Gin is just one of those things.

Most people I know have some reason or other to regret gin, but I have no such qualms. The first time I tasted gin was like love at first sight. I was in a dingy basement—the kind where the dinge has so thickly seeped that no amount of scrubbing will remove it—when my friend Clif with one F offered me a gin and tonic. The tonic was flat as could be, but the gin— oh that piney, awake tasting gin—made my senses come alive.

I’ve loved gin ever since, although I’m no expert. Rob created a gin making kit for me this year. Complete with juniper berries and a handful of botanicals like cardamom and star anise, I’ll post an update when the first batch is ready to taste.