with Gin Mare , white vermouth , Del Maguey Iberico mezcal , Nardini Mandorla , vanilla and a blue cheese olive ; and Gin & Juice ($ 16 ), with The Botanist gin , Aperol , guava , pineapple , mango , lime juice , absinthe and cinnamon .
The Speed Slowly ($ 19 ) is a favorite gin cocktail at Valerie , Minaya says . It ’ s a clarified milk punch made with Beefeater London Dry gin , two slightly bitter and earthy fortified wines , lemon and strawberries and topped with London Essence Orange & Elderflower tonic .
The Spicy G & T ($ 19 ) combines pine-forward St . George Terroir gin , a housemade poblano liqueur , cucumber bitters , topped with Fever Tree Light tonic . Valerie also offers a Signature Martini section ($ 27 for a 6−oz . serving ) that includes a Savory Martini with Four Pillars Olive Leaf gin , which is distilled with three different types of olive oil and olive leaves , a dry vermouth infused with capers and Castelvetrano olives , with a large caper berry garnish .
Minaya ’ s favorite Martini is the Gibson — a classic Martini garnished with a cocktail onion . “ We take an inventive twist and start with Christian Drouin Le Gin , which is distilled in Calvados utilizing over 30 different apples , and pair it with a house-made dry vermouth ” that ’ s made with a pinot grigio base and fortified with fino sherry , and then top with house-pickled fresh pearl onion .
Aviation American gin , founded in 2006 , was purchased by Diageo in 2020 .
Pernod Ricard , which owns the Black Forest Monkey 47 gin , bought the Canadian gin brand Ungava in 2018 and the Italian gin line Malfy in 2019 .
PREMIUM AND CRAFT EXPRESSIONS
There ’ s been a buzz about craft and imported gins for the past few years , and the big spirits brands have taken note . Aviation American gin , founded in 2006 , got a boost when actor , writer and producer Ryan Reynolds acquired an ownership interest in the brand in 2018 ; Aviation was acquired by Diageo in 2020 .
Pernod Ricard , which owns the Black Forest Monkey 47 gin , bought the Canadian gin brand Ungava in 2018 and the Italian gin line Malfy in 2019 .
Brown-Forman Corp ., known for whiskey — namely Jack Daniel ’ s — purchased the premium Fords Gin in 2019 and the Mediterranean Gin Mare in 2022 .
New gin brands and expressions abound . For example , Empress 1908 Indigo Gin released an elderflower rose gin this past September , while The Botanist in February 2024 introduced a cask rested gin and a cask aged gin . Durham Distillery in North Carolina came out with Conniption Navy Strength Gin upon opening in 2015 ; it also makes Conniption Kinship Gin , Conniption American Dry Gin and Conniption Barrel-Aged Gin , among other spirits . London-based Whitley Neill , which includes a traditional Dry Gin as well as a range of flavors , launched in a few U . S . markets in 2018 , and has been expanding since .
Highclere Castle Gin , a premium London dry gin introduced in 2019 , was developed by spirits entrepreneur Adam von Gootkin and the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon — the owners and stewards of Highclere Castle in England , best known for the Downton Abbey series and movies . The Holistic Spirits Co ., cofounded by wellness entrepreneur Amy Holmwood and actor Woody Harrelson , unveiled Harmony Gin this past September .
Renais Gin , a superpremium spirit launched in the U . K . in May 2023 , has secured a significant national distribution
Brown-Forman Corp . acquired the Mediterranean Gin Mare in 2022 .
The Botanist in February 2024 introduced a cask rested gin and a cask aged gin .
agreement within the U . S . for spring 2024 , while Waymar Gin House , developed in Memphis , TN , and now part of Morningside Brands , will be launching in various markets throughout 2024 .
There ’ s also a trend of mixologists developing their own gins . Husband-wife duo Johnny Livanos — a third generation Greek-American restaurateur — and bartender / brand developer Adriana Soley Livanos , recently launched Stray Dog Wild Gin , the world ’ s first Greek gin .
Gin connoisseur Brendan Bartley , the head bartender and beverage director at Bathtub Gin in New York and Los Angeles , just created Revivalist Garden Gin for Botanery Barn Distilling .
The gin-centric Valerie has also been in talks with a few local distilleries about bottling a private-label gin , Minaya says . “ I am hoping to have time to focus on that botanical build and work something out that would be exclusive to the bar .” •
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