As we get into the warmer months, my go to cocktail is the classic gin and tonic. It’s a refreshing drink, especially after yard work. It’s also a great drink while grilling or barbecuing. It’s a simple cocktail, only requiring 3 ingredients. The only important part is the ingredient ratio. Let me tell you how I like mine.
The gin to tonic ratio is the most important aspect of the cocktail, right after the gin and tonic selection. So let’s talk about the gin first. I prefer a London Dry Gin. I like the juniper to be present in my G & T’s. Other gin styles tend to be too florally for me. I’m a traditionalist though.
One of my favorite gins is Boodles. It’s a great London dry and around $20 for a liter. Right now, since I’m trying to reduce my liquor bill a bit, I’ve settled on New Amsterdam gin. It’s a decent London Dry at just under $20 for 1.75 liter.
As for the tonic, do yourself a favor and buy a good tonic. Make sure it’s using real Quinine and not too sweet. Grocery market tonics are just too sweet for me and most aren’t made with real quinine or very little. My go to tonic is Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic. I’ve always liked gin and tonic, but my world changed when I tried a real tonic.
So let’s talk about the recipe. Keep in mind, there’s lots of different ways people make them. This is how I like them. Your 3 ingredients are lime, gin and tonic. Fresh lime is best, obviously.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin
- 3 ounces tonic
- Squeeze of lime
Fill your glass about halfway with ice. Squeeze a wedge of lime into the glass. I like to taste the lime, so a wedge might be a quarter lime if the lime is small. Measure 2 ounces of gin into the glass. Measure 3 ounces of tonic into the glass. Stir. That’s it.
That ratio of 2 to 3 of gin to tonic is very important. Too much tonic hides the gin. Remember, you want to taste the gin. Everything should balance. Most places add way to much gin for me. Keep to that ratio.
There you go, my take on the classic gin and tonic. Enjoy.