Desert Juniper Gin

I developed a taste for gin and tonics in college. They were great for those hot and humid Texas summers. When the heat hit Oregon this summer we broke out the gin and tonics once again. It was over 100 degrees last weekend.

In a gin inspired stupor I was compelled to dedicate an entry to my favorite gin, Desert Juniper Gin. Still buzzed after dinner (mesquite smoked pork loin roast, arugula salad with shaved parmigiano reggiano, french bread) I got on the web and started my research. I had no idea booze reviews could be so pissy.

After learning the obligatory stuff like, "gin was invented in Holland in [either] the 1500's or the 1600's. I quickly became a scourge of... oops, "IT" quickly became the scourge of the working classes and was called "gin madness" by the nascent nanny state of the time. Anyway...

This stuff is really good. It is micro distilled in small batches (I think that was redundant). During distillation, they throw out the beginning of the batch and the end of the batch, keeping the smooth middle part. The high desert in Oregon, where the distillery is located, has lots of naturally growing juniper. The result is a richly aromatic juniper aroma combined with a surprisingly smooth taste -- perfect for really strong gin based drinks. And you can buy it online!

Juniper berrys also make a great ingredient in poultry marinades.