When I was a teenager, George Orwell's 1984 was my favorite book, both for its writing, which I thought was superb, and for its depressing viewpoint, which beautifully dovetailed with my own adolescent angst. One of my favorite parts was Orwell's description of the effects of "Victory Gin," the official hard liquor of English Socialism:

Instantly his face turned scarlet and the water ran out of his eyes. The stuff was like nitric acid, and moreover, in swallowing it one had the sensation of being hit on the back of the head with a rubber club. The next moment, however, the burning in his belly died down and the world began to look more cheerful.

When I first tried cheap tequila, I came to the conclusion that it was Orwell's famed Victory Gin. Oily, hard to swallow, and packing a wallop, it was also among the most popular tipples in the mid 1980's, far outstripping gin, which seemed pale and weak by comparison. If tequila was a hard whack with a rubber club, gin was a sip of chilled perfume.

That's where I left it for several years, until my friend John introduced me to the wonders of a first-rate Martini, prepared with a top-shelf gin. I learned that, when deeply chilled, Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire was almost like liquid nitrogen: it was smooth and cool, yet redolent with evocative botanicals. I was hooked.

In recent years, I've gotten somewhat out of practice with gin drinking, but I've never lost my deep appreciation of a well-prepared Martini or a crisp, fresh gin and tonic. With that in mind, I was particularly excited about trying Rogue distillery's new Spruce Gin. Made with only fourteen ingredients, including cucumbers and spruce, Rogue's gin is very smooth on the palate. When consumed at room temperature, it catches a bit in the back of the throat, but also reveals the nuances of the spruce, orange peel, ginger, and other flavors that give it a uniquely flowery sweetness. When chilled, it is far smoother, but many of the flavors are dampened.

Being a fan of infused liquors, I was particularly excited about the cucumber that Rogue prominently advertises as an ingredient in the Spruce Gin. Unfortunately, I felt that it was overpowered by the other botanicals, particularly the spruce. On the bright side, the wintry clarity of the spruce really plays up the iciness of this spirit. At its best, gin is a clean, cool liquor, and the evergreen tones of Rogue really play up that aspect.

Rogue suggests using the spruce gin in a "Cucumber Cilantro Crush," a mixed drink that features cucumber, cilantro, limes, simple syrup, and soda. Although I haven't had a chance to try the recipe, I'm intrigued: perhaps this might lead to the cucumber flavor that I'm looking for. Regardless, this is a solid gin that I will definitely be happy to share with John the next time he's in town. Martinis on the house!