Cocktail, Gimlet, Fizz or Sling?: A Gin Affair

 "Gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen's lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire." 
                                                   - Winston Churchill

Join us on Friday, November 12 at the Allegheny HYP Club for an enjoyable multi-faceted event about the British love affair with gin.  Cocktail, Gimlet, Fizz or Sling?:  A Gin Affair  includes a gin tasting featuring all 4 traditional styles of gin (Genever, the Dutch ancestor of gin; Old Tom, Plymouth and London Dry) paired with a variety of delectable favourite British morsels (and some tidbits from further afield) that demonstrate gin's surprisingly great flexibility.  Ticket includes 5 taster historic and contemporary gin cocktails and 5 small plates of assorted accompaniments; a presentation on the history of gin drinking in the UK; and a musical performance by The Wayward Companions historic music and singing group who will sing popular tavern and parlour songs from the 17th-early 20th centuries.

The presentation, by Kim Szczypinski of Britsburgh's board and History Society, will look at the history in gin drinking in the UK from its origins in Dutch genever and arrival in the UK in 1570; its increase in popularity with British soldiers who fought alongside the Dutch in the Thirty Years's War; its evolution into a distinct gin during the 18th century and the subsequent notorious 'Gin Craze' and its attendant social problems in London; the advent of the 'gin and tonic' in the 19th century and why it became a favourite of the Royal Navy and was said to be the drink that kept the British Empire healthy. 

HYP's distinghished Chef Steven Kightlinger.will dish up dual food tastings with each cocktail, 10 pairings altogether, some distinctly British and others with their origins in the Indian subcontinent of the former British Empire.

1963 Advertisement for Gordon's Gin

BRITSBURGH MEMBERS LOGIN FOR $50 REGISTRATION. To become a member, visit the Britsburgh membership page. 

For more information, contact Kim Szczypinski of Britsburgh's History Society at kim@britsburgh.com

COCKTAILS

OLD TOM GIN:  Mother's Ruin Gin and Tonic

PLYMOUTH GIN:  Classic Gimlet

LONDON DRY GIN 1:  Cucumber Mint Gin Fizz

LONDON DRY GIN 2:  Brother Kipling Cocktail

GENEVER:  The Raffles Hotel Singapore Sling

PAIRINGS MENU*

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches and Queen's Jubilee Curried Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Beff Barley Soup and Mulligatawny Soup

Salad of Grilled Root Vegetables and Micro Greens and Indian Katchumber Salad

Fish and Chips and Indian Chetinad Fish Bites

Lemon Curd Cake and Gulab Jamun

Singapore Sling (invented c. 1899-1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon,

Head Bartender, Raffles Hotel's Long Bar, Singapore)

Programme:

• 6:30PM - 7:00 PM   Gathering and Cash Bar available

• 7:00PM - 7:30PM    History of Gin in the UK Presentation, including Q&A

• 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM  Gin Tasting with Food Pairings

• Music and vocal performance by The Wayward Companions between rounds

Off-street parking is available nearby free of charge after 6:00 P.M. Nearest parking garage is the Mellon Square garage across from the William Penn Hotel and encompassed by Smithfield Street, Oliver Avenue, William Penn Place, and Sixth Avenue with entrances/exits on both Oliver Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Flat rate in the evenings is $6.00.

Tickets: Members $50; Non-members $55

Explore fascinating British-themed topics with the guidance of experts and enjoy the company and conversation of fellow enthusiasts as a member of the Britsburgh Society. Society members enjoy our  programs in the Arts, Beer, History, Mystery Lovers and Literary,Tea and other areas.of interest.   If you are not already a member, we would like to invite you to consider becoming a Britsburgh Society member. To become a member, visit the Britsburgh membership page.

Britsburgh supports COVID-19 Vaccination. Save lives and get vaxxed! For information on how to get yours visit CDC.GOV  COVID-19 policy: Vaccinated people (and those who are medically unable to get one) are most welcome. We will observe current CDC mask and social distancing guidelines.

   The Wayward Companions

THE BRITSBURGH TEAM