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It wouldn’t be the same without you.
Posted in Anecdotes
By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
It’s unlikely that you know the name “Hugh Williams”. Yet, as Master Distiller of Tanqueray/Gordon’s, Hugh was instrumental in maintaining the modern London Dry flavor profile until his retirement a few years back. I was lucky enough to work with Hugh while researching my history of gin book (in stores spring 2012!!). Frankly, I could not have written it without his generous and vital input. Hugh schooled me in the essential botanicals from the point-of-view of a distiller, not a textbook. He related stories he had heard about the London Blitz during World War II that left the distillery in ruins and shared his exhaustive, personal research into the history of Gordon’s. He read the chapters on Britain and British gin, offering valuable tweaks and comments.
But enough about his knowledge. I love Hugh for far more reasons than that. Along with being a Master Distiller, he is a home winemaker and gourmet cook; our e-mails would often be exchanges about last night’s dinner (as he says, “I can’t get away from recipes.”) or a new bottle of vino. Anyone who loves food and drink like Hugh is a man to cherish. Further, he is opinionated, as you will see below in his answers; no newfangled products for Hugh, he is an old school gin man through and through. But most of all, he has the most delightful sense of humor I know. Hugh, you are a brilliant teacher, a proper gentleman and a friend.
Posted in 12 Rounds With..., Gin
Tagged cocktails, Gin, Gordon's Gin, Hugh Williams, mixed drinks, mixology, Tanqueray Gin
By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.” – Patrick Suskind, Perfume
In the Bay of Bengal lies an archipelago of islands known as the Andamans. The sea breeze flows across the warm, tropical sands and rainfall come heavily during monsoon season. The islands are home to the aboriginal Ongee people, whose lives are structured not by what they see or feel or hear, but by what they smell: the shifting odors of the various flowers as they bloom create a literal “calendar of scents” that chart the year. Each season is named for a specific odor; each season has a unique “aroma-force”. Moreover, the Ongee don’t ask “How are you?”, but rather, “How is your nose?” as a form of greeting. Their world is defined by how it smells.
This past week, for Mixology Monday, we challenged colleagues to create a drink around the theme “Come to Your Senses”. And, while visual presentation played a major role, it’s no surprise that many of the drinks relied on our sense of smell with smoke-filled glassware, aromatic herbs like mint and basil, and potent ingredients like orange flower water and hops. There’s no question that a cocktail that smells good tastes even better.
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Posted in Drinks, Gin, Vermouth
Tagged cocktails, Gin, Mandy Aftel, mixed drinks, mixology, Odor, Smell and Taste
August’s Mixology Monday has come and gone, and it’s time to take a look at all of the entries. Our theme for the event was “Come to Your Senses” and the goal was to create a drink that inspired a sense beyond just taste alone. Which sense – or how many of them – was up to each individual participant. The reasoning behind the theme was to gain some insight into what people find exciting about cocktails and to collect ideas on how any drink might be taken to another level.
As a former screenwriter, one of my favorite sentiments concerning that profession is that “the hardest part is coming up with synonyms for run.” In mixography, there are only so many times you can talk about how delicious a drink is, so I at least – but I hope I’m speaking for all those who participated – was more than pleased to break out some fresh adjectives. Without further ado, here’s the roundup (in order of submission):
12 Bottle Bar 