The Bulldog and the Bees – Is Gin the New Vodka?
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I didn’t quite know what to make of the puppies (industry slang for mini-bottles) when they arrived. They surrounded me – all three of them, with their squat, broad shoulders and studded collars. The smokey grey/purple bottle made it somewhat difficult to see what these pups were made of and only seemed to add to the mystery. Hands down these are some really handsome puppies.
Bulldog Gin is an ultra-premium, quadruple distilled London dry gin, infused with exotic botanicals such as Poppy and Dragon Eye – a native Chinese fruit that’s used to increase sexual stamina and skin vitality.
I poured some neat at room temperature and was surprised by the soft, delicate aromas. I was in for an even bigger surprise when I tasted it – is this gin? Where’s the strong aftertaste, that heavy juniper presence, the burn on the way down … then I remembered that this is quadruple distilled to an Ultra-premium state – this gin is so smooth ….
$29.99, www.bulldoggin.com
… in fact it’s almost like, vodka! Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Is gin the new vodka? Why did they have to quadruple distill this product anyway – which had such a fine start with all the exotic botanicals (dragon eye, poppy, lotus leaves, lemon, almond, cassia, lavender, orris, liquorice, angelica, coriander & juniper)? It’s almost as if that fourth distillation stripped away a lot of that promising character – even Tanqueray stops at three. All gins technically start out as vodka anyway (neutral spirit) and it seems here as if the makers went through all the trouble to make a gin and then revert it back to a vodka like state.
Bless them for doing so. More on this later.
Now I needed to try the gin in a cocktail, in something really simple with as few ingredients as possible. I remembered seeing a cocktail recipe that combined gin with fresh lemon juice and honey somewhere …. ah! Jeffrey Morgenthaler!
The Bees Knees
2 0z gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz honey syrup (make your own by mixing equal parts honey with warm water, allow to chill)
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Again, the Bulldog gin was definitely there in the background – but not as pronounced as say the Tanqueray that I used to make the next one. And to me, dear reader is the beauty and genius of Bulldog Gin.
This is a gin for anyone and everyone who thinks they don’t like gin. Why?
Well because primarily because it’s smooth, doesn’t have that”ginny” burn going down, and doesn’t leave a strong aftertaste. As a matter of fact, you could switch out the vodka in say, a Cosmopolitan and all but the most discerning drinker would be none the wiser.
See your traditional gin drinking crowd is usually a little older, say mid 30s and up – and todays generation is one raised that’s been raised on vodka. Well I’ve got news people, this might be the gin to change all that – and that to me is what I see as part of the genius of this product. Plus this gin was launched by two guys who very much know what they are doing – a former JP Morgan Investment Banker and an industry veteran from Skyy Vodka.
This gin will definitely provide great balance in your cocktails, when you want something subtler than a traditional London dry gin. If only we had Bulldog gin when James Bond ordered his first martini ….
Is Gin the New Vodka? What are your thoughts? Comment below.
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Comments
Gin is also good for arthritis, and I have loads of arthritis…I think.
I worry about blurring the lines between gin and vodka because a product like G’Vine, for example, so drastically changes the nature of the cocktail you put it into. Drinks with which I’m intimately familiar taste miles away from what I’m used to using G’Vine versus the differences when I use Tanqueray vs. Beefeater. This isn’t to say gins with such different flavor profiles such as G’Vine or Bulldog aren’t worthy products; I just have trouble treating them as ‘gins’ and fear we lose the character and intent of classic drinks using them in those.
Jeezy creezy! I sound like an old stick in the mud; I promise I’m exceedingly liberal and open-minded towards most subjects, heh.
You guys should really give Bulldog a shot.
I am, admitedly, not a gin guy – and this stuff is legit!
Totally one of my favorite drinks and everyone I have given it to absolutely loves it.
I agree with Scott. I never really liked gin before, but then i tried this at one of those Bulldog promo parties and fel in love with it. It tastes so much better than any other gin ive tasted (tanqueray or bombay sapphire mainly). The next day i went out and bought a bottle and ive been drinkin it ever since…
Scott C – I don’t think anybody is saying Bulldog is not an excellent product, myself included. You hit the nail on the head yourself when you admitted to not being a gin guy – but you loved it. That was in essence the conclusion of the whole review. I myself plan to use Bulldog a whole lot more …
Gabriel – I’ve heard a lot of great things about G’vine, I think I might have a bottle on the way somewhere and can’t wait to review it. I believe in masatering the art of making really good cocktails, one would be remiss not to recognize the characteristics of each type of gin – especially if you’re entertaining. I agree with you wholeheartedly, I wouldn’t use Bulldog in say, a Negroni – I’d reach for my Tanq., but I believe this would be an excellent choice in something like a Singapore Sling.
This product does blur that line for me though, and I like that. At heart I’m really a gin guy but for certain recipes vodka works better. With a product like Bulldog, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. These gins can take over for vodka and add more to the drink, character wise.
I have found that people really enjoy gin once they give it an honest chance. I mix so many gin cocktails behind my bar that you have to try gin if you come in for a drink. I run into people all the time who “don’t like gin”, and I love turning them into gin lovers over night. Doing this however, requires using a more subtle gin and gradually helping them to acquire a taste or at least not be shocked by the juniper. Certain cocktails help to prevent a negative reaction to the juniper, but above all a good transition gin is a must. Bulldog seems to fit the bill. I eventually get them to accept bolder gins, but the introduction is a delicate procedure.
I love this post and would like to add… gin never really went anywhere. Basically, it is simply being re-discovered by the youngins’ who have been bombarded with sugary vodka “tini” drinks. (And, most of the drinks on the majority of martini menus aren’t even real martinis… they’re just juiced up dessert drinks spiked with alcohol… but don’t get me started on that one…)
I have not tried bulldog yet but am intrigued to check it out, if they send me a “mini.”
I have, however, reveled in both Sonnema (herb vokda) and G’Vine (flowery gin)- both of which I’ve covered on my blog – do a good job of bridging the ravine between gin and vodka, and showing us that they are not so different after all. One does not have to choose between being in the vodka camp or the gin camp.
And, like our parents and grandparents have known all along – nothing refreshes like a good gin & juice (I like grapefruit).