Drink Shoot

Bulldog Gin

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Contributed by Rick Dobbs - Martini Lounge

Gins are starting to come out at the same pace as...well...vodkas about a year ago. Here's the neat thing though, gins actually have "character" and "depth" and won't make you look like a "complete, fucking tool" when you order it. Something vodka can rarely do.

(Awwww, Rick's sorry, Vodka. Come back. Rick didn't mean it. Rick loves you).

Though gins are starting to use some vodka terms like "Ultra-Premium" and "100 times filtered," Bulldog Gin has put together a nice set of flavors (according to their press release, which, when printed out, tastes very good) and has a pretty cool looking bottle which will at least get you a "What the heck is that?" from someone looking at the bar.

Fun Fact: 2006 is the Chinese Year of the Dog! Perfect for the launch! Glad he got it off before 2007. Trying to launch in the Year of the Boar would have just been downright awkward.

Bulldog Gin

Tanqueray Rangpur Gin

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Contributed by Kevin Erskine - The Scotch Blog. This story originally appeared on Liquor Snob.

This past Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to the swank Washington, DC club Indeblue to attend the launch party for “Rangpur”, a new product from Tanqueray Gin.

Tasting strongly of limes, Rangpur is not, as you might first assume, a lime-flavored Gin. Rangpur starts out life like any traditional gin – a grain-based neutral spirit distilled in a “continuous still”.

It’s during the final distillation, which takes place in a copper pot still, that rangpur limes, ginger and bay leaves are added - along with the more traditional gin ingredients - Juniper berries and coriander. In contrast, a flavored gin, vodka or rum would have flavor added after the distillation, prior to bottling.

Filling a niche between the Super-premium Tanqueray no. Ten (introduced in 1999) and the classic Tanqueray London Dry Gin (introduced when your great, great, great grand-pappy was a lil’ baby), Tanqueray Rangpur is the lightest in the line at 41.3% abv (Tanqueray is 43.1%, while 10 weighs in at 47.3%).

The result of the innovative ingredients, as well as relatively low ABV bottling, makes for an incredibly smooth Gin. So smooth, that drinking it straight or on the rocks is highly recommended. Rangpur Gin will make a martini that will convert a vodka martini drinker.

While the bartenders at the club were pushing Rangpur cocktails mixed with cranberry or ginger ale, neither did it for me - I preferred it straight.

Rangpur is now available in select bars and liquor shops in Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC and will be released nation-wide in February 2007. Nicely priced with a suggested retail price of $21.99 for a 750 ml bottle.

Read up on Tanqueray at Tanqueray.com.