A NEW TONIC FOR OLD GINS

Thanks in part to an explosion of new flavored vodkas, U.S. consumption of the liquor has been on a steady rise over the past decade. At the same time, gin seems to have disappeared from the cocktail menu. Last year Americans drank nearly four times as much vodka as gin. To reverse the trend, some distillers have come up with a novel solution: make their drink taste less like gin. By lightening up on the juniper and amping up other flavors, they hope to make gin more palatable for a new generation--and woo vodka drinkers. Some of the best of the new brew: Hendrick's, a small-batch cult favorite from Scotland that uses cucumber and rose petals for a creamy edge; Damrak, a Dutch gin that offers citrus and hints of lemon peel, orange and coriander; and WET by Beefeater, which is infused with pear and, as its name suggests, is less dry than traditional blends.