Gin, Gin Everywhere

After falling in love with Hendrick's Gin at the seventh birthday party of the Opus Hotel, it now seems as though I'm stumbling across it everywhere. Perhaps it's a case of seek and ye shall find -- or that a lot of establishments are being turned on to the charms of the curious little gin from Scotland.

At the three month anniversary party at Mis Trucos on Vancouver's Davie Street, aka the "we never had an opening party party", I arrived too late to sample any of the Spanish-West Coast fusion appetizers, but had just enough time to quaff a cocktail or two.

The Self-Starter

1 oz Hendrick's gin

3/4 oz Lillet (a French aperitif with herbal and orange flavours)

1/4 oz apricot liqueur

Splash of Taboo absinthe

Shake the gin, Lillet, and apricot liqueur over ice. Swirl the absinthe into a chilled martini glass, and then pour the other ingredients in, straining out the ice. No garnish necessary, although I suppose you could embellish the orange or apricot flavours.

The drink ends up this lovely pale pale golden colour, which is easier to see with a little more light. Mis Trucos bar manager Jonathan James insists on using Taboo absinthe because it's a local product (coming out of the same Okanagan company that produces some amazingly fruity eau de vies), and because it's made in a traditional style with natural ingredients. Ask at your local liquor store for a reasonably-priced equivalent absinthe if you don't live in BC.

I also really liked the look and the taste of the following cocktail, which is flirty and fun, which fits the atmosphere at Mis Trucos perfectly.

Spanish Sidecar

1 1/2 oz Torres brandy

1 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

splash of red wine

Shake everything but the red wine over ice, and strain into a martini glass. Then pour the red wine slowly over a bar spoon so that it pools and floats on top of the other ingredients. How much you add is up to you, but you do want the vino to float rather than to overwhelm the rest of the drink.

I'm definitely going back soon for dinner -- and perhaps another Hendrick's gin cocktail.