September 03, 2008

Greylock Gin, treasure of the Berkshires in Sheffield, MA

08 31 08 boston 049

Poking about a local liquor emporium, hands full of beer and a bottle of Pinot Gris for my mom, I found a display of gin, vodka and rum from a distiller I had never heard of before: Berkshire Mountain Distillers of Sheffield, MA. I am a lover of gin, and lately I've been digging the distillates coming out of North Shore Distillery just north of Chicago, which has fancy bottles and even fancier "artisan" blends in limited editions. I've also become a fan, in theory only, of St. George Spirits of Alameda, CA, as I have yet to sample their wares. I dream.

The draw of a 'local' Massachusetts potable suckered me in, and I picked up a bottle of the gin for $28. Debuting in early May in Western Mass, Berkshire Mountain Distillers' wares are finally making it into limited distribution across New England, and only New England.

The website (and the back label) describe the gin as one in the style of London Dry Gin:

"Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ Greylock Gin is hand crafted in small batches at the Berkshire’s first legal distillery since prohibition. Our proprietary blend of botanicals, packed into a gin head suspended over a pot still, infuses the distillate with its unique essence. We use this time honored and labor intensive method to bring you a London dry style gin of exceptional quality."

I like the Greylock Gin a lot - in a side-by-side with Tanqueray (its all we had in the house), the gin was smooth, bright, clear, slightly herbaceous with subtle anise and strong juniper flavors. The finish was pleasant and clean tasting. Though I'm a Hendrick's fan (I love the cucumber flavor...mmm), the Greylock Gin mixes beautifully and cleanly in cocktails. I've been obsessively making one cocktail over the last few nights. Though I didn't realize it at the time (I was using whatever I found in the fridge) it is a variation on the Foghorn. Given the inclusion of orange bitters, I suppose this drink could be called the Orange Foghorn or the Greylock Foghorn.

09 02 08 004

Greylock Foghorn

3 dashes Fee Bros Orange Bitters to line the glass

1 squeeze lime juice (about 1 t)

1 measure Greylock Gin

1-2 measures of Journey Ginger Brew or Ginger Beer

Lime wedges to garnish

Ice as desired

Admittedly, the recipe does mask the Greylock Gin quite a bit, but damn, it's a yummy cocktail. And you already know how to make a gin & tonic, so if it is Greylock Gin you want to taste, make one of those.

Sep 3, 2008 4:52:00 AM | Hooray for the Little Guy, Quaffables, Stuff I Like

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