SATURDAY 18 APRIL, 2009 |
Blue Gin: The Planet's Nr. 1 Gin
by Administrator |
The Man behind Blue Gin
Hans Reisetbauer, distiller from Upper Austria. Hans has an enormous passion for value and for sensory experience. His most cherished ideal is: "pure" quality - pure in the sense of pristine, plain and straight. He dislikes bells and whistles. No embellishments please. He likes straight lines, in all aspects of life, in relationships as in fruit quality. His success is his reference. With BLUE GIN, he is following his credo of a creating a straight, totally authentic style.
Base
In Blue Gin, highly purified, twice distilled grain spirit provides the foundation which is then mixed with the botanicals. The herbs and spices are gently extracted at the most suitable conditions, so that the aromas remain unmodified and therefore authentically preserved in the fine grain spirit.
Botanicals
Our "Botanicals" are a special mix of herbs, spices and fruits, which contribute to the extraordinary flavouring of Blue Gin. As the primary taste of Gin should be juniper, it is the most important single botanical we use. Only dried juniper berries that meet very high quality standards are good enough. They must originate from the latest harvest and, above all, their flavor has to be typically Mediterranean. A great number of other ingredients are also counted among the botanicals of Blue Gin, for example Lemon-zests, Angelica-roots, coriander, curcuma or liquorice. Of course, the exact composition of the spice-formula is not given away. Ingredients from no less than ten countries are used: Italy, Egypt, China, Spain, Indonesia, Macedonia, The Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, USA and Vietnam.
How is Blue Gin tasted correctly?
Hans Reisetbauer: "As is usual for premium spirits, the first factor to take into account is the temperature of the spirit. When served ice-cold, vaporous aromatic substances cannot be released and therefore only a small part of the aroma can be noticed in the nose. For this reason I recommend a tasting temperature of 16-18°C. However, experiencing pure Blue Gin differs from enjoying cocktails with Blue Gin. Cocktails mostly have to be served on ice, according to the demands of the recipe. Besides temperature, the glass plays an important role. Glasses used for serving liquors should meet certain requirements: The stem which is used to hold the glass prevents the spirit from getting too warm and also from taking on alien odors. The thin polished rim of the glass facilitates the act of tasting. A relatively slim glass body that slightly widens towards the rim ensures that the whiff of alcohol recedes and enhances the elegance and diversity of its liquid contents. All other details are matter of personal taste - as with many pleasurable things - and of the price you pay."
Destillation:
After a certain time, the mixture of botanicals and grain spirit is subjected to gentle distillation. The vaporous aromatic compounds and the grain spirit thus acquire a higher concentration and are separated from the solid constituents of the spices and herbs. This process leads to a pre-stage of Blue Gin, high in alcohol content.
Water:
In order to get Blue Gin to 43% vol. alcohol, the high-proof distillate has to be carefully diluted. No ordinary water is used: we exclusively use highest quality spring-water. The used water originates from a special spring in the Upper-Austrian region of Mühlviertel, which is particularly soft and gently stimulates the incomparable aroma and mild taste of Blue Gin.
How would you describe the odour of Blue Gin?
"The first thing you notice when smelling Blue Gin is its freshness. It is sweet with fresh juniper berries, as if the juniper-tree in southern Italy was close-by. The odour of Blue Gin reminds at once of Mediterranean zest and at the same time gets across clear elegance."
How would you describe the taste of Blue Gin?
"The odour already shows promise, but when taking the first sip you will be simply overwhelmed with a lively mixture of juniper, lemon freshness, a delicate bitter touch on the palate and other discreet nuances. Take a plenty of time for tasting! Trying the second sip, this flavour-creation will again surprise you with completely new facets of taste."
Cocktails & Martinis
Franklin D. Roosevelt enjoyed them, so did Winston Churchill, Jack London and Ernest Hemingway: the "Martini". First seen in the nineteenth century, the martini cocktail was simply concocted of the purest gin, a splash of dry vermouth and finished with a perfect green olive. Today it is an icon of American and European culture and found in many forms.
Visit this page for a
collection of cocktails made with Blue Gin
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