Porch Pounder - Tanqueray 10 Gin, St. Germain, Fresh Lime

Porch Pounder - Tanqueray 10 Gin, St. Germain, Fresh Lime 

Check out the recipe here:

Recipe: Porch Pounder

Oh, how I love Gin. Gin is essentially vodka made with juniper and other herbs, fruits or spices (botanicals). Gins can range from very dry to full-bodied, fruity and aromatic. For this recipe you can use any Gin; I prefer to use Leopold Bros Gin, or Caprock, but Tanqueray or Tanqueray 10 will also work.

Most Gin is initially distilled in efficient column stills. The resulting spirit is high-proof, light-bodied, and clean with a minimal amount of congeners (flavor compounds) and flavoring agents. Genever is distilled in less-efficient pot stills, which results in a lower-proof, more flavorful spirit.

Low-quality "compound" gins are made by simply mixing the base spirit with juniper and botanical extracts. Mass-market gins are produced by soaking juniper berries and botanicals in the base spirit and then redistilling the mixture.

Top-quality gins and genevers are flavored in a unique manner. After one or more distillations the base spirit is redistilled one last time. During this final distillation the alcohol vapor wafts through a chamber in which the dried juniper berries and botanicals are suspended. The vapor gently extracts aromatic and flavoring oils and compounds from the berries and spices as it travels through the chamber on its way to the condenser. The resulting flavored spirit has a noticeable degree of complexity.

What you’ll need:

A Pint Glass or Several
1 ½ - 2 oz Gin
½ oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ Lime freshly squeezed
Tonic or Key Lime Soda

Directions:

Version 1: Combine all ingredients except for tonic/soda in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously until super-chilled strain and serve in a martini glass.

Version 2: Combine all ingredients except for tonic/soda in a rocks glass with crushed ice. Top with tonic or key lime soda. Garnish if desired with a lime wedge.