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“EvEn a brokEn clock is right two timEs a jokesday,” Martin Miller, creator of his namesake spirit, Martin Miller’s Gin, in reference to his prediction of gin’s revival.

MEET MARTIN

MILLER about a decade earlier he’d eagerly spoken to all that would listen about an appreciation for the classics and for mixing with that forgotten spirit, gin. Although bartenders seemed perfectly content to mix with vodka, Miller prophesized that a desire to use a more complex and traditional spirit would eventually return. He sensed that mixologists the world over would look back on the “Golden Age” of drinking and return to using gin in their cocktails.

As the story goes, Martin Miller and his mates were sitting in a London café sharing one of the worst made gin and tonics ever. “It was bloody awful,” recalls Martin. “The gin was disgusting, the tonic tasted dirty and the bartender looked at you suspiciously if you asked for another cube of ice to go with the withered citrus-thing of a garnish. We wondered how such a fantastic pairing had now stooped so low?” Together they pondered what it would take to revive this classic. The solution was to create a traditional gin with a slightly modern twist to attract a younger and more sophisticated crowd. A few years later Martin Miller’s Gin was born.

Miller believes now is the time to embrace classic cocktails and enjoy gin again. “There’s a growing interest in sophisticated spirits like gin, with the classic martini in the center of it. The popularity of movies like Ocean’s Eleven and the pseudo-rat pack mentality reminds modern drinkers of the classy, Frank Sinatra-like cocktails popular back in the time of their grandfathers.” Savvy mixologists looking to evolve also took note.

Martin and his partners did not set out to alter the gin category; they merely wanted a clean, fresh, gentle spirit they would enjoy themselves. Soon enough they began to gain the support of bartenders outside the U.S. then noticed that American mixologists were coming around. “The bartenders’ appreciation is making all the difference,” explains Martin. “We wouldn’t even have attempted to become commercial if it wasn’t for the growing interest brewing in the mixology field.” Relying on the new gin movement, a strong belief in his product and some old-fashioned integrity, Miller predicts the gin boom will continue to grow and catch on. Naturally, being a proper Englishman, he’s not one to say, “I told you so”, but you know.

Must try Gin CoCktail ClassiC

The Red Snapper

ingredients 3 oz. Martin Miller’s Gin 6 oz. Tomato juice 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice 6 dashes Tabasco 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 pinches celery salt

*This classic dates to post-Prohibition when the Bloody Mary swapped out vodka for gin since a drink named “bloody” was too gory for high society. PreParation Rim a glass with black pepper and celery salt. Shake all other ingredients over ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Born of “love, obsession and some degree of madness”, Martin Miller’s Gin is uniquely crafted in small, single batches in a pot still made in 1904 named “Angela”, most likely after the original distiller’s wife. Using Angela is more laborious and messy since the botanicals macerate and are then removed by hand, an intricate step in the process. The distillation is a two part process with the botanicals, including Tuscan juniper, Chinese cassia bark, French angelica and Florentine iris distilling separately from the citrus fruits. This allows for the marriage of the distillates to have a clear earthy and citrus distinction. Another key step in the process is sending the distillate 3,000 miles away to blend it with Icelandic water which produces a soft, cool feel in the mouth. “People think we’re mad,” explains Martin. “It would be more cost effective to just use distilled water but the Icelandic water is very effective for the gentle delivery of aromas. It is not a massive juniper rush like some gins; Miller’s is clean, gentle and light on the palate.” Martin Miller’s secret to a more sophisticated gin with a definitively rounded off feel is the addition of cucumber as a drying agent.

Gin is wonderful,” says Martin, “so ubiquitous and adds something “ special to a cocktail.”

Must try Gin CoCktail ClassiC

Southside Cocktail

IngredIents

2 oz. Martin Miller’s Gin 1/2 oz. Fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. Granulated Sugar 4-5 Fresh mint leaves

PreParatIon

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.

*May have originated on Chicago’s south side during Prohibition Era and made popular by gangsters or was perhaps born as the signature cocktail of New York City’s “21” Club. There are plenty of variations on the recipe as well. Give this one a mix.