For many years now, just before Passover, we have written about the kosher wines that are available for people of the Jewish faith. Passover and wine are integrally wrapped around each other with wine playing an important part of the Passover celebration meal called a Seder. The one thing that has been missing is a pre or post Seder libation that was not wine. What was available was a Plum brandy from the Balkans called slivovitz. Now, from California’s own Napa Valley comes a classically styled but very American Gin called No.209 and it is available in two forms, kosher for Passover and non-kosher.
Gin has been around for a very long time. It originated in Holland in the 17th century where it was discovered by English troops who were fighting against the Spanish in the Eighty Years War. When they returned home, the ex-soldiers still wanted that magnificent Dutch drink. It was not long before gin distilleries were popping up all over England and the drink was sweeping the country.
In later years, in the tropical British outposts, gin was used to mask the bitter flavor of quinine, which was the only effective anti-malarial medication available at the time. The quinine was dissolved in carbonated water to form tonic water; gin was added and the mixture became today’s popular gin and tonic combination.
Gin starts as pure grain alcohol that in the case of No.209 is distilled four times to insure an exceptional product. From this, No.209 developed their own individual house style by introducing natural botanical flavorings. The base botanical for all gin is juniper berries, to which is also added lemon peel, coriander, cardamom, angelica, orris root and orange peel and other botanicals to create a specific house style. The exact proportions are a tightly held secret, but if you have a few years and the time to spend, you could probably figure it out for yourself. In the case of No.209, the botanicals are steeped (soaked) in the alcohol before a final fifth distillation so that all the constituents become totally intertwined with each other.
Vodka is also a neutral grain spirit that has no specific flavor of its own and therefore adds nothing to a mixed drink except alcohol. Gin on the other hand, offers a specific, identifiable flavor to a mixed drink. As we have previously said, gin and tonic was the bellwether gin drink. In this case, the quinine water used in the drink, would be almost unpalatable without the gin; the mixture of the two however, makes for an unforgettable and enjoyable drink. In recent years, the martini, has replaced gin and tonic as America’s favorite cocktail and after all, a martini would not be a martini without the gin.
Our favorite gin based beverage is gin and cranberry juice. It consists of one jigger of gin to 4 ounces of cranberry juice and a few ice cubes. The juice and the ice dilute the alcohol in the gin to the strength of a wine, about 12 percent, so it makes for a good dinnertime drink without being overly alcoholic. We have, often used this combination in place of wine as our mealtime beverage. We suggest that you give our concoction a try as we are sure that you will enjoy it as much as we do.

No. 209 Gin ($34.99) & No. 209 Gin Kosher for Passover ($37.99). This gin is tied directly to the American taste. The juniper berries for this gin as well as most of the botanicals used are imported from places around the world where they grow best. The flavor is true to the style and is well intermingled, with the juniper berry being the most obvious of all of the botanicals used. True to its California home, there is the definite flavor and aroma of lemons, adding extra layers of complexity to any drink. This is an excellent gin that can easily compete with any gin made anyplace in the world.