Taking on the Tanq

I will declare now and forever (likely,but no promises) that I love Tanqueray. I'm not alone either, those dah-lings at the New York Times scooped my blog idea back in 2007 and did it in one lunch (those posh lushes!) by tasting 80 martinis. Somewhere in the debauchery it was declared that a Tanqueray martini was like "a martini peeking out from behind librarian's glasses", but at least one taster also declared their adoration for the Tanq.

I don't know if it's just reminiscence that keeps the fire in my heart for Tanqueray burning. It is a more subtle gin, but the juniper is undeniable and you also pick up hints of mint. I also like how clear Tanqueray is...Citadelle and Hendrick's almost have a somewhat muddled cacophony of infusions going on in comparison. Somedays I like the complex, other days Tanqueray is like a solid, exceptionally focused gin hitting on the right notes.

Gin and Tonic

1 part Tanqueray gin
2 part tonic
lime
ice

Place ice in a highball or whatever glass you choose. Add gin and squeeze juice from a lime wedge. Drop in lime wedge and muddle with a spoon as you stir the gin. Add tonic and an optional second lime wedge. Enjoy.


Tanqueray and tonic is what sold me on the joys of gin, and I've yet to really meet a gin I don't like. So, I'm going to forgive those pesky NYT dah-lings (partially in hopes they invite me to the next martini lunch) because they so eloquently described why I love gin and where my disdain for vodka comes from: "But where vodka stays neutral, gin is infused with botanicals — a witch’s pantry of roots, berries, herbs, dried fruits and spices — dominated by the piney, breezy aroma of juniper berries. Other common botanicals include angelica, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, lemon peel, licorice, fennel and ginger." If that doesn't whet your appetite for gin, you must be a member of what someone in the NYT article called "a generation lobotomized by vodka." You can read the whole NYT article here.

Up Next: Down and Dirty Martini