Rogue Gin
The editorial staff at WV Gourmet are all fans of the greatest spirit in the known universe, gin. You may have noticed that the folks at Rogue (famous for their beers) have gotten into the liquor game and said liquors are now available at some of the finer establishments in Charleston.* You may have also noticed that they offer no less than two gins – their “Spruce Gin” and their “Pink Spruce Gin”. I saw these and was immediately intrigued. I was also taken aback by the $30+ price tag. After some deliberation, I bought both, on two separate occasions, and have now run each through the ringer as a martini and as a gin and tonic.
Rogue Gins on display at the liquor store on Patrick Street
The Spruce Gin tastes just like a gin should – lots of pine up front, with some citrus and other interesting flavors (cucumber was one) from the botanicals in the finish. It is also a real gin, weighing in at a nice 94 proof.**
The Pink Gin is the same gin, but it was aged in pinot noir barrels for a few months. Rogue comes from Oregon, and Oregon is Pinot country, so this makes sense to me. Aside from giving it a pink hue, the barrel aging also imparts a softness to the gin. It still has the gin attributes, but the have been a bit subdued and are a bit more gentle here than in the regular gin. The martini was good, but this stuff really shined with the tonic. Also, due to the pinkish hue, people may think you’re drinking a cosmopolitan if you’ve got it served in a martini glass, and you really wouldn’t want that.
*Actually, the only place I’ve seen them is at the liquor street on Patrick Street.
** While gins that are under 90 proof can be quite good, they aren’t quite the same as their 90+ proof bretheren.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
The spruce is indeed some fine shit. Haven’t had the pink but sounds like it’d make a good Collins. Yes, I know Tom Collinses are for pussies who can’t handle quinine, generally, but I developed a taste for them anyway.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:59 pm
After thirty years or so of brewing fine beers in Oregon, an increasing number of microbrewers, like Rogue, are discovering the joys of producing ardent spirits. While once our only significant distiller was the low end Hood River Distillery, Clear Creek started the movement towards quality liquors. Oregon produces an abundance of grain and fruit (including our famous Pinot Noirs) and it is an obvious opportunity for microbrewers to sell their products nationally.
Keep looking West, more Oregon spirits are headed your way.