Philadelphia, PA - A private launch event was held in Rittenouse for The Revivalist Gin at Rouge 98. This fairly new product was established by brothers Don Avellino (President and CFO) and Scott Avellino (National Sales Director). Mixologist Nathan Weigert was also there to help enlighten guests and explain how each bottle of gin was unique in its own way.
Pennsylvania is the home to this Gin along with a handful of other brands. Back in my younger days I use to dabble in a little Gin here and there. My gin of choice was mainly Tanqueray. Since that was the only brand I ever tasted and enjoyed, I was anxious to see if Revivalist could win me over.
An array of different samples of The Revivalist Gin infused cocktails were served. The Dragon Mary was one that really stood out to me. It's made with 1.5oz of DragonDance, Bloody Mary Mixture, ice and garnished with Cornichon. I enjoy bloody marys every now and then when I'm out for brunch. I could see myself enjoying an outdoor brunch drinking a few of these. This had a kick, I love a drink that has a little heat. Next, I sampled the Autumn Manhattan. This is made with 1.5oz Harvest Expression, 0.5 Sweet Vermouth and 0.5 Mulled Red Wine Syrup. This was smooth and tasty. And next I tried the Yuzu Negroi. This is made with 1.5oz Summertime Expression, 0.5 Cocchi Americano and 0.25oz Yuzu Juice.
The fourth drink was a simple crisp Gin & Club with Equinox Expression. Following that was the Apple Cider Sidecar. This consisted of 1.5oz Solstice Expression, 0.75 Apple Brandy, 0.5oz Cointreau, 1oz Cider and 0.25 Lemon Juice.
Each cocktail was paired with its own lite bite provided by Rouge 98. Shrimp Ceviche was served. I had about 3 of these. A nice amount of shrimp were inside of the mini sample bowls and the amount of citrus in it tasted perfect. Pho was also served with scallop. The broth was so flavorful and scallop was cooked perfectly. It wasn't rubbery. It was soft and tender, with a light firmness to it. To end such a great event, two dessert options were served. There was a Strawberry Gelatin dessert topped with strawberry and micro greens. I REALLY loved this one. It thought this was similar to a panna cotta, which is one of my favorite desserts. It was creamy, visually appealing and quite palatable. Lastly, a bread pudding was served topped with ice cream. If you're a lover for more heavier savory type of desserts, then this bread pudding would be fit for you.
Thank you Don and Scott Avellino of The Revivalist Gin for such a fabulous event and thank you for educating us on the greatness of your product. And thank you Rouge 98 for hosting this launch. This was my first time visiting and I will make sure to stop back in for dinner!
