I am very fond of both whisky and whiskey. I like vodka, icy and unadulterated, when caviar is being served (as if that ever happens in my life), but otherwise I agree with Eric Asimov’s musings in a recent New York Times article: “What? No flavor?” he wrote, “No aroma? No character? Well, that’s vodka for you: A bland, neutral cipher.”
Like Asimov, what I really love is gin, especially on these warm, summery evenings. The world’s most refreshing and festive beverage may well be gin and tonic, though my go-to cocktail is gin rickey (gin, club soda, fresh lime). Of course I’m also partial to a good martini, though only one per evening since I’m mindful of Dorothy Parker’s self-imposed one-martini-only rule. “Two at the very most,” she insisted, “Three I’m under the table/Four I’m under the host.”
In addition to just plain liking the taste of gin, I appreciate it for the salubrious effect it has on me. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, but in my experience a gin-based cocktail is not only invigorating at the end of a long day, it also invariably soothes random aches and pains when necessary. Perhaps it’s the botanicals, notably the juniper berries (the Greeks and Romans apparently distilled juniper berries for medicinal purposes). Angelica, another commonly used botanical in gin, is said to ease certain symptoms associated with colds and arthritis.
My friend Rebecca believes that gin has helped offset the seasickness she occasionally experiences when sailing. I would not recommend drinking gin to anyone else for any purpose 
other than pleasurable imbibing, but since Rebecca is about to embark on a summer-long sailing expedition up the Atlantic coast, I decided to create a gin based cocktail for her. In case the gin turns out not to be a fail proof antidote to seasickness, I’ve also included ginger, which is said to ward off nausea. For dash of extra flavor there’s the addition of bitters, widely considered to be good for the digestive tract. For the mixer I recommend either ginger ale, a popular home remedy for indigestion or motion sickness, or ginger beer, which I favor for its more intense flavor, and also because it is slightly less carbonated and notably less sweet.
Since a small sailboat doesn’t have extra space for multiple bottles of booze and all the trappings that modern cocktails seem to call for, one of my goals was to keep the recipe simple, with no more than two or three additional ingredients besides the essential gin. The drink can be made in a highball glass, but for summer sailing it’s more refreshing served in a tall glass.
What have I named my concoction? Why, Gin-Gin of course.
GIN-GIN
1 piece of candied ginger
2 ounces gin
2-3 dashes Angostura or other bitters
8 ounces ginger ale or ginger beer
Rub the rim of a tall glass with the candied ginger, then drop the ginger into the bottom of the glass. Shake in the bitters and pour in the gin. Muddle the ginger around a little if you feel like it, then add ice cubes. Fill the glass with ginger ale or ginger beer. Tchin-tchin.
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