Coctail of the Hour: Tom Collins

A true classic drink in every sense of the word. Legend holds that the Collins fellow whom the drink is name after was one of the first superstar bartenders in London. The "Tom" part probably refers to Old Tom Gin, which is a quasi-defunct style of gin sweetened with sugar to take the (then) razor's edge off of it.

A good intro to mixed drinks for the uninitiated or something really thirst quenching on a hot and/or long day.

Tom Collins:

2 oz. gin
1 oz. lemon juice (fresh squeezed of course)
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2-3 oz. soda water.

Combine over ice in a ........wait for it...........Collins glass. Garnish with lemon slice, wheel or twist.

I feel this naturally leads into the Gin and Tonic, one of my all-time favorites, which I'll discuss at greater length later.

Cheers.

Salmon Uniliateral

Salmon Unilateral:

The play the University of Washington runs where they toss to the TE if the sideline looks to be open.

Actually, what I like to cook when I'm alone for the evening.

Straight, easy to do, tasty and with a great French name.

All you need is a 6-8oz salmon fillet with the skin still on. Be sure and use good quality salmon for this because the center will remain rare.

Clean the salmon, pat dry and coat the skin side with a thin layer of oil. You could brush on olive oil. I use Pam cooking spray.

Heat 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until the butter melts and foams out.

As soon as the foaming subsides, add the salmon to the center of the pan, SKIN SIDE DOWN. Then just leave it there. Don't touch it for 1-2 minutes. After that, pick up the pan (be careful, it may spit at you a bit) tilt to the side and collect the hot butter/oil in a spoon and baste it over the salmon. Alternate laying it on the heat, and raising and basting for an additional 6-7 minutes, or until the side of the skin begins to char. You never turn the fish, ever.

Take the salmon out of the pan with a large spatula and salt and and pepper to taste. Acid also works here, so I usually either give it a good squeeze of lemon or a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Serve with a side salad, steamed vegetables, garlic bread, or my favorite, lemony couscous.

Parings: Pinot Grigio, dry Chardonnay, a light Pinot Noir, ESB, a medium-strength IPA or full bodied Pale Ale, a Lemon Drop or Gimlit cocktail.

Kindred Spirits: Q Gin

Ok, this is one I've been meaning to try for a while now. One of the more widely distributed newcomers to the top-shelf Gin market, it was always on the "To Get Someday" list, but never in the bag when I walked out of the store. Probably because I am not exactly rolling in money to drop on spirits and the $38 price tag scared me off a bit.

Turns out White Rock Distilleries felt my pain, or at least the Super Liquor IV did, and knocked $18 of the price this past week. Ok, at $20, I had to strike.

First impressions: Ohh, shiney bottle. ( Seriously, people. Marketing helps. I avoided Bols Liqueors for the longest time because it looks like off-brand salad dressing from the 70s with those bottles and labels.)

Straight Up/On The Rocks: Crystal clear. Nose of light juniper and pepper. Not a strong smell at all. Smooth taste, first note is citrus, like orange peel. This goes quickly to a short, peppery finish. Not too complicated of a gin. The juniper is really understated. You could easily convince someone this is herbal vodka (well, all gin technically is, but I think you get my meaning). Very nice straight up.

Martini: Ok, this is where Q really seems to shine. I made my standard martini (2 1/2 oz. gin, 1/4 oz. dry vermouth, three olives, shaken not stirred) Again, the smoothness really stands out. It's got a mouthfeel that I can only describe as "supple". The brine of the olives is the first initial taste, kinda washing out the citrus, but as it lingers, the pepper of the gin starts the second half. Finally, the juniper comes in at the end to finish the flavor profile out. Strangely, I got more "juniper" out of the martini (w/ vermouth and olives) than I did drinking it straight. Again, this is an excellent gin for "people who don't like gin", but in a good way. You could use this as an excellent introduction to gin martinis for people who have been seduced by vodka.

Gin and Tonic: This gin would be wasted on gin and tonics. In my normal recipe, all I got was the tonic water. Go with something stronger, like Tanquerey or Gordon's.

Overall: A quality, lighter gin. Probably not worth the original price, but perfectly reasonable at what I paid for it. Good on the rocks and makes an excellent martini, would quaff again.

Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.