Salted Rims and Frosted Mugs: Best Gin for a Gibson?

I discovered the Gibson last year during an annual tradition called Martini Madness. It amazed me. I do not like dirty martinis or olives in my martinis, so I didn’t expect to enjoy the Gibson, but the onion brine was much friendlier to my palate those first two libations. Since then, I have pickled my own onions, experimented with gins and vermouths and toyed with proportions. I never documented any of it, but today I am sharing a Gibson experiment with my dedicated readers.

The experiment is simple. 3 different types of gin, one recipe, myself and a blind taster.

First, the gins: Plymouth, Hendrick’s and Bulldog London dry.

Next, the recipe. 2 to 1 Gin to Noilly Prat Original French Dry, 2 teaspoons brine, shaken gently with ice and garnished with a cocktail onion.

First up was the Hendrick’s. The Scottish gin is my favorite gin in a Negroni (though I reduce the Campari), so I had fairly high hopes. First impression is a good warm alcohol burn. It’s a crisp drink, with some cucumber notes coming through. The finish is slightly muddled, but still smooth. It did not warm up well, so I would advise one drink this one quickly. (It wasn’t a problem for these professional drinkers.)

I decided to go with the Bulldog next. First thoughts after a sip: much less burn, and not in a good way. This drink is much more floral than the first. It also seemed to taste worse more quickly… about halfway through the drink. Honestly, it wasn’t a bad drink, and I wouldn’t be upset if I received it at a nice cocktail bar, but it lacked personality. If I made it again I would go 3-1 on the gin, but as constructed it simply wasn’t memorable.

Last up was the Plymouth. This is a gin I have never tried in a Gibson, so I was quite excited to mix this one up. The drink was not nearly as floral as the London Dry. A very savory taste, but not too salty. It had the same warm burn as the Hendrick’s though the finish was much more precise. Of the three, this was the one that we could really taste the personality of the gin coming through. It also warmed up the best, though it was my third martini in about an hour… Our testing was done, and it was time to compare notes.

A quick background on the blind taster. She is not a lover of martinis and typically prefers sweeter cocktails. She would probably choose vodka for a martini if asked her preference. That’s a choice she was not given for this trial.

Her ratings matched up with mine as far as the preferred order. Plymouth, Hendrick’s then the Bulldog, though she thought the Hendrick’s and Plymouth were closer in taste than I did. She would not ask for the Bulldog one again, but had no problems with the other two and was fairly surprised she enjoyed them as much as she did. The bottom line: if at a bar that makes a killer Gibson, do not be afraid to try a gin outside of the traditional London Dry. However, if you spot Plymouth hiding behind the bar, these amateur mixologists recommend starting with that one.

Let me know how you like your Gibson in the comments!