With International Gin and Tonic Day coming up on October 19th, it’s time to raise a glass to this quintessentially simple, yet endlessly complex, cocktail.
But is a gin and tonic even a cocktail at all?
For all you mixology purists out there, yes, a G&T is a proper cocktail. True, it has only two ingredients while a traditional cocktail, by definition, has at least three: an alcoholic spirit, sugar, and bitters. But tonic water has both sugar and bitter quinine in it, so yes, we think a G& qualifies as a true cocktail
What’s in a gin and tonic?
Gin.
And tonic water.
Couldn’t be simpler.
Except…it’s not really that basic. “For a drink with just two ingredients, a gin and tonic is an incredibly elevated cocktail,” points out Bacchus’ mix master Anne McGarry. The drink has earned a high status because of its depth of flavors, and the range of variation you can do with a G&T make it infinitely entertaining.
The Basics
1. Fill your glass with ice. Whether you’re using a highball or rocks glass or a wider copa or wine bowl type of glass, make sure you have plenty of ice in there to keep your G&T cold.
2. Add 1.5 oz of gin.
3. Top it off with 3 oz of tonic water.
Voila! You’ve got a basic gin and topic.
BUT…here’s where the fun begins. From this point, there’s an infinite number of ways to play around with elements of a gin and tonic. And once you start experimenting, you’ll understand why this cocktail is the go-to beverage for so many drinkers.
Welcome to the G&T game!
Here are the rules:
There are no rules!
What there are, though, are endless possibilities. For example, you can…
Change out your gin.
When we set up a gin bar at one of our events, we love to feature some of the best Utah local gins such as Beehive, Ogden’s Own, Alpine, Holystone, Hammerspring, New World Oomaw, and Waterpocket Temple of the Moon. As for world-wide brands, when you’ve experimented with the old standards like Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, and Tanqueray, you might want to branch out to try some extraordinary gins like Monkey 47, Botanist, Roku, or Drumshanbo.
Play with your tonic.
It’s easy to overlook, but the tonic water can make a significant contribution in a great tonic and gin. Since tonic water makes up more than half of your cocktail, it’s worth choosing a good one. Of course, tastes vary, but we would point you toward some quality brands like Fever-Tree, Franklin & Sons, Betty Buzz, Fentimans, or Q.
Make it sweeter.
From basic simple syrup to lavender syrup, elderberry syrup, strawberry syrup, rhubarb syrup, or spicy chili syrup, you have dozens of fun ways to sweeten up your G&T.
Make it more bitter.
Or, if you want to take it the other direction, there’s a whole world (or at least several store shelves) of bitters to choose from. With flavors ranging from citrus to celery or berries to bourbon vanilla, just a drop or two will give your G&T some bite.
Bring on the garnishes.
When you add a garnish to your G&T, you aren’t just making it pretty. A well-chosen garnish can add an aromatic component to the drink, which is a whole new level of experience. A slice or wedge of lime may be the most popular garnish for a gin and tonic, but you should also have fun with oranges and grapefruits, juniper berries, peppercorns, rosemary, vanilla pods, star anise, rhubarb sticks, lavender, basil, or a raspberry or two. To heighten the aromatics of a drink, sometimes we spray a little mist of rosewater, vanilla, or some other fragrant spritz. Using a kitchen torch to singe a strawberry before dropping it into a G&T adds a fun theatrical element as well as an intoxicating sweet and smoky smell.
No matter how you choose to play the gin and tonic game, have fun with it!
And have a happy International Gin and Tonic Day.