What should I know before I purchase gin?

It's an herbal liquor, flavored primarily with juniper. It plays well with citrus, especially citrus peel, and herbal flavors. Common pairings: lime, lemon, vermouth.

The common brands are Beefeaters, Bombay Sapphire, and Tanqueray. I prefer Tanqueray, but it can be a bit pricey. Depending on where you live, you may also have artisan gins available that will be more like the old Dutch style of gin, or jenever. London Dry gin is usually a mixer, used for stuff like gin and tonic, martinis, or gimlets. Dutch gin is more of a sipper - serve chilled and neat or over ice and sip like a good whiskey or fine rum. If you get your hands on the right botanicals, you can also brew your own gin from decent-quality vodka. But that's not really cost-effective.

You will want to keep on hand while entertaining: tonic water and/or club soda, fresh limes or grapefruit, dry vermouth, and a jar of green pimento olives. As far as equipment goes, a decent paring knife and a stainless steel cocktail shaker and strainer are recommended.

Gin and water is the preferred drink of officers in the Royal Navy - try it. If mixing cocktails with gin go for a gin with a strength of 43% or higher.

There are distinct cocktail shakers you can purchase today. EMI Yoshi makes them in a great many different colors now, a deviation from standard stainless steel shaker. But in the case of serving up new ideas you must have unique and functional rod equipment. Instead of using heavy metal and out dated alcoholic beverage shakers, buy high superior quality, single use shakers who've the glossy look of china and therefore the convenience of disposable.

Drink responsibily

gin and tonics are amazing, good brands are bombay, beefeaters and tanqueray, or if you want cheap but good seagrams.

Buy a whole lotta juice

Lots of ice, lemon and tonic or bitter lemon.