Tang 10

Those who have sat at an adjacent bar stool have heard me rhapsodize about the sublime gin that is Tanqueray. It is for me the quintessential gin, never apologizing for its juniper bite.

But those that don't share my admiration think it tastes like Pinesol. (My standard reply: Let's talk about why you're drinking Pinesol.)

So a decade or so ago, along came Tanqueray No. 10. It's light on the juniper berries (the Pinesol, if you will) and heavy on the fruit. I once read it described as "fruit forward" and that's just about right.

I don't like Tang 10. See, it tastes like bubble gum. And once I made that connection I could never take it seriously. Honestly, taste it and tell me if you don't agree (Mrs. McDrinkerson concurs).

The biggest crime is that Tang 10 costs more than the regular version. It's so not worth it.

Stick with the original or try Plymouth if you prefer something smoother.

"I don't drink gin" is not an acceptable answer.

Fighting Scurvy Since 1793: Plymouth Gin

Those not enthralled with gin inevitably wrinkle their noses at the Christmas tree taste. Well, bah humbug. That taste comes courtesy of juniper berries and you can't call it gin without them. But how much juniper is used in the distillation varies with the gin.

Usually it’s the London dry variety, like Tanqueray, that turn people off gin as a drinkable spirit. And by drinkable I mean straight or close to it. To my taste, the London drys beg for tonic. But they don’t work so well in a martini.

Enter Plymouth, the juniper-lite gin.

Hardly a new kid on the block, Plymouth was supplied to every ship in the Royal Navy beginning in the early 1800s so sailors could mix it with citrus juice to prevent scurvy. Those who know me are familiar with my staunch anti-scurvy stance. I simply won't stand for it.

Plymouth tempers the Pine-Sol taste of the junpers with other botanicals that make it quite smooth. It has a light, citrus character that comes from its lemon and orange peels, the latter of which is the sweet variety as opposed to bitter orange peels used by most other gins.

Plymouth makes a great martini. I liked Tanqueray No. 10 when I first tasted it because it was smoother and more martini-friendly that the original. But I now suspect that Tang 10 is merely a Plymouth homage. I’ll stick with Plymouth. Consider that it is priced the same as regular Tanqueray ($23.99), and five bucks cheaper than Tang 10.

One controversial note: Plymouth claims that it was the gin used in the original dry martini recipe published in 1894. But Old Tom gin (which gave the Tom Collins its name) is often cited as well. Once we rid the world of scurvy, I would advocate some research dollars being allocated to solving this mystery once and for all. Let's do it for the kids.