Madison has never been the best place to buy liquor. Wisconsin is a beer-dominated place for so long, domestic and otherwise, that typically, if a Lounge Lizard wanted to get his booze on, he or she would have two main options for variety- Woodman’s or the internet. That has changed with the grand opening of Total Wines at West Towne Mall. Now, this liquor store is not quite on par with the southern Mecca that is Specs, but its selection is still impressive. Madison’s Total Wines shines most in its whiskey offerings, doubling Woodman’s stock of both bourbon and scotch. It’s thinnest at rum, however it is the only place in the area that carries Diplomatico, the Lounge’s favorite mid-priced rum.
Since we are approaching the warmer months, we are still drinking gin in the Lounge, waiting for the mint to cast its broadest leaves. Our first purchase from Total Wines-West Towne was Green House Artisan Gin from Dallas, Texas. Right out of the bottle, this gin is elegantly perfumed with juniper, rose, and red berries. It makes a great sipper; the flavor is very sweet, with acai and raspberry coming out strong, followed by citrus with cucumber and a late kiss of juniper in the background.
If you would like to try Green House in a cocktail, our recommendation is to amplify its bergamot with a curacao or triple sec. Here is how we did it-
Green House Spiced Cocktail
2 ounces of Green House Gin
Juice of one medium blood orange
½ ounce of dry curacao (we used Pierre Fernand)
1 dropper of Bittercube Jamaican #2 bitters
Place all ingredients in an iced stirring vessel. Stir vigorously until chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with mint if desired.
