Take that London: Bluecoat American Dry Gin

My first experience with gin had every chance to be perfect. I was in Manhattan, decked out in a tuxedo, flush with a corporate credit card. Three female colleagues accompanied me to a bar in the theater district and I grasped that the occasion called for something with a measure of elegance and sophistication. I ordered a martini.

So far so good.

But I was a young pup, my tuxedo was rented, and the credit card wasn't mine. Plus, it was before five in the afternoon -- and there's a whole other story about why I was the only one in formal dress.

See, I made a rookie mistake: I did not specify a brand of gin when ordering and was served up something distinctly bathtub in origin. Stupid tourist, the bartender no doubt said to himself. Needless to say, it was ghastly. I didn't even finish it.

Tragically, I stuck to vodka martinis for the next decade.

I suspect most people have a similar introduction to gin. Otherwise, how to explain why you don't drink more gin?

But there's hope. It's a good time to drink gin. Especially when a dandy one is now distilled locally in Philadelphia.

I speak of Bluecoat American Dry, a complex gin that appeals to educated and virgin palates alike.

It strikes a nice balance of being citrusy without being sweet. The juniper bite is dialed back to make it smoother than the London drys. It has a nose that is chemically clean like a high-end spa -- no kidding, smell it. I usually like a good bit of vermouth in martini, but with Bluecoat I keep it to a whisper. I'm sure it mixes well, but it's so damn good I don't want anything competing with it.

And it's cheap -- under $30 -- with plenty of elegance to go with a well-fit tuxedo. So you needn't be afraid of gin anymore. Drink up.