality tonic in a can with good gin.

E: I know that Greenhook Ginsmiths has one. We do have an article about some of the best canned gin and tonics, I know Cutwater has one. They’re coming out more and more. And I think whereas they weren’t so good in years past, they’ve really started to nail what we like to call “the citrus problem.” That’s the biggest problem with these canned products, is nailing the citrus notes. It’s so difficult and we’ve done multiple articles looking at how you fix flavorings, how you get these natural flavorings, how you incorporate them, how they’re shelf-stabilized, all of the technology that goes into creating a really good lime experience in a canned cocktail is significant. When we did our tasting we said that Greenhook Ginsmith’s gin and tonic was the best one on the market, and this was last fall. So if people have other gin and tonics that they are excited about, let us know.

A: Seriously, let us know, podcast@vinepair.com. And if you have some samples send them our way, I’d love to taste a canned gin and tonic. I know Zach would but he wants his Gosling’s rum first.

Z: I can drink both of them at the same time, let’s be clear. I have a question for you two about gin and the gin and tonic: Am I weird for sometimes preferring just a gin and soda?

E: No. That’s partway to a Collins, add a little bit of lemon juice and simple syrup. No, I think gin and soda is nice.

A: Yes.

E: You think that’s weird?

A: I do.

Z: Yeah, Adam clearly does. That’s fair. What I would say is, I’m not really sure what I’m going for in that cocktail other than just a longer drink. I love Martinis, although I can’t drink them in the summer, weirdly, despite it being a gin-based drink, it’s too intense for me.

A: I agree.

E: Yeah [me too].

Z: I want my Martinis in the fall and winter. But I do like just gin sometimes. Sometimes I’ll just do gin on the rocks but I like to lighten it just a touch. I don’t do that with other spirits too much but with gin, I think just a little bit of soda water or tonic certainly, but sometimes the sweetness in tonic is a little much for me, especially with these more delicate, aromatic floral styles of gin, I want them to be dry. A gin and soda is maybe a borderline “do-I-have-a-problem? drink” because it’s very pleasurable, there’s not a lot of things that generally get us excited about drinking [in it]. But on the other hand, I really enjoy it.

A: Hey man, you have to do you.

E: I think it’s the perfect way to showcase a gin if you really want to appreciate a gin, and all the botanicals it’s bringing to the table. For the yuzu gin from Suntory, that’s the perfect way. You want to showcase all the different things that are in it, the tea and florals, and a little bit of pepper, and anything else is probably going to cover it up a little bit, so I would go soda.

A: See, Zach, Erica came to your rescue. You’re not a weirdo.

Z: I’m not sure the person who wrote a cocktail book, she’s the authority, but she was inclined to be on my side, anyhow.

A: Guys, it’s been a really interesting conversation as always. I hope you have a really fun one next week without me. It probably won’t be as good. But I know you’ll get through it. What are you guys going to talk about? Seattle?

E: No idea. Probably Seattle.

Z: We’ll just talk about the weather in Seattle.

A: Tune in next week when Erica and Zach dissect the weather in Seattle.

E: It’s going to be riveting.

Z: We’re going two hours, folks.

A: For everyone else, they’ll see you back here next week, I will see everyone in two weeks.

Z: Have a nice vacation.

E: Take care.

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Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now, for the credits: VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here? appeared first on VinePair.

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