Is it surprising to see a bottle of gin with a big warning tag telling you NOT to use it in martinis? Genevieve, the Genever-style gin by Anchor Distilling, does just that.
Anchor is known for using traditional distilling styles that differ from what’s in the mainstream now. In this case making a 17th-century-style of Dutch gin with a grain mash with juniper in a copper still rather than employing the now-popular 19th century redistilling method that produces a more neutral spirit we call London dry gin.
It’s appropriate that I tried Genevieve Gin at Whiskyfest, since it is more like a juniper whiskey than the smooth and bright gins you’ll find in martini glasses around the nation. It has a very strong juniper nose to be sure. However, it has more of a thick whiskey mouthfeel and a hot kick not usually associated with gin.
So this one isn’t for gin and tonics or a martini. But it is great for mixed drinks.
Here’s a particularly good one to try:
Ingredients
2 oz Genever gin
1/4 oz lemon juice
1 tsp simple syrup
1 tsp raspberry syrup
Instructions
Fill a glass with crushed ice and build the drink over the ice, stirring thoroughly. Top off with more ice and garnish with raspberries.
