The American Gin Train Arrives
As you well know, we've been in the habit of skirting standard distribution over the last year, moving around suppliers to do direct business with some of America's best gin distilleries. A recent shipment landed in our warehouse recently with a new batch of our custom-distilled Copper & Kings American Dry, along with two new editions from critical darling North Shore out of Illinois. Their Overproof Mighty is a revelation, and their Scofflaw Old Tom is the stuff cocktail dreams are made of. If you're planning on whipping up some drinks this weekend, the train has arrived at the station: destination debauchery!
Copper & Kings American Dry Gin $34.99 - Made to order at our request, our friends at Copper & Kings in Louisville, Kentucky about knocked our socks after pouring us a couple of house-made gin and tonics on our last trip out to Bourbon country. Using their supple and fruit forward apple brandy as a base (unlike 99.9% of all gins that use grain neutral spirit), the gang at America's favorite brandy distillery does a two step infusion process that follows a more classic pot still double distillation. The juniper berries and additional botanicals are first soaked and macerated into the "low wine" (the first apple distillate), a spirit that clocks in at about 35% ABV. Then, during the second distillation, a botanical basket is hung in the still, allowing the vapor to pass through the orange peels, lime peels, and lavender. Ultimately, the Copper & Kings gin is really just a flavored, unaged apple brandy that happens to taste a helluva lot like a traditional London Dry gin with a softer, creamier mouthfeel and a bit of a fruity lift. We were absolutely hooked after our first sip; so hooked, in fact, that we forced distillery owner Joe Heron to make us our own batch before leaving. Created on the tiniest pot still in the facility, each batch is roughly 120 bottles-the size of our order! Clean and crisp, with elegant juniper notes and a beautiful integration of the additional botanicals, this is easily the best American gin we've tasted in years.
North Shore "Mighty" 110 Proof Gin $39.99 - Never before sold in California, North Shore's Mighty Gin is a higher-proof expression of their Distiller’s Gin No. 6 with rich, intense aromatics and flavors from the botanicals. It is intended for mixing into cocktails. Packed with juniper, fresh citrus and rich spices (coriander and cinnamon), accented by subtle hints of the floral botanicals, it is boldly flavored and intensifies just about any drink it is added to.
North Shore "Scofflaw" Old Tom Gin $31.99 - Rich, round texture in the classic Old Tom style, the North Shore Scottlaw is an extremely sippable and mixable gin with additional sugar added in the traditional manner. We love Scofflaw Old Tom Gin on the rocks, in a Tom Collins, or a Martinez, and it plays great with hot peppers, cucumber, fresh berries and with floral flavors. It plays very well in a range of cocktails, both classic and new.
-David Driscoll