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Help Atomic Cocktail find Old Tom Gin & Batavia Arrack |
Atomic Cocktail
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 25, 2002
Posts: 926
From: Land O' The Next Big One-L.A.
|  Posted: 2005-06-06 2:53 pm Permalink
Help your ol' pal Atomic Cocktail: I'm searching for but cannot find the following alcoholic beverages:
OLD TOM GIN: There are 3 types of gin, Dry Gin (almost all gins today are "dry"), Plymouth and Old Tom Gin. Old Tom is a sweetened version that was commonly used in many cocktails until recently. It is still made in England but have been unable to find it anywhere in the US. I've found Plymouth Gin at beverage Warehouse in Marina del Rey, Ca.
BATAVIA ARRACK: Made in Indonesia, it's a rum style liquor distilled from rice and/or coconut juice. Not to be confused with Middle Eastern Arak or Raki, the anise flavored alcohol (like ouzo). I found it's popular in the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. It was very popular for flavoring punches in the US.
So help AC track down these nectars and I'll raise my glass to you while I poison myself.
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UtopianDreem
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 02, 2003
Posts: 293
From: LA County, CA
| Posted: 2005-06-06 3:31 pm Permalink
A Dutch company has Batavia Arrack showing on their product page:
Batavia Arrack
With any luck, Beverage Warehouse may be able to order some through a distributor that deals with E&A Scheer.
Good luck & keep us posted!
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thejab
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2987
From: Tradewinds Apartments, Alameda, CA
| Posted: 2005-06-06 3:46 pm Permalink
Wray & Nephew in Jamaica also makes Old Tom Gin. So you could fly to Jamaica and pick some up while you're picking up Pimento Liqueur. Oh, grab me a couple of bottles while you're down there. 
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thejab
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2987
From: Tradewinds Apartments, Alameda, CA
| Posted: 2005-06-06 3:56 pm Permalink
Some interesting trivia. The original Tom Collins was made with Old Tom gin, while a John Collins was made with London dry gin. Now a Tom Collins is made with dry gin, while a John Collins is made with whiskey.
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Unga Bunga
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 06, 2003
Posts: 5854
From: CaliTikifornia
| Posted: 2005-06-07 01:20 am Permalink
Websie quote;
"Tom Collins"
Some say that the Tom Collins was named after "Old Tom" Gin which is a sweetened gin used rarely today. Most older recipes call for "Old Tom"."
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 3416
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2005-06-07 08:28 am Permalink
Hey Atomic,
I've been trying to locate Plymouth Gin Navy Strength to no avail. Have you been able to locate a source for it?
http://www.plymouthgin.com/index.cfm?articleid=86
"At a hefty strength of 57% abv, Navy Strength offers a more intense and rich taste to the Original Strength. The fragrant and aromatic botanicals are amplified at this stronger strength..."
It's my understanding that the Navy Strength gin is what made Plymouth Gin famous, not the watered down so-called "original" version.
Any leads?
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3059
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-06-07 5:12 pm Permalink
Plymouth Gin is a regular BevMo item and is available in store and at BevMo.com for your convenience. Thank you and have a nice day.
Would you like help out to your car with that today?
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JerseyRED
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 15, 2004
Posts: 54
From: North Jersey!
| Posted: 2005-06-07 6:48 pm Permalink
Quote:
| Plymouth Gin is a regular BevMo... |
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But NOT the Navy Strength (along with the Sloe Gin and liqueurs). Only Plymouth Gin Orginal Strength is available in the US.
I haven't tried any international shipping sites... but I know they are there.
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"The only time I ever said no to a drink was when I misunderstood the question."
Will Sinclair
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 3416
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2005-06-07 7:42 pm Permalink
JerseyRED is right. BevMo only carries the "Original" Plymouth Gin, not the Navy Strength. Last week I spoke to the manager of the Torrance BevMo and was told that they can't even special order the Navy Strength.
I've looked on the internet and have so far only found one place selling it but they won't ship to the U.S.
Martiki, maybe you can pull some strings and get BevMo to find a distributor that can get Navy Strength Plymouth, Old Tom Gin & Batavia Arrack ????
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3059
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-06-08 08:21 am Permalink
Sorry- didn't read that closely enough.
The system at BevMo identifies many products that BevMo doesn't carry, but are known to be carried by the distributors it works with. For example, Black Strap is something not on the shelves, but is something they can order.
If they're not in the system, it will be tough to get, but you might ask your local BevMo manager to contact the distributor for Plymouth to see if they can come up with the Navy Strength. It's no problem for him to check- just a quick email. No guarantees, though.
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3059
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-06-08 08:26 am Permalink
Wow, that site really makes me long to find a well made decent Sloe Gin. Any domestic ideas?
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JaredB
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 06, 2005
Posts: 29 | Posted: 2005-06-08 6:57 pm Permalink
I haven't had any luck in the U.S. with Plymouth Navy either. I plan to get some on my next trip to the U.K. (or plead with a friend who's heading over there). I hate mailordering from overseas because you pay more for the shipping than for the bottle.
As for Sloe Gin, I'm a fan and here's what I've learned (in order of preference):
Plymouth Sloe Gin - you'll never find it in the U.S.. It's even hard to find in the U.K., but worth it. It's one of the only 'real' sloe gins left and tastes nothing like modern imitation products.
Bols Sloe Gin - A decent sloe gin which will work just fine for most cocktails. Sporadically available in the U.S..
Dekuyper Sloe Gin - Another decent sloe gin you'll find around in the U.S. It's a tossup between this and the Bols.
Arrow Sloe Gin - Not as good as Bols or Dekuypers. But use it if it's all you've got.
Hiram Walker Sloe Gin - Not worth using, even if it's all you've got. It's half the proof of other sloe gins and tastes like watered down cough syrup mixed with Rose's grenadine. It won't give you even an approximation of what the cocktail you're trying to make should taste like.
So that's my review of all of the above (which I own). The one I haven't tried is called Mohawk Sloe Gin (which Dr. Cocktail recommends as the best U.S. make). It is only available in a few states (NY, MA and LA for example) and I'm still tracking it down.
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JaredB
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 06, 2005
Posts: 29 | Posted: 2005-06-08 8:17 pm Permalink
To continue hijacking this thread re: Plymouth Gin, I should pass this along:
I've heard that Junipero gin (made in San Francisco by the folks who make Anchor Steam beer) is a good approximation of Plymouth Navy Strength gin. But I've never tried the two side by side so I can't say.
Maybe someone else out there will let us know?
It's available at bevmo among other places.
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Atomic Cocktail
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 25, 2002
Posts: 926
From: Land O' The Next Big One-L.A.
| Posted: 2005-06-13 12:28 pm Permalink
JaredB,
I've seen Plymouth Gin at Beverage Warehouse in marina del rey. I don't remeber which type is was but I'll have a lok next time I'm down there
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3059
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-06-13 11:13 pm Permalink
Junipero is absolutely superb. It's not quite as strong as the Plymouth Navy, but it's a magnificent gin.
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