Booze Reviews: Burnett’s Dry Gin

September 3rd, 2007 | by Nick Bernard

I’m not much of a liquor person. I used to chug Captain Morgan by the bottle, but since I learned to like beer, and found that I can actually enjoy alcoholic beverages instead of choking them down for the sole purpose of getting hammered, I haven’t been much for liquor. Gin, however, has always been an exception to this rule. My favorite gin thus far is Tanqueray, but that shit is expensive. So I went looking for a cheaper alternative. Now, cheap liquor is generally bad; I’m not a hobo and therefore I don’t like things that come in plastic bottles. However, every once in a while, you find a cheap liquor that’s actually good, or at least pretty tolerable. Burnett’s is such a beverage.

Burnett’s looks classier than most of its low-end liquor store counterparts, largely due to the fact that it comes in a classy green glass bottle. You wouldn’t know just from looking at it that you would get change back from a $10 bill upon purchase. Burnett’s is mediocre if only slightly cold, but if chilled in the freezer for a little while, the taste becomes exponentially better than anything else you’d get for the same price. It’s not a bad gin to drink straight, but it also goes well in a Tom Collins or even as a martini (note: the proper martini is made with about a half drop of vermouth and a glass of gin. Anything else, and that includes any and all “vodkatinis,” is for suckers).

Where Burnett’s stands head and shoulders above the competition is the value. At the Utah state liquor stores, it’s $7-10 for a fifth, depending if it’s on sale, and I’d guess these prices are the higher end of most liquor stores in the country. When chilled, it’s almost as good as an expensive gin, for a fraction of the price. So if you really need two bottles of liquor, but you and your roommates can only find $15 in your rooms and the couch cushions, go with Burnett’s. You won’t be disappointed.