OK inspired by this thread, I have a few gin lovers coming for Xmas, so I thought gin cocktails would be fun. What should I buy to be able to present an interesting range of gin cocktails? I’m thinking say four gins and three or four other alcoholic drinks, and whatever mixers
you can have huge amounts of fun just with some Gins and a bottle of vermouth and a mixture of garnishes (green olives, silver skin onions, lemons, orange, limes…) making dry Martini’s with various garnishes.
add a bottle of Campari, a bottle of martini rosso along with gin for a Negroni…
add some freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup (you can make that yourself) and some fizzy dry wine along with gin for a French 75
add some crème de violet, maraschino liqueur, along with fresh lemon juice and gin for an Aviation.
you can reuse the gin, maraschino liqueur, martini Rosso (as a substitute for sweet martini), add some angostura bitters for a Martinez…
in the early days of our gin experiments Louise and I started an evening with 3, 4 or even 5-6 of some of these plus some experiments …you get incapable of anything sensible very quickly…
oh you can make some interesting variations on a bloody mary, with gin, tomato juice and a range of Indian spices…I did one with lime pickle, chill and cumin… tasty but it gave me the shits…
and my favourite…a Corpse Reviver; gin, triple sec, dry vermouth, fresh lemon juice and absinthe…
for that lot you’ll need
4 x gins
fresh lemon juice (you’ll needs loads of lemons)
dry vermouth
martini rosso
Campari
Fizzy wine
Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
Maraschino liqueur
crème de violet (some say it isn’t essential in an Aviation but I think it is)
Angostura bitters
and fruit stuff for garnishes…
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I really love what the book I have calls a Guggenheim (gin variation of a Between the Sheets):
1 ounce each of Gin, Brandy and Cointreau
Shake vigorously with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.
actually if you decide you want to make an Aviation, don’t bother buying crème de violet, let me know, and I’ll give you some of mine, you are after all just down the road…
It’s all sounding like win, I’ll be getting some appropriate oddities, and I guess a cocktail shaker. Must make loads of ice as well.
You’ll need a measure, strainer, shaker…a set like this would do
As for ice, personally, if you have the freezer space, I would buy two or three bags from the supermarket.
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oh and the right kind of glasses. Martini’s and Martinez, (at a pinch also ok for Corpse Reviver) it’ll be Martini glass. Aviation a champagne flute, a negroni - a squat tumbler, the rest a normal high ball would do…
Oh and if you get really stuck for Martini glasses, I might have some (depending on how many) you can have…
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@anon14766838 I bought some Thomas Dakin Manchester Gin for Christmas. It’s very different from any other gin I’ve had. Very strong Orange and Grapefruit overtones.
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I really like that gin, we have a bottle and garnish g&t’s with some grapefruit peel. My Mrs hates grapefruit but I love it.
Been given several bottles of homemade Sloe Gin. No idea what to do with them. Simon ?
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that you drink them 
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The Fuck You is strong in this one 
Sub it for the cognac in a champagne cocktail? Try it with cheese 
hmm dunno much about Sloe Gin… not too keen as I find it very sweet. Usually, I chill it and sip neat…
Differs Guide, my go to for sensible recipes suggests this
reading this
suggests that in Devon it is common to mix the gin soaked Sloes with cider…I wonder if you could make something with Sloe Gin and a dry sparkling cider?
I have always wanted to make my own so I could control the sweetness…
hmmm - maybe use it a bit like Pimms?
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Any Christmas recommendations for a gin I can buy in the supermarket?
Bloody lovely stuff, not overpowering with flowery shit and a good one for cocktails
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/6-oclock-gin/506256-237528-237529
which supermarket?
Berry Bros and Rudd - London No 3 at Waitrose
Portobello Road - at Tesco or Waitrose
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6 O’clock gin is a good choice, although most of the people I know and me, think this is quite full-on floral with a decent hit of Elderflower on the finish
Martin Millers Westborn strength - I spotted some in Waitrose the other day.
The normal Martin Millers is good if you like vanilla
If you can find it Sipsmith VJOP, a strong and traditional London dry - or if not that the standard Sipsmith is a good even handed London dry gin
Portobello Road would be my choice of the decent, easily available supermarket gins.
Sipsmith, Hayman’s or Copper House are all good quality and decent prices.
It really comes down to what you like.