A well-made gin and tonic is beautiful in its simplicity. A top choice among many classic gin cocktails<\/a>, it is complex in flavor yet refreshing enough to drink as a cool down during the dog days of summer. The standard gin and tonic recipe is easy to follow\u2014and easy to build on if you’re feeling adventurous.<\/p>\n
A classic gin and tonic (also known as a G&T) balances gin’s vibrant flavor with bittersweet, effervescent tonic water<\/a>, a carbonated soft drink flavored with quinine. Quinine (a bitter-flavored powder derived from cinchona bark) was originally used as a fever remedy and treatment for malaria. Too bitter to take on its own, the powder was paired with sugar and soda water to help it go down easier.<\/p>\n
As with many two-ingredient cocktails<\/a>, a gin and tonic can be bright and zesty, light and refreshing, or sweet and bitter\u2014all depending on the quality of its ingredients. Some tonic water brands are very sweet while others are dry with a more pronounced bitterness. When it comes to gin, most are flavored with juniper, coriander and citrus. However, you can also run into gin flavored with florals, fruits, herbs and spices of all sorts.<\/p>\n
London dry gin is the go-to style for a gin and tonic recipe. Despite its name, London dry can come from anywhere in the world. While the exact flavors vary slightly, expect this style to have juniper, coriander and citrus notes. It\u2019s clean and bright\u2014exactly what you want in a gin and tonic. Beefeater, Plymouth and Bombay Sapphire are three common brands.<\/p>\n
Of course, you can certainly reach for any gin you have on hand (like any of these gins for a Negroni<\/a>). Just keep in mind that the more delicate, subtle gins may be overpowered by a strong tonic. And since a lot of those gins come with a heftier price tag, you may want to give some thought before opening one of those bottles. Personally, I\u2019d save those gins for a nice martini<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Fill a highball glass with ice.<\/p>\n
Editor’s Tip: <\/em>To make the cocktail look fancy, use clear ice cubes<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Add the gin to the glass.<\/p>\n
Slowly pour the tonic water over the ice, and gently stir to combine. Garnish with lime wedges.<\/p>\n
Editor’s Tip: <\/em>For the maximum number of bubbles, chill the tonic water in the refrigerator and wait to open it until the last minute. If you have a bar spoon\u00a0<\/a>with a twisted stem or handle, place it in the glass and slowly pour the tonic water down the stem of the spoon. This is supposed to retain more of those nose-tickling bubbles than pouring it directly into the glass. Alternately, if you do not have a bar spoon, bring the neck of the tonic water bottle as close to the ice cubes as possible, then fill the glass slowly.<\/p>\n
We don’t recommend making this gin and tonic recipe in advance. As soon as the bubbly tonic water goes flat the drink won’t taste the same. If you have leftover tonic water, you can save it in the refrigerator. However, it won’t be as effervescent as a freshly opened bottle of chilled tonic water.<\/p>\n
Compared to complex cocktails made with sugary soda, fruit juice or sour mix, a gin and tonic could be considered a healthy alternative. Calories vary depending on the brand of tonic water, but most gin and tonics come in at about 190 calories. You can switch to diet tonic or cut down to 1-1\/2 ounces gin to further reduce the calorie count.<\/p>\n
Juniper berry (the major flavor behind gin) boasts several important health benefits too. These small blue-hued berries can aid digestion and reduce bloating. They’re also rich in antioxidants, which may have immune boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. That said, any alcohol should be consumed in moderation. You can have your gin and drink it too, just don’t go overboard.<\/p>\n
Gin and tonics can be very strong depending on the type of gin used. Gin is a strong alcohol, starting at 40% ABV (with navy strength gin exceeding 57% ABV). The ratio of gin to tonic water is also a factor. We use a 1:2 ratio (one part gin to two parts tonic water). However, you can change the ratio to 1:3 to reduce the drink’s alcoholic strength.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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