Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Is gin an underrated spirit? It doesn’t have the accolades or acolytes of whiskey or tequila. It lacks the versatility of mix-in-anything vodka.
It’s distinct and rich and feels innately British, owing back to its ubiquitous presence in England three centuries ago. But in terms of alcohol, it’s the NHL to the other big four American men’s sports leagues — rewarding, but not as popular as the rest.
I’m guilty of overlooking it, in part because the first bottle I ever bought was Seagram’s gin and my dumb college student brain had nothing to mix or chase it with but milk (it was an… unpleasant evening). But the fact remains gin is a refreshing spirit, if a bit of an acquired taste, with an impressive depth of botanical flavors and cocktail flexibility.
MORE BEVERAGE OF THE WEEK: A review of Snoop Dogg’s Gin & Juice canned cocktails
With Silent Pool, I ignored that last piece and drank it the way I drink 95 percent of my gin. I mixed it with tonic and a little citrus in what’s a perfect, simple mixed drink. Let’s see if this relatively new entry to an old spirit’s portfolio is any good.
Let’s start with the obvious. This glass is [expletive] ridiculous. Silent Pool sent it with the sample bottle and I’d never used it before tonight. I want to say you could fit a proper 24 ounces in there, which is generally not how I process gin but, hell, I live in Wisconsin. I accept your challenge, fancy liquor.
I’m rolling with Badger mixers, an upscale paved road to deliver your booze in smooth cocktails. My review didn’t cover the tonic, but I have high hopes. Well, as high as you can get for a basic mixer like tonic.
It smells and looks like every other gin and tonic I’ve ever had; effervescent, light and citrusy. Fortunately, I poured this heavy so I get a proper Silent Pool experience. It’s potent, but sweet. There’s a strong floral component, but nothing that makes you feel like you’re blending your way through a shrub. That sugary finish keeps it from having the kind of dry experience you’d get from your established old school gins (Bombay, Beefeater, etc).
It makes a solid complement to a sour cocktail. I wouldn’t mind if it were a bit drier — it’s not quite as refreshing as I’d like, but that sweetness makes it very easy to drink, especially on a hot day. I imagine. I’m drinking this in December.
This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Silent Pool Gin over a cold can of Hamm’s?
In the summer, on a warm day I’ll detour to a fresh gin and tonic. Silent Pool is a bit sweeter than I’d prefer, but it’s a flavorful gin that makes a solid cocktail.
