Welcome to part 2 of The MetroWize Guide to Gin. If you haven't seen part 1 yet, read this first.

Traditionally gin isn't as colorful as some of its contemporaries, there is no portwood or pear infusion. It's basically served without any of the excesses of refinement that other spirits enjoy - which translates to you, Billy Consumer, drinking drams of the same type of stuff that a young Mick Jagger drank when he worked hard to guarantee your right to rock.

Gin is easily enjoyed with tonic, the traditional English mix, with grapefruit juice, or in a martini which harkens back to the Sinatra inspired glory days of '50s era drinking, when up meant vermouth and Manhattans were made with bitters. It's a complex drink, flavorful and distinguished and just like us, always makes a lasting impression on whatever it's mixed with.

While we don't want to sound boring, a TNT (tanqueray and tonic), is easily one of the best drinks to consume and shows the public that you have a checkered past and may or may not be a surviving member of the Dillinger Gang. It's got that unique flavor that makes chest hair grow faster and rides in a pink Cadillac seem to take forever - in short, a classic. It's a step up from the banal frivolities of the vodkas of the hoy pilliio and yet, at the same time, a familiar place that nestles in between the whiskeys and clear grain spirits and still seems like the older, bruised and beat up version of tequila.

It's a chewier, succulent mix of spirits and an explosion of flavor. Like Fernet, it should be followed by many more rounds in quick succession.

Some easy gin cocktails to sort you out next time you belly up to the bar are as follows:

The Sweet Cheeks
1.5 oz of Damrak Gin
Dash of Orange Bitters
Dry Vermouth

Lemon wedge rimmed martini glass

The Salty Dawg
1.87 oz of Gin
Grapefruit juice to fill

Salt Rimmed glass

Negroni
1 oz Dry Gin
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari

Stir and serve in a martini glass.

Remember dear imbibers, that Gin affects your brain differently than anything else. It will make you go on a crazy Gin drunk like nothing else. This spirit is made for the graduate drinker, the person that can handle their shizz. Sure, it's fine to have an exploratory example - just the like the cool kids you see in SOMA, but don't hop into bed with this tempestuous mistress until you understand the consequences, and with gin - there are always consequences.

Want more? Become an expert on all types of alcohol and cocktails, your friends will love you:

Holiday Drinking Guide
Flaming Shots
New Takes on Old Classics - Favorite Cocktails Remixed
Banzai! The Complete Guide to Sake
From Burly to Girly: A Complete Guide to Beer
Party Shots: The Best Blackout Money Can Buy
Bare Bones Guide to Scotch
Swallow the Worm: Tequila's Reviewed
Guide to Good Vodka
The Top 10 Best Energy Drink Cocktails
The Top 10 Best Drinks You've Never Ordered

For more info on sippin' gin and juice like snoop and the crew, check out these gin connoisseur's tips:
Drinks Mixer: Gin based drinks
A Grandiose Blog: Bathtub Gin, How to Make Your Own
Tasting: All About Gin
Digital Bartender: Gin
Popular Mechanics: Gin is the New Vodka