Review: The Gin Edit and Soda Shoppe Recipe Card Decks

I’ve spent an unreasonable number of words whining about “having a moment,” a phrase so thoroughly worn out by the spirits world that it now arrives exhausted: nothing more than a fishing anecdote now in its twenty-fifth year of an endless morphing and recitation. However, it seems that recipe cards are generously enjoying a glint, possibly a flicker, if the lighting’s right. I will not be talked into more than that. Last month, rum and no/low-alcohol cards were under review. This month, we pivot to two fresh decks: gin cocktails on one side, soda fountain recipes on the other, both asking nothing of you but modest ambition.

Soda Shoppe Recipe Cards – First up is Soda Shoppe, a deck of 50 cards devoted to the bygone Boomer era where malt and soda shoppes were a major social meeting point for the teens of the time. Designed with the nostalgic Americana in mind, the cards are divided into several categories: retro, fruity, floats, dirty sodas, international and, somewhat wildly, a whole eight cards devoted to egg creams. There are many familiar classics but also some new ones that may pique the interest of those looking for something different, and most of the recipes (save for the Matcha soda) are relatively straightforward. A nice one to have around when it’s a family night in, or alcohol isn’t in the cards for your next gathering. B / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

The Gin Edit Recipe Cards – This deck of recipes looks as if it took a wrong turn out of a coffee table book and gloriously landed on your bar cart or shelf. Which is exactly the right wrong turn to take. And it’s the sort of artwork that makes the deck function as genuine décor before even mixing a single drink: the rare cocktail accessory justifying itself aesthetically, even during the stretches when not being used. Inside The Gin Edit are fifty recipes across four categories: fizzes/spritzes, classics, modern and drinks with a twist. They’re all arranged with enough logic that a reasonably bright person should be able to follow both the user experience and recipes with minimal fuss. The first three categories are quite approachable, but the final one, “with a twist”, earns its name. Newcomers should approach those cards with interest, but also a realistic assessment of one’s current abilities. A- / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

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