Mixology Monday: The Bailout

after a few of these, your prospects will look brighter

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we happen to be in the middle of this thing called a recession. For most of us, this means tightening our purse strings and worrying about job security. Most importantly, it makes us take a look at our spending and determine just how much money is necessary for our alcohol budget, a topic that could easily lead to a heated family discussion. The most obvious answer, it seems, is to be more frugal in our liquor purchases; or at least get rid of one of the cats.

A few months ago I mentioned that I’d finally found a gin I could drink without fear of a shortened life span. I’d like to thank Plymouth for being a gateway spirit—without it I would never have had the courage to buy a bottle of gin costing less than 10 dollars…Wait, wait—hold on a sec. I can explain. My general rule of thumb is that there is no such thing as good, cheap gin. In fact, it was a rare occasion that I’d let someone at the bar actually order the “well” gin. I could almost always talk them up to Tanqueray, and if not, well, they deserved to be punished. But recently while browsing the Trader Joe’s liquor section (small, yet well selected), a bottle caught my eye. Sporting a red and white label similar to the Beefeater branding (my standby selection), Rear Admiral Joseph’s London Dry Gin will only set you back $7.99. I don’t even buy my vodka that cheap. The purchase was originally made in part for the novelty of it and out of curiosity, but also because I needed a not-too-fancy-gin to put in my Singapore Sling.

I tasted it both mixed and plain, and though I wouldn’t make a classic martini with it, I was pleasantly surprised by its quality. Therefore it was only fitting I work it into this month’s Mixology Monday, hosted by Rowley’s Whiskey Forge. The theme: Hard Drinks for Hard Times. This simple cocktail (good for brunch purposes too) uses Trader Joe’s eight dollar gin, anise-flavored liquor, and fresh ingredients that — depending on your location — can cost you little or nothing.

The Bailout

2 oz Rear Admiral Joseph’s London Dry Gin
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz fresh orange juice
dash of simple syrup (optional)
Herbsaint (optional)

Add gin, juice, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Stir until proper dilution is reached. Rinse a chilled glass with Herbsaint, discarding remaining liquid. Garnish with a citrus twist.

*If you live in a citrus growing area, it’s possible you already have grapefruit and oranges hanging out in your backyard. If not, your neighbor probably does, so go and ask them if you can pick some fruit. Most likely they’ll say yes. If you live in a non-citrus growing area, well, there’s always the Food Lion.