Knockin’ on Death’s Door – 5:00 Fridays

I love Wisconsin. Seriously. Don’t let the Debbie Dooley caricatures of the entertainment world fool you. Wisconsin boasts some lovely indulgences, be it resort vacations, cheese (natch), beer (double natch), fine dining, plumbing fixtures (no kidding), and gin.

Death’s Door gin will make you feel alive. We bought this at Vintage, an adorable little wine and spirits shop in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. We would have bought if we had brought bigger suitcases. This gin is unlike any gin I have ever had. And I’m telling you, I’ve had plenty. I am most definitely a G&T on the porch kind of girl. I always ask for extra lime to cut the gin. All too often gin can taste almost medicinal, and not in the just-the-thing-the-doctor-ordered kind of way. Death’s Door is so smooth that you want to drink it unadulterated. The clean, earthy smell beckons you before you take the first sip. What, am I the only one who puts her nose to bottle of liquor upon opening? Death’s Door gin smells (and tastes) heavenly. As a cook, I can detect the fennel, coriander, and juniper. To taste this gin is a trip for your palate into a refreshing pool of flavor that is summer on a porch distilled into one sip. I’m not a formally trained mixologist but I do know what I like, notes, blends, frou frou jargon be damned. But if you’re into that kind of thing, here’s what they say:

“In fact, you can taste all three botanicals: loaded juniper berries up front; spicy, citrusy notes from the coriander seeds in the mid-palate; and a soft, cooling finish provided by the fennel seeds. Death’s Door Gin is big enough to stand up to classic or vintage cocktail treatment, but soft enough to be enjoyed on the rocks or as a dry martini.”

Mac Daddy had some gin on the rocks (a foreign concept!) with just a tish (so small that it can hardly be called a tish, but I don’t know what’s smaller than a tish) of limeade and wedge of fresh lime. We’re going to ration and savor this bottle. That is, until someone visits us from Wisconsin and brings us a housewarming gift. Ahem.

Check here to see if Death’s Door is available in your neck of the woods. If it isn’t, I highly recommend a trip to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin where you can pick some up. The Osthoff Resort is a peaceful retreat to relax and mix a cocktail.