Have you heard about gin tasting? If this is your first time, then you are missing out on a lot of things. Gin tasting is an excellent way for you and your family and friends who love gin to enjoy the experience. Even when you're at home or over Zoom, gin tasting is a fun activity that you can host anytime.
So to get started, here are five things you need to do in order to host your own gin tasting.
Use a Variety of Gin
You might be thinking that you only have one type of gin, but that is not true. The gin you have might come in different variants, just like vodka. The most common variants you can find in the market are London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, Navy Strength Gin and Flavoured Gins. The last one is a bit different from all the other types because they have added flavours, like berries or fruits.
Keep It Simple
Gin is considered a spirit, so it is best to have a small bite to go along with it. You don't want to go overboard that you won't even be able to taste the gin anymore. You can have small snacks like nuts, olives, bread or cheese.
You can also add a hint citrus fruit to make the taste of the gin even better. All you need to do is put a few drops of the juice into the gin and taste as you go.
Choose the Right Glass
There are a lot of glasses that you can use to serve gin. You should choose glasses that are curved or tulip-style to help concentrate the volatiles (aromatic compounds) of the gin within the upper glass. This allows you to blow the top of your glassware before nosing the gin.
You can also use brandy snifters instead, especially if you want to add some ice cubes or water to your gin.
Add a Bit of History about It
When hosting your own gin tasting, it is important to know a bit of history about the drink you’re serving. It is a good idea to talk about how gin was created, its origin, how it evolved over time and some trivia about it. It is best to have a presentation or a study of some sort so you and your guests can enjoy the gin tasting in the best way possible.
If you want to make the experience even better, you can go the extra mile and prepare a game! Find more interesting facts about gin and make sure that you can easily recall them as your friends guess the answers.
Jot Down Notes While Taking Sips
You can begin with the aroma of the gin as you swirl it around the glass and nose it. As you take the first sip, notice if the aroma and the taste of the gin match. You can start swirling it into your mouth and allow your taste buds to get familiarised with it as you aerate or suck some air to intensify the flavours in your mouth.
You can start to describe the taste and sensations you experience, like sourness, tingling, burning, bitterness, sweetness and spiciness. You can rate it on a scale of 1 to 5, take down all the specifics and add them up to your description for each type of gin. Keep it informal, but you can always describe every like and dislike you have and use those to spark a conversation with your guests.
Conclusion
If you want to make the gin-tasting experience more fun, you don't have to go all out. You can follow the tips above and start introducing the idea to your friends. You don't need to spend a lot of money, but you'll surely have a good time, and you may even start to appreciate gin more.
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