There is a new Samuel Gawith snuff out called Ma’s Ruin. It is a Gin & Tonic snuff, named Ma’s Ruin after the phrase “Mother’s Ruin”, a phrase which is new to me but should not be new to those across the pond. Glad to see Samuel Gawith expanding their line.

Wow. I can’t wait to get my hands on this.

The only store that I know of that carries it is Mr. Snuff.

Well I’m waiting 'til he gets a few things I want in at the same time and I’ve got an order planned. I’ll have to add this to it. Edit, Mr. Snuff seems to have a few that look new to me… Mimosa and Toffee immediately jumping out.

I found this little tidbit on the phrase: Mother’s Ruin

‘Gin Lane’ by William Hogarth. The drunken mother lets her child fall while taking snuff.

I saw this picture once in art class. It was noted that the pawn shop was being offered a kettle, an odd thing to attempt to pawn, except in times of desperation. It was also noted that the neglectful mother is apparantly symbolic of a mother seeking to abort. Gin apparantly being used to abort pregnancies. There are a lot of details in there that can be more closely analyzed. I seem to recall there was a counterpart picture for frivolius times. I wonder if this Hogarth has any relationship to the Gawith Hoggarth snuff name.

The counterpart to Gin Lane is Beer Street, intended to show the positive effects of beer drinking as opposed to the problems associated with gin drinking.

Good old Hogarth. There’s an excellent dramatised documentary on the Channel 4 i player, dealing with his series of prints about a young woman coming to London and fallen into vice. Worth watching just for the extremely nice lady that plays his model. In Beer Street even the pawn shop owner can be seen taking a wholesome tankard of English Ale in through the hatch - another comment on gin. Hogarth may have been a little hypocritical about this though as it seems he enjoyed a touch of mothers ruin himself. Thanks for posting those fantastic prints!

oh he was just trying to score some free beer man.

Meanwhile in the states, lager beeer was being touted as a healthy drink. This was when the temperance movement was gaining strength.

The artist certainly portrays Lager Bier as a family drink. Mother is even helping baby to a small glass of beer - or so it appears. Still, this is better than Gin Street where the mother on the right is seen liberally pouring gin down baby’s throat. The Frenchman being hoisted aloft in Beer Street is replaced in another version with a fair maiden. The hand of her admirer is slipping down to her cleavage. The rosy wench is a contrast to the other hideous, syphilitic snuff-taking gin women.

In Gin Lane, is that a handsaw that guy on the left is holding?

@ Eten-eller: Yes. That’s the pawn broker. The confused look on his face is because saws and kettles are not normally things people attempt to pawn. Note he is well off and the people are poor in Gin Lane, but in Beer Street the opposite is true.

Oh dear! Had a “motivational shot” of Gin before reading this thread. (True, unfortunately…Had to gird my loins before doing laundry.) How does this one stack up to Bespoke Gin & Tonic?

@Xander: Very interesting indeed. Yeah, the Gin Lane folks look like village peasants.

Actually, the ‘lager beer is an all around good thing’ picture I posted was from a much later time period (1870s - 80s). I see where Gin Lane and Beer Street were first published in 1751 and that Henry Fielding may have commisioned Hogarth to assist with propaganda for the Gin Act.

Just took a pinch or three of this. It is quite wonderful. Medium grind, moist and very tasty. It’s not overly sickening like other G&T snuffs. A very wonderful snuff.

Why do have to increase the number of snuffs on my must try list. Since I agree about the others I’ve tried, a little too much. Darn it. Of course I kid. It is good to have more snuffs that must be tried.

This sounds interesting - until very rcently I was convinced that I hated gin and hadn’t touched a drop for over 25 years (drinking ‘mishap’ when a teenager - nuff said!). Now it’s my preferred tipple and I’ve been meaning to try a G&T snuff - it would be heavenly to have a chilled G&T in my hand, a Göteborgs Rapé portion under my lip and some of this in my nose! How does it compare to say, the Bespoke or Snuff Store G&T snuff?

@Toffee, I can’t compare them as the only one I’ve had is Dholakia GT, which was okay but a bit too heavy on the juniper.

Gin and tonic or a “G&T"as it is referred to, is still very popular. Its usually served in a straight glass about 31/2” across the base and about 7" high. Its now made with Godrons gin and Schwepps indian tonic water. A slice of lemon and a couple of ice cubes are added. When you consider it contains a large amount of gin, its really just an excuse to get hammered. Try it on a hot day and you will be surprised how refreshing it is.

@ London Jack: It certainly doesn’t have to be Gordons’ Gin - Hendricks and Tanqueray are far superior in flavour. Shcweppes is the best tonic, though pretty much any Indian tonic water will do. I agree that whichever brand you use, it is a marvellously refreshing drink. @cstokes4: I didn’t realise there was a Dholakia version - now I’ll have to try all 3!

Yes, I also prefer Tanqueray, Rangpur usually. I also like Bombay Sapphire.

Beefeaters is good too.

Love Bombay Sapphire but think that you shouldn’t use something so smooth in a G&T. Martini or chilled is the way to enjoy the sapphire In my opinion.

What is a nice refreshing traditional US drink. Hear a lot about people in the south drinking mint julep (sorry if its spelt wrong).

that has bourbo in it I think. Never too big on mixed drinks. Though here is a really good one. Grain achool like ever clear with water. Not too tasty but it’s got water which is refreshing. The minimum taste is good a hint of alchool yet mostly neutral. Plus not likely to give you much of a hangover.

Americans make a lot of “cocktails”. They mix juices and sodas with the liquor. This came about during “prohibition” when the only liquor you could buy there was illegally made swill. They used the mixers to cover the taste of poor quality liquor. With decent liquor IMO adding anything more than a splash of water is a sin, but if you want an American drink, Bourbon and coke.

That stuff in the purple velvet bag not mixed with anything sipped slowly. I have not been exposed to much alcohol in my life and don’t usually drink alcohol. But I have on special occasions had one or two of those. Alcohol always make me drunk.

@ mr.snuff: Yes, that’s how I drink a Hendricks G&T. Any other gin I’ll have a slice of lime or lemon, but as Hendricks is made from cucumbers (I know, right?) it really complements the flavour.

Dont southern gentlemen drink mint julep whilst relaxing on their portches anymore?.

I’m not convinced by Hendricks. The flavour is too subtle for me and it’s way overpriced. I could be biased though. I spent part of my childhood a few miles from the distillery where it’s made. If you go to the Hendricks website it talks about distilling in “small batches” in their “remote Scottish distillery” in “the seaside village of Girvan, Scotland”. Kind of conjures up an image of a little thatched cottage in the middle of nowhere doesn’t it ? You’ll notice, however, that there’s no pictures of the distillery, nor any offers of a distillery tour. That’s because it’s distilled in a huge ugly concrete industrial unit built in the 1960s which when opened was the largest distillery in Scotland. You can just about make out the size of the place on Google maps - the buildings stretch way back behind the tree on the left. The “seaside village of Girvan” is actually a sizeable town of 8000 and it’s a shitehole. Massive unemployment and drug problems. Still, there was a bonus involved. As I was in a mining village a few miles inland, there was no shortage of J&H Wilsons Top Mill, so I got my first taste of snuff !

Here is a photo of the distillery. http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/Girvan\\_EN.shtml

Brad you like snuff think hendricks, is not so good, and you like tea. You’re a man of good taste. Yeah Hendricks in my opinion is a disapointing tipple.

@bob: For me it’s Tanqueray all the way ! I haven’t tried the Rangpur version cstokes4 mentioned but I think it may only be available in the States.

I like several gins Tanqueray is definatly one of them. So is Bombay sapphire chilled with a twist of lime and nothing else. I like cheap gin for gin and tonics. I actualy think for gin and tonic its best to put the money into the tonic water and to get some good high end tonic water. Not saying it’s the right way but to me the extra money spent on the tonic water is more noticable per dollar spent.

Long time ago, my family and I toured the Old Grandad distillery in Kentucky. It was neat because during that period they really weren’t allowing tours, but we showed up (we were nearby and decided to stop by) and they gave us a private tour anyway. Gave us some bottles and stuff too.

@bob: Agreed. Good gin for martinis, cheap gin for G&Ts, with the saved cash spent on a decent tonic water. My favourite is Fever Tree.

@ Brad glad someone else agrees with me on that. I’ve gotten plenty of stares for saying the same thing.

If I’m using a liquor for a mixed drink, I always buy cheaper brands, unless the expensive stuff is on sale.

Plymouth gin is the best gin IMO. Stefan

@enten-eller: A lot of the distilleries here in Kentucky still give tours. I’m pretty sure Heaven Hill in Bardstown and Maker’s Mark in Loretto are still doing it.

Though I’am pretty sure heaven hill is a typo I think it’s soppused to be heaving hill.

@bob: LOL. You’re right, Heaven Hill isn’t exactly what you’d call a premium bourbon. I usually drink Maker’s Mark or Woodford Reserve when I’m flush, but Very Old Barton will do when money is tight.

@Walrus1985: Plymouth would be my second choice after Tanqueray. All this talk of gin had me buying a couple of bottles of Bombay Sapphire which was going cheap in Tesco’s. Two Martinis downed last night, very pleasant.

@PipenSnusnSnuff: That’s good they still have tours. I figure it at least some of them still do. My nephew just moved from Bardstown to NC. I don’t know if he and his family ever toured Heaven Hill.

So I need to try Plymouth.