West Coast lifestyle aficionado Snoop Dogg once wrote a song about gin and juice. A better version would have used tonic, because while gin and juice is an acceptable cocktail, gin and tonic is an exceptional one.
From front to back: Sausalito Liquor Co.’s Marin Coastal Gin, Alamere Spirits’ Gin and Hanson of Sonoma’s Coastal Blue Gin. (Photo by Jeff Burkhart)
Gin, by most accounts, is a Dutch invention, popularized in the mid-1600s by Dr. Franciscus Sylvius, a Dutch physician. It was already in widespread production by the time of his birth. Gin, or in Dutch “jenever,” is akin to aquavit in that gin is a juniper-flavored neutral spirit and aquavit is caraway flavored. There are differences, of course, but one thing for sure is that the countries bordering the mouth of the Baltic Sea liked their spirits flavored, while those farther east, like Russia and Poland, preferred their spirits neutral.
So, it’s somewhat strange that the British get most of the credit these days for gin, and London “dry” is one of the most classic and popular versions. It’s important to note that “London” is a legal definition and means all-natural botanicals, whereas “dry” is a style definition. Ironically, “London” gins don’t need to be made in London or even England at all. But a newer style of gin has moved to the forefront, spearheaded by brands like Hendrick’s Gin, a style of gin that is lighter and more aromatic, relying more on the other botanicals present in gin rather than the juniper.
These gins are often described as citrusy, fresh or floral. And they all go great with tonic.
One of the cocktails driving this trend is the reimagined gin and tonic. With the variety of many new quality tonics on the market — everything from cucumber to lavender — a renewed interest has arisen in the classic highball combination of a spirit and a sparkling mixer. The Spanish started the trend, combining lighter-bodied gins with premium tonic and serving them with ice in large wine glasses along with added spices, like star anise, cinnamon sticks and peppercorn, and fresh aromatics, like rosemary sprigs, cilantro and mint. The results have set the Mediterranean on fire, from Majorca to Syracuse, Sicily. Along that route, there are entire bars dedicated to just the gin and tonic, having upwards of 300 different versions.
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Since Northern California is often described as Mediterranean in climate, it just might be time to embrace some of the trends working so well there. Luckily, because of our climate, we won’t have to import anything, because we have all we need right around here.
So, to that end, here are three local products that mix especially well with premium tonic, anything from bitter lemon to elderflower. While “rollin’ down the street sipping on gin and tonic” might not have quite the same ring as “gin and juice,” gin from Marin flows just as easily off the tongue as it does onto it.
Hanson of Sonoma, Coastal Blue Gin, 42.5% ABV (85 proof), $50
This brand-spanking new gin is violet! And that should make it unusual all on its own. But it’s also citrusy, savory and salty, with an emphasis on the citrusy. Sure, there’s juniper — there has to be — but that piney, resiny flavor is more of a co-star than the sole star. And all those flavors, sea kelp, citrus and butterfly pea flower, where the color comes from, are also organic. The dash of color, which changes with the addition of citrus juice, and bright citrus will certainly put the wow in your summer cocktail. It’s now only available for club members and at their public tasting rooms in Sonoma and Sausalito. Starting in July, it will be available to the general public for purchase. Summers just might never be the same.
Go to hansonofsonoma.com.
Alamere Spirits, Gin, 44% ABV (88 proof), $35
Alamere Spirits produces two vodkas and two gins, all made from French wheat, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering Alamere’s owners, Olivier and Susannah Souvestre, were former partners in Le Garage restaurant and are the current proprietors of Suzette in Sausalito, both French restaurants. Alamere offers the traditional big juniper London “dry” gin — a gold medal winner at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition — as well as this citrus-forward offering. Makrut lime, also called kaffir lime, combines with lemongrass, grains of paradise and the requisite juniper to create a surprisingly light and refreshing gin, especially surprising considering the proof. It’s excellent with tonic and especially good “Spanish style,” served in a big goblet with tonic. The French also have a Mediterranean coast, but who needs the Côte d’Azur when they can have Alamere Falls?
Go to alamerespirits.com.
Sausalito Liquor Co., Marin Coastal Gin, 45% ABV (90 proof), $34.99
Maybe it’s the locally foraged nori seaweed, the local angelica or the two different types of juniper. Gin has, from its inception, been an alchemical item, and Sausalito’s Scott Jampol has managed to distill that romantic idea into his gin. Softer than one would expect, especially at 90 proof, this gin exhibits a citrusy floral character, all propped up by the juniper. It’s a liquid version of a long, cool stroll through a coastal redwood forest replete with spring flowers and summer citrus. Oh, and it won a gold medal at the 2023 L.A. Spirits Awards, too, if that sort of thing matters to you.
Go to sausalitoliquor.com.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at [email protected]