A Tonic Sampler

[kevinkinney]

Hello Rex, et all.

I came across a bottle of your favorite at our last Burns Supper. I noticed the improvement over my standard Schweppes immediately. Sadly, it was carried in by a patron who stocked it for himself, not locally available.

Kevin.

[thescot]

I've seen,but haven't tried, the Q tonic, but I may have to give it a go next time I shop.

Being a scotch drinker, I still love G&T, especially in the summer. I've always found that Shweppes was better than CD, but now I'm off to the store for some Q to see how it works. Afterall, I need some scoth and gin, so that gives a reason to check Rex's tasting truthfulness. Can't be too careful, you know.

[ronstew]

I am not going to bother looking it up, but I believe Canada Dry and Schweppes are both owned by Cadbury.

Excellent review. Thank you.

[Zardoz]

Not being a Gin drinker, I don't have a stake in this, but....
I was on the phone just now with my friend Angie, who is quite the G&T fan. (in our sci-fi group we call her Ginantonix ) I was recommending Rex's Q Tonic. She has been using Stirrings or Canada Dry, but said she'd check it out. She did put forth the opinion that all Gins are not created equal, and if one is not starting with Tanqueray, you're wasting your time anyway! She had a lot of knowlege and opinions on it in fact! I found it all somewhat confusing, I had to open a bottle (not Gin) I got today to help deal with it!


Feckin Irish Whiskey... nothing complicated about that, but mighty tasty!

[Rex_Tremende]

She did put forth the opinion that all Gins are not created equal, and if one is not starting with Tanqueray, you're wasting your time anyway! She had a lot of knowlege and opinions on it in fact!

Yes, Tanqueray is lovely, and in my opinion, Tanqueray No. 10 is even lovelier, but since I drink a G&T nearly every day, I prefer to save the good stuff for special occasions. I also sometimes keep a small bottle of Hendrick's (a Scottish gin) in the freezer for the rare times when I feel like a martini.

It's bewildering, sometimes, to stand in front of a wall of liquor and wonder what the difference is between one bottle and another. Why is one so cheap and the other so expensive? What do they taste like? And we latch on to a favorite and rarely stray. That's why I found this review from Eric Asimov and his friends at the New York Times so helpful:

No, Really, It Was Tough: 4 People, 80 Martinis
Tasting Report: I’ll Take My Juniper Berries With Personality

BEST VALUE

Plymouth English Gin $22 *** 1/2
82.4 proof 1 liter

Subtle and elegant with crisp, lingering flavors of citrus and juniper: a martini in a dinner jacket. (Importer: Absolut Spirits, New York)

Junipero Anchor Distilling $35 ***
United States 86 proof 750 milliliters

Smooth, clean and very dry with assertive, classic flavors of juniper and citrus: a martini with one eyebrow raised.

Cadenhead’s Old Raj Dry Gin $50 ***
Scotland 110 proof 750 milliliters

Powerful, muscular and hot, but in a good way: a martini with a punch.
(Preiss Imports, Ramona, Calif.)

Seagram’s Extra Dry $15 ** 1/2
80 proof 750 milliliters

Surprisingly complex, with fruit, ginger, juniper and citrus flavors: a martini with a thesaurus.

Tanqueray London Dry Gin $22 ** 1/2
England 94.6 proof 750 milliliters

Crisp with a hint of mint and juniper flavors: a martini peeking out from librarian’s glasses. (Diageo, Norwalk, Conn.)

Hendrick’s $40 ** 1/2
Scotland 88 proof 750 milliliters

Unusual, intriguing floral aromas: a martini in a Hawaiian shirt. (William Grant & Sons, New York)

Gordon’s London Dry $12 ** 1/2
United States 80 proof 750 milliliters

Gentle and harmonious with cardamom and nutmeg aromas: a martini in a gray flannel suit.

Bombay Sapphire London Dry $30 **
England 94 proof 1 liter

Jangly flavors of mint, herbs and citrus, with detectable alcoholic heat: a neurotic martini. (Bombay Spirits, Miami)

Quintessential London Dry $30 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters

Smooth and direct, but with an odd, bittersweet flavor: a martini with a blemish. (White Rock Distilleries, Lewiston, Me.)

Martin Miller’s London Dry $32 **
England 80 proof 750 milliliters

Soft and slightly sweet, with floral aromas, but not a hint of juniper: a martini in pedal pushers. (Skyy Spirits, New York)

WHAT THE STARS MEAN:
Ratings range from zero to four stars and reflect the panel’s reaction to the gins, which were tasted with names concealed. The panelists this week are Eric Asimov; Florence Fabricant; Pete Wells, editor of the Dining section; and Audrey Saunders, an owner of the Pegu Club in Manhattan. The tasted gins represent a selection generally available in good retail shops, restaurants and over the Internet. Prices are those paid in liquor shops in the New York region.

Regards,
Rex.

[Rex_Tremende]

I am not going to bother looking it up, but I believe Canada Dry and Schweppes are both owned by Cadbury.

Well, I did, 'cause I like looking things up. You are close - they are both brands of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., which was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes in 2008.

Regards,
Rex.

[DryFly]

Rex,

I think you might have the Xmarks equivilent of "Good Eats".

Good Drinks. Fun, science, opinion, a likeable host with a cast of offbeat characters.

When do you move to cable?

DryFly

BTW, love the tasting notes. Next payday I'll have to get a bottle of Q.

[Kiltboy]

Glad to read about Q, here. Read about it in a recent men's magazine as well. They had similar positive things to say.

[Kerr the Walker]

This is exactly my kind of science!

Thanks for the run down Rex! I haven't had the chance to try Q yet, but it's now on my list.

And if you can find it, Fever Tree is worth a taste too. I know Wegman's carries it if you've got one in your area.

[Rex_Tremende]

Several people have mentioned Fever-Tree as their favorite tonic. Yesterday stopping by the liquor store when I was out on my weekend rounds, I noticed that they had replenished their supply of both Q and Fever-Tree, though it was unfortunate that they did not honor my request to sell Q by the barrel. I bought a few bottles of what they had in each, anyway.

So here, then, is my much delayed review of Fever-Tree:

1. Fever-Tree (Premium Indian Tonic Water)
   What It Says on the Label: By blending subtle botanical flavours with spring water and the highest quality quinine from the fever-tree, we have created a delicious, natural tonic with a uniquely refreshing taste and aroma.
   Ingredients: Spring Water, Cane Sugar, Ctric Acid, Natural Flavours, Natural Quinine.
   Nutrition information: Serving size 1 bottle (6.8 Fl oz/200ml); Calories 75 (3.7% DV); Fat 0; Sodium 2mg; Total Carbs 18g; Sugars 18g
   My Assessment: A sip straight from the bottle told me that this tonic fits somewhere between Q and Canada Dry in terms of both sweetness and flavor impact. It has a pleasing, delicate effervescence like Q and makes a nice drink, where tonic and gin are in good balance. Maybe it's due to the fact that this one seems to have the lowest sodium content of any of them, but it doesn't have the sharp bite that I like in a G&T. It seems a very smooth mixer.

I gave a chum of mine a chance to try a Tanqueray and Q-tonic that I had mixed for myself, and he said that it was too ginny for his tastes, that he preferred the sweeter quinine cover-up. Well, I'll stick with Q when I can afford it, but I think that Fever-Tree would be a good choice for someone looking for a drier, more sophisticated G&T, without giving up too much of the familiar flavors of the more common tonics.

Regards,
Rex.