How to always make the perfect Gin & Tonic
A G&T is one of the easiest drinks to make. After all, it’s just gin and tonic… right? Yes, but according to the experts, simply pouring the two together with a few ice cubes and slices of cucumber is not done. Because with this cocktail too, it’s all about perfecting it. You do that by choosing the right tonic to go with the gin. You do that by experimenting with the gin’s botanicals and the type of tonic.
Accentuating
There are more than 300 different gins, each with its own flavor, so that’s quite a task. Fortunately, they can all be divided into three main categories: floral gins, spicy gins and gins with citrus flavors. According to professional bartenders, a good tonic should always accentuate the gin.
Matching
A somewhat spicy tonic goes well with a spicy gin such as Gin Mare, Copperhead or Gillemore, for example Fever-Tree’s Mediterranean tonic with notes of rosemary and lemon thyme. An Elderflower tonic is a perfect match for gins such as Hendrick’s or Sylvius, which are somewhat more floral. Gins with citrus flavors, such as Bulldog, Bobby’s, V2C Orange and Bombay Sapphire, pair best with a tonic featuring flavors such as mandarin, orange and grapefruit.
Always a good choice
Top tip: from now on, check the back of the gin bottle to see which botanicals it was made with, and choose your tonic accordingly. If you’re not sure anymore, go for an Indian tonic. This is the basic tonic, with a subtle flavor that goes with every gin. And make sure you get the proportions right: 1 part gin to 3 parts tonic!
DIY: the perfect G&T in 5 steps
- Take a large glass;
- Fill the glass to the brim with ice cubes (made with boiled water!);
- Pour in 50 ml of gin (for the ultimate balance, use 1 part gin to 3 parts tonic);
- Pour 150 ml of tonic down the side of the glass; this way, the bubbles stay at their best
- Garnish. Not for decoration, but because it accentuates certain flavor notes. Mint, basil and cilantro go well with a spicy gin, while grapefruit, lemon zest and cucumber pair well with a floral gin. Equally important: don’t overdo it! Too much of a good thing is bad.
Read also:
- Recipe: Gin-Tonic cake
- Holladiejee: you can now buy Prosecco, rosé and Gin&Tonic bath bombs
- It’s been proven: Gin and Tonic barely gives you a hangover
