I like gin, yes I do, I like gin, how ‘bout you?  Gin seems to be one of those liquors that people either love or hate, there is no middle ground.  I fall in the “love” camp.  Yes, the classic G&T will always be near and dear to my heart.  But, it also seems like gin has some limitations.  Think about it.  Okay, here’s your test:  name five cocktails you can make with vodka.

I’ll bet that was pretty quick.  Because there are a plethora of them.

Now.  Name five cocktails you can make with gin.  Hit a wall after number one?  And I actually gave you that one.  If you have any good ones, drop me a comment.

I can actually name three:  G&T, Gin and Lemonade (a summer classic) and this recent addition to my repertoire:  the Gin Sidecar.  I stumbled across it on one of those sites where you enter the ingredients you have on-hand and what concoctions you can make as a result.  It’s actually a very simple recipe.  Three ingredients.

Before I get to the recipe, I’d like to tell you a little story.  I have, until recently, been a bit of a gin snob.  I only drank Bombay Sapphire.  I think it was the pretty blue bottle that first turned me on to the stuff.

My uncle knows that I am a Bombay girl.  A number of months ago he invited me and the husband over for a blind gin tasting.  The husband, a despiser of gin, served as my DD.  Also at the tasting, my aunt, my cousin and his wife and my other cousin.  My uncle had five gins for us to taste.  Each had been poured into an unlabeled container.  There were a number of “brand names” represented, including Bombay and Tanqueray (check spelling).

I was confident.  I was composed.  I was absolutely certain that I would be able to pick Bombay out of the line-up.

We sipped.  We took notes.  We re-sipped.  We got a little tipsy.  We placed the five in order of our individual preference.  The labels were revealed.  I was shocked.  And my snobbery was exposed to the world (or at least to the relatives present that day).  Bombay was not number one on my list.  Or number two.  Or even number three.  Four!  I liked one, two, three other gins more than Bombay??!!  You know what’s even more delightful?  My FAVORITE was the “house label” from Total Wine.  Ha!  To this day it makes me laugh.

My conclusion?

Next time I need gin I’m going to buy a big ol’ plastic jug of the Total Wine stuff (it’s cheap!) and pour it into my pretty blue Bombay bottle.

I’m thirsty!  Let’s get down to business!

Gin Sidecar                                                                                                                                  1 1/4 oz gin                                                                                                                                  1 oz lemon juice (you could use fresh, I use the stuff in the bottle)                              1 oz oz triple sec                                                                                                                          (makes one cocktail)

Pour the gin, lemon juice and triple sec into a shaker.  Add some ice.  Shake.  Pour. Enjoy!

Pour into a martini glass.