Demystifying gin one bottle at a time

Published 1:11 pm Friday, August 7, 2015

When gin comes up in conversation, I have heard the phrase “you either love it or hate it” far too many times. I believe there are only two types of people: Those who love gin, and those who have yet to have a good gin.

Whether you made some bad choices in college, raided your neighbor’s freezer or simply believe that gin is just a Christmas tree in a bottle, to say that you don’t like it is to say you don’t like art.

That may be a bit rash, but I’ve found similarities between people who don’t care for gin to people who don’t like a certain food, have it prepared by someone who has a passion for it, and then can’t eat enough of it.

I got my first cookbook at 5 and fell in love with culinary experimentation. At 12 I had the pleasure of visiting the Plymouth Gin distillery in Plymouth, England. From watching the juniper berries lifted into the kettle with a shovel to the wonderful smells and gorgeous copper still, I was in love. That was about as close as I got to gin at that age, but the seed was planted in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to today and my wife Jamie and I are deep into production at our distillery in Lynnwood. Sometimes I really do feel like I’m dreaming, and it is amazing at how fast an idea can materialize into a warehouse full of equipment and stacks upon stacks of government paperwork. We both still work full-time jobs (gotta keep the lights on!) and spend nights and weekends honing our recipes.

Why are we doing this? We have a passion for quality spirits, love small business, and want to leave our signature on the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest — and hopefully other parts of the globe. If you’re still stubbornly muttering about the merits of gin and that hangover you had two decades ago, I should note that we’ll also be making limoncello.

Jamie and I are both motorsports enthusiasts, we love to travel and learn new things, and would love nothing more than to mingle and talk over some gin samples when we open.

We are first generation distillers and proud to have the opportunity to start a legacy from the ground up. That also means our learning curve has been quite a ride, so watch for future posts in this monthly column on becoming a distiller, as well as industry news and recipes.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a tidbit on my favorite cocktail: the Negroni. The first time I had one all I could taste was the bitter punch and wondered why this was so popular among bartenders and other distillers. It’s just three ingredients — how could I have screwed it up?

So I did my research and found a few vermouths that are fantastic in Negronis, complementing the certain kind of gin profile. With the correct ratios and proper preparation techniques, suddenly a seemingly boring three ingredient cocktail is almost as fun to make as it is to drink. Slight tweaks making it more enjoyable with different foods and different moods.

I’m going to be that guy that makes you wait for my recipe, so look for the next month. Until then, remain thirsty.

AJ and Jamie Temple will open Temple Distilling in Lynnwood this fall. For more information on Temple Distilling, visit templedistilling.com. Email AJ at aj@templedistilling.com or follow them on Facebook.