A CHICAGO SPEAK-EASY AND BATH TUB GIN
by - Written: Aug 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderful with anything and everything
Cons: Non to speak of
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| grandgram's Full Review: Seagram Gin |
Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin is made from distilled Juniper Berries, mixed with alcohol and spices. It is cask dried in aged oak barrels. This gives it a pale straw color and a smooth taste to the palate. Many gin recipes are secret as a variety of spices such as citrus peel, orris root, cassia bark, anise etc are added in the aging. Using these extra spices while being aged gives Gin a different aroma. Our friend recommended Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin as he felt it was the best in making mixed drinks. He was great at mixing drinks. His Gin and Tonics were the best. I always felt the aroma was from the Juniper Berry, as it always had that fresh smell from the Juniper evergreen shrub.
Gin was discovered in Holland after a Professor distilled the Juniper Berry oil and mixed it with alcohol. It became a popular drink and was brought to England by soldiers in the 17th century. It soon came to America and it became the largest gin market. The early gin was mixed with wine to make a 50% alcohol drink. It was soon distilled in the dry form and became a popular liquor for mixing cocktail drinks.
During Prohibition the Juniper berries were mixed in large quantities of alcohol. These bootleg spirits were mixed in large containers such as bathtubs. Therefore the popular name of Bathtub Gin was started. During this time mixes were added to these spirits because of the poor taste of the gin. Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin was a favorite of our friend and that is why it was used in making our Bathtub Gin.
The reason I enjoy ladycynic’s review is that they remind me of some of our party days a few years back. This review is not a challenge or a write-off but just reminiscent of some good times we experienced. We lived for 30 years in this fairly small town and became good friends with six to eight couples. We were a mixed group of involved individuals who enjoyed each other’s company. We had schoolteachers, a farmer, lawyer, banker and chiropractor. We were involved citizens of our community and party wonks we never passed up a good time. Just wanted to let you know there are two sides to every penny good or bad. I will relate some of our parties maybe not all. LOL!
Our first big party came about while we were just visiting as a group. Our History teacher remarked. “We should give a Speak-easy party sometime.” Our shop teacher spoke up and said, “I can make a door with a slot so only people with a password can enter.” The sparkplug of our group chimed in with, “Lets make in a Halloween Costume Party.” Another remarked, “Lets make Bath Tub Gin, I know someone who just remodeled their bathroom and has an old fashioned tub with those Claw feet.” We all got excited about this party. We decided it should be in our Country Club basement area as it had an outside door to make it more secretive.
Our ideas kept flying around as we planned the whole party. Our Music teacher would bring old records to dance to. Our Drama coach said we needed lots of streamers and string beads to divide our room. The banker said we could use the back room for Black Jack and Poker tables. I said I would produce the recipe for the Bath Tub Gin, and the guys could make it up the day of the party while the gals were decorating the room.
I was known as the cook as that is how my husband would introduce me. You see I still have that recipe. Many of my recipes were just stuffed in my cookbooks, and when we moved I put those loose recipes in a drawer. As I was thinking of doing this review I hunted up that recipe. I don’t remember how I came up with it, but I had a drink book and probably gleaned some ideas from that book. I am sure it was altered in the making, as I will relate later.
BATH TUB GIN
Lemon juice (Real Lemon Brand) 3 cups
Orange juice (2 can frozen) 4-5 cup
Lime juice (Real Lemon) 2 cups
Sugar Syrup 3 cups
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
Heat while stirring to dissolve sugar
Ginger Ale 3 quarts
Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin 2 Fifths
Vodka 2 Fifths
Fresh Lemons cut in quarters 3
Fresh Oranges cut in quarters 4
All the juices were to be mixed up before adding the cooled sugar syrup. Then the liquor could be added to get the proper taste. The Ginger ale would be added last. We also used large chunks of ice with lemon and orange slices frozen inside.
Our plans were going along smoothly, we made arrangements with the Country Club for a Saturday night before Halloween. The gals made invitations to include the password and entry level into the Country Club. Our password was The Boss and it was to be repeated after knocking on our door and the trap door opened. Of course we had to have lots of meetings leading up to this event that was always part of the fun. We talked about what costumes we would wear what kind of food to bring, every one had a job to do as we planned for the big day.
All the guys were anxious to begin making the Bath Tub Gin. We made sure they brought the tub to the Country Club so the gals could thoroughly clean it. As we decorated all the rooms, brought in supplies for the gambling area. Lots of card tables and chairs were gathered for the gamblers and guests. The dance floor area was ready with record player and records for dancing. Our music teacher played some of her records for us while we worked. We were getting in the mood as our Chicago Speak-easy was taking shape.
As the gals were busy decorating the guys were making the Bath Tub Gin. We learned later that this turned into almost an all day affair. They were having such a good time tasting and sampling with adding a little of this and a little of that. They just knew it needed more Gin and Vodka, so how much of my original recipe was in the final product is only a guess. They don’t even remember and they were not in too good a shape by the time they brought the finished product to empty in the Bath Tub. Oh! But did they ever do a good job with it, it was delicious, and looked so good with the fruit floating around.
We left our work to get dressed in our costumes we all looked great in our flapper outfits and the big party began. We had a great crowd everyone was intrigued after receiving their invitation. I remember my costume very well I have a picture of me somewhere in my many boxes of pictures. I wore a chemise with two long strands of beads, a headband, with lots of make up and false eyelashes. I did not wear my glasses, so had a bag with a long braided strap to hold them. It was amazing, as many people did not recognize me. They would come up close to me and say, “Is that really you?”
Since we did not know what was all in the Bath Tub Gin as guest when they arrived came with their own liquor and just poured it into the Tub. You see this was when Iowa was dry and people were use to bringing their own bottle. We had a few casualties, especially one in particular. Our Superintendent’s wife a usually quiet lady took a big drink of the Bath Tub Gin, saying “ OH! That was good, I’ll have another.” Well she soon became weak kneed and her husband had to take her home she became silly putty. Our Shop Teacher who had been sampling all afternoon, we found him asleep in the corner of the room behind the Bath Tub.
As parties go, it was a blast we gambled, danced the shimmy and drank lots of Bath Tub Gin. Since I was not wearing my glasses, things started out a little blurry and as the evening wore on got more so. The shimmy was fun to learn and it became even more exotic as time went into the bewitching hour. We all admitted it was lots of fun, a few headaches as we cleaned up the place the next day. We decided our Chicago Speak-easy was a winner and the Bath Tub Gin a success even if the recipe was not followed exactly. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACKS AND JILLS DULL COMPANY!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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