For the longest time, gin producers subscribed to the school of thought that gives a simple and finite gin equation: take neutral grain spirit, infuse with botanicals, heavy on the juniper, distill, repeat. However, with the ever-expanding knowledge of cocktail enthusiasts, distillers and people who like nothing more than to experiment with different flavors, making it by-the-book seems almost like a thing of the past.

Traditional gin is classic and fantastic, and always will be, but there’s no reason why the category can’t branch out and prove that it is truly one of the best and most mixable spirits. Rather than focus on the juniper aspect of gin, which is a definitive ingredient, gin producers are working with sweet berries, stone fruits, citrus, vegetables and flowers to incorporate some amazing flavors that will work perfect for any and all cocktails this spring season.

When John McCarthy, Beverage Director for the Highlands Restaurant Group in New York City, started working with Nolet’s Silver Gin, he immediately understood why this spirit was designed as a cocktail gin. Unlike a standard dry gin, which is very juniper- heavy, the tasting notes of Nolet’s are Turkish Rose, white peach and raspberry. This fruitiness, while something new to the gin category, is making its way into an array of different cocktails that go above and beyond the classic gin martini.

“This is unlike any gin you’ve ever tasted,” says McCarthy. “It’s rose, peach, raspberry and not heavy on the juniper, lemon, orange or lemongrass and other heavy classic gin flavors. It’s great because it’s light and floral on the nose, but it has this weight on the body. It’s a very different gin experience.” At Whitehall Bar + Kitchen, one of the venues that falls under the Highlands Restaurant Group, McCarthy is making some truly exciting cocktails using Nolet’s that are not only emphasizing the brand’s flavors, but showing just how versatile gin can be as a spirit, especially in the spring.

“Gin is perfect for the spring and summer because it is lighter, it’s light in color, lighter in body, lighter in flavor,” he says. “It’s also easily mixable with tonics, sodas and cordials. It’s so versatile. When we were setting up the cocktail program here, I was talking with my owners and talking about what classic gin cocktails we wanted to use, and it was more like, ‘What classic cocktails do we not want to use?’ There are hundreds.”

Click here to read the full story on gin
in the May 2012 Digital issue of Bar Business Magazine