Herbal Oregon Gin - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Herbal Oregon Gin


Otium’s Rich Williams creating his original cocktail, Tea Time Gimlet. (Photo: Shaugn and John)

Painted Lady launched in 2013, the same year its parent company, Pilot House, got its start. This complex gin is citrusy and woodsy on the nose, leading with spice and herbs—sage, rosemary, coriander and a cinnamon note, vaguely reminiscent of Red Hots. The citrus scents are exotic—more Buddha’s hand than Meyer lemon—and while the mouthfeel is lush and round, it doesn’t feel weighty, with pink peppercorn and chamomile lingering on the finish. For Rich Williams from LA’s Otium, “Everything is turned up to a ten.” This was a gin that fascinated our panelists. “I’d pull this out for someone who drinks gin all the time and wanted to try something new and exciting,” said 71Above’s Rebecca Marie. And Death & Co.’s Joe Rinaldi recommends mixing it into an herbal cocktail, like a classic Last Word with green Chartreuse.

This gin was a standout within our Oregon Gin focus; so much so, that Rich Williams created an original cocktail to point up its herbal character. He includes green tea-lime syrup, which plays well with the coriander, sage and rosemary qualities of the gin, adding an earthy quality to the drink. And he adds Aloe Chareau, herbal by nature—a liqueur with lightly sweet cucumber, honeydew and mint flavors—balancing the cocktail and adding brightness. The egg white contributes creamy texture and the citrus and umami garnishes of fresh lime and matcha powder make this drink both refreshing and savory.

Ingredients
  

Tea Time Gimlet

    By Rich Williams

    • 1 1/2 ounces Painted Lady New American Gin
    • 1 egg white
    • 3/4 ounce lime juice
    • 1/2 ounce cucumber syrup
    • 1/2 ounce green tea-lime syrup
    • 1/2 ounce Aloe Chareau
    • 1/2 lime for garnish
    • 1/4 teaspoon matcha powder for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Dry shake all ingredients (minus fresh lime and matcha powder), then shake again with ice.
    • Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a spritz of lime and matcha powder.

    Spirits Type:

    Painted Lady Gin

    ABV:

    45%

    Distiller:

    Pilot House Distilling, Astoria, OR

    Price:

    $25

    Based in Los Angeles, California, Alissa Bica is the Associate Editor and Spirits Critic at Wine & Spirits. She is also a sommelier at 71 Above and co-runs the home wine tasting company, Côte Brune and Blonde. In any rare moments of free time, she writes about obscure grape varieties in the blog Off the Beaten Wine Path.


    This story appears in the print issue of Winter 2022.
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