Master of Cocktails – The Improved (New) Holland Gin Cocktail

Right then chaps, this week’s #MasterofCocktails recipe is The Improved (New) Holland Gin Cocktail. Despite what you may be thinking, this is one that whisky fans will really enjoy. We’re using some top notch American ingredients here too, including the New York Distilling Company’s fantastic Chief Gowanus New-Netherland Gin as well as some Cask-Aged Whisky Bitters.

Brooklyn, you see, used to be a Dutch colony. Yep. And this gin we’re using is a Holland gin (i.e. a genever), and it was made to a 19 century American recipe with the help of David Wondrich, using the New York Distilling Company’s unaged, double-distilled rye whiskey. Moreover, it’s bloody fantastic.

 

You’ll be needing these.

List of Ingredients

• 60ml Chief Gowanus New-Netherland Gin
• 3ml Monin Sugar Syrup
• 2ml St. George Absinthe Verte
• 2ml Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
• 1ml Master of Malt Cask-Aged Whisky Bitters
• Lemon peel spiral (Garnish)

To start with – get a Coupette Glass in the Freezer. You know the drill by now.

Take a stirring glass, and half-fill with ice.

Add 60ml of the Chief Gowanus New-Netherland Gin.

This stuff is proper. Rather than describe it further, here’s a pic of the back label below. It really is *excellent* stuff.

(You can click on images to see larger versions by the way…)

Now, we want quite precise measurements for the next bit. These pipettes are really useful.

If you’ve not got one, ask in the ‘Your delivery instructions’ box next time you order, and Customer Service can find you one.

So – next up we’re going to add 3ml of Monin Sugar Syrup.

As well as 2ml of St. George Spirits’ rather excellent absinthe.

…and 2ml of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Finally, add 1ml of Master of Malt Cask-Aged Whisky Bitters. This one has its own pipette.

Give it a good old stir, and strain into your chilled Coupette.

For the garnish, we’re going to make a lemon spiral. I’m not usually into ‘fancy’ garnishes, but a strip is too big for this. Slightly shit video, but nevertheless:

Drop the spiral into the drink (don’t express it over the top – there’s no need).

There we have it – The Improved (New) Holland Gin Cocktail.

Enjoy!

Have a go yourself, and don’t forget to tweet pictures. There’s more than enough here to interest whisky lovers with Rye Whiskey Distillate, Oak-Ageing, the whole 9-yards.

Now for a new way of looking at the recipe – hopefully this works – feedback welcome! #6SecondCocktails:

All of the previous recipes can be found on the blog for you to revisit at your leisure, for example @Reemus22 recently made a Manhattan with Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 Year Old Rye but opted to add The Bitter Truth’s Aromatic Bitters to his (it’s the diddy version from the Traveler’s Set).

@Reemus22’s Manhattan

Next week, we’ll be making something that’s very, very bad for you on a number of levels:

Next week, you’ll be needing these…

Vanilla Extract, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 Year Old Bourbon, Vanilla Ice Cream, Milk (Whole), Canadian Maple Syrup.

Ben