Gin and tonic: how to make it like a good bar does
Tonic was born in 19th-century India, where British officers drank quinine against malaria and softened its bitterness with gin, sugar and lime. The recipe is simple, so every mistake shows: warm tonic, too little ice or too much stirring.
Ingredients
- 50 ml gin
- 150 ml cold tonic
- Ice spears or large cubes, glass full
- Lime or lemon wheel, optional juniper berries or cucumber
Method
- Fill the glass to the top with ice and stir to chill it.
- Pour off any meltwater.
- Add the gin.
- Pour the tonic slowly down the stem of a bar spoon.
- Lift the ice once from the bottom with the spoon.
- Add the garnish.
The ratio
The classic is 1:3, 50 ml of gin to 150 ml of tonic. Navy-strength gins suit 1:2.5, softer floral gins 1:3. Measure it: free-pouring gives a different drink every time.
Keeping the bubbles
- Cold tonic. Warm tonic loses its fizz on ice and melts it.
- Small bottles. A 200 ml bottle is used at once and doesn't go flat in the fridge.
- Pour down the spoon. The tonic doesn't crash into the ice and keeps its bubbles.
- Don't stir. One lift of the ice is enough.
Ice: spears or large cubes
For a tall glass an ice spear 4x4x12 cm is ideal: one spear fills the height of the glass and bubbles rise along its smooth face. In a balloon glass, HOSHIZAKI cubes to the rim look best. The main rule: the glass must be full. More ice melts slower.
Garnish
Match the garnish to the gin: lemon or grapefruit for citrus-led gins, lime for juniper-heavy ones, cucumber for Hendrick's-style gins. Express the peel over the drink before dropping it in.
