SPIRITED SELECTIONS: A Gin To Kick Off Gin-uary

Here's to the G&T!
By Bag & String

Any time of day, any time of year... a gin & tonic transcends season and social decorum. Easily made and effortless to enjoy, yet worth careful consideration and due diligence when selecting the base spirit, the quinine mixer, the proportions, the garnish, the glass, the ice and so on. And so we’ll take one however you’re serving it: traditionally or with a trendy twist. Hell, let us have one of each and start chilling a martini glass while you’re at it. Got any cocktail onions? We foresee a Gibson in our future.

We're choosing Uncle Val's brand of gins to kick off what we've seen called "GIN-UARY" for this first month of 2021! Find out why!

UNCLE VAL'S RESTORATIVE GIN
The Restorative Gin has a crisp, floral taste profile that harkens back to the classic American gin. Bright and pleasing, the gin lives up to the name Restorative. On the nose there is crisp juniper, soft cucumber and the slightest hint of rose petal. Crisp on the first sip, this gin is silky going down with refreshing notes of citrus, coriander and juniper — finishing with cucumber and rose!

UNCLE VAL'S PEPPERED GIN
Uncle Val’s Peppered Gin is both an excellent sipping gin and a highly versatile mixing gin for cocktails. It represents a truly unique flavor profile, starting with sharp peppercorn and evolving into char and juniper. Bold yet smooth, it stays true to the Uncle Val’s line of gins.

A QUICK-AND-EASY DELICIOUS GIN DRINK

Cut out the carbonation of the G&T, but keep the gin! As a secone drink we figured we’d share this simple 3-ingredient “martini” style mixed drink using Uncle Val’s Restorative Gin, Cocchi Rosa Americano Apertivo and Angostura’s orange bitters!

Not exactly a Martinez and almost a Negroni, this combination of 3 parts gin, 1 part aromatized wine and 2 dashes of bitters is garnished with a cucumber to pair with the flavors found in Uncle Val’s Restorative Gin. Similarly, the notes of rose and vanilla tie together well with the rose, strawberry and citrus flavors of Uncle Val’s Restorative Gin!

ABOUT COCCHI ROSA AMERICANO:
Aromatized with a bright, bittersweet style flavor along the lines of Campari, this much lighter vermouth style red wine is flavored with herbs, spices and extracts such as gentian, cinchona, citrus zests and rose petals. On the nose Cocchi Rosa has spice, with notes of clove and nutmeg as well as vanilla and rose. To taste there are flavors of strawberry, rose, herbal bitterness, citrus fruit zest and a sharp, clean, spicy crispness reminiscent of fresh ginger.