well, it’s been a while since my last post, but on a mailing list recently, a subject close to my heart liver came up: gins (‘amyl.org.uk machines are named after spirits, after all)

So, erm, here are some thoughts:

Whilst I still mainly buy tanq (it’s just so easy to drink, and v. nice), I prefer drinking Miller’s neat, or Old Raj for hair-of-the-dog/breakfast
(seriously: in a high balloon’d wine glass, a couple of inches, swirl, knock back before brushing teeth/going to the khazi).

I’m also rather partial to Blackwood’s — particularly to add a little more to Pimm’s, and other drinks.

If i’m poaching fish, i’ll use blackwoods’ too: it’s not too over-powerful in the taste department.

Afternoon gin: Hendrick’s is quite nice — if you like cucumbery tastes.

Drinking nice gins, however, does encourage me to buy nice tonic-water (fentimans’ or fever tree – stupid fucking javascript URIs.). I’m not really a fan of Schweppes’ tonic: too much sugar for me. I quite like Sainsburys’ & Waitroses’ own brands of tonic; the Sainsbury’s with lime’s quite nice on its own, too.

As for Pimm’s, well, I have been known to make it without a ‘conventional’ mixer: my approach falls along these lines (but is always a case of each top-up will be different):

  • ⅓ ‘garden’
    • various fruits
    • various legume
    • sprigs of mint
    • a couple of handfulls of ice-cubes
  • ⅓ Pimm’s Number 1 cup
  • a very generous slug of either
    • gin,
    • cider,
    • beer (ale),
    • good quality white wine

    – gin & cider sometimes work well together;

If there’s space, fill the rest up with lemonade, and stir well. Allow to fester for a couple of minutes, and serve.