Choice of gin

Gin is clear. That might lead you to believe that all gins taste the same. Not so! Gin is flavored with essences that dramatically affect the taste. Don't believe me? Order a gin&tonic and a Tanquery&tonic. Just smell the glass.

Tanquery makes a nasty martini. Bombay sapphire makes a good standard martini and it has the advantage of being available everywhere (at least in the US). Just order a sapphire martini.

If you can find a high-end liquor store or grocery store, you'll probably find more than 3 choices of gin. I find frequently that high-end wine stores carry liquor, and therefore a pleasing array of gins. It can take a while to experiment - you won't exactly finish off that bottle in a weekend. But give it a try.

I've landed on Junipero - a gin distilled by Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. Am I partial since it's a rare local gin? Maybe. Try it out and let me know what you think. Anchor's Junipero web site

Learn more about the martini.