Gin and Tonic

Wow, what a great blog. You made a simple gin and tonic seem pretty interesting. I'm off to visit your archives now to see the rest.

Hendrick's is great for G&T's because of it's nice cucumber infusion. Very refreshing.

Sadly gin is not the LCBO's strong suit. Looking at what you have access to, I don't have much to suggest beyond the three you've mentioned. Tanq Ten is a lighter juniper, more citrus option. Hendrick's has the strong juniper but the cucumber comes through on that. Old Raj is okay, but if you've got Plymouth you're already ahead of that one. De Kuyper's Geneva Gin scares me... it might be close to the Jenever, but without tasting it myself I wouldn't dare suggest it.

One thing to note about Beefeater: Pernod Ricard is stuffing a whole lot of cash into it this year in order to revamp the brand. There's a good chance of a Diageo/Pernod fight in the gin category this year. You'll know the viral marketing is working if people start calling for G&Ts or gimlets with either Beefeater or Tanqueray. I'm convinced that the industry has given up on claiming a martini should be made from gin, so if you get any orders for those please make a post about it. :)

I think gin is my favorite spirit these days, but it seems under-appreciated... Thankfully, it seems like it's finally getting some artisanal attention.

I'm surprised vodka gets more... it's far less interesting; it makes a great base for infusions, but to drink straight it's fairly unexciting.

Fresh blood orange juice, gin, and a splash of tonic with a wedge of lime is also fabulous in the winter citrus months...

I do not agree how you connected G&T with the cocktail category! G&T is a long drink for me - and we shouldn't be to pragmatic to take the bygone definitions to categorize contemporary drinks! We should also develop the rules...

On the other hand - yes - Gin&Tonic rocks! My experience goes very clearly to a more potent gin which more than 45%. There are exceptions (Hendricks), but some really nice gins like Whittley Neill Gin where just to weak to come through the Tonic!
Martin Miller (Westbourne Strength) and Tanqueray Ten are my killer Gins for G&Ts - but also Bombay Sapphire (47%) does the job very well!

Even you could add some drops of bitters...

Further you can choose between lemons and limes! A lot of customers which like to drink Beefeater and Gordons prefer lemon unlike the (more modern) drinkers which prefers lime in their Sapphire Tonic or Tanqueray Ten & Tonic...

Great post! I'm all for anything that raises awareness of gin. It's my favorite spirit, but to my dismay, I've found that many people of my general age range (under 40) loathe it.

I can only assume they've: A) never had decent gin, B) consider it a spirit only old people drink (a death sentence from a marketing standpoint), C) are too married to vodka to make the leap to something else.

We need more gin evangelists to join the cause!

Dominik, I agree that the definition of the cocktail has evolved, but I had just finished watching the "Drinkboy After School Special" on Cocktail Spirit and he intelligently discussed the Champagne Cocktail, and provided the definition.

In the past I usually put lemons on a gin and tonic made with Beefeater, until my boss started yelling at me that everything gets a lime!

Tanqueray No. 10 and Bombay Sapphire are both superlative gins... Each better that the other six or seven brands of gin that I've sampled in my time, but for very different reasons. If your bar doesn't stock those, snag some from a liquor store, because that's where your side-by-side comparison should be. It's been a while, but i recall one as having a much more crisp flavor, and the other having a more fruity, rounded flavor, making the first one better suited for carbonated drinks (i drink my g&t without the quinine), and the other better suited for martinis (which i only drink with gin). As far as sales go, though, the only gins my bar moves are house brand and Bombay Sapphire, and I'm pretty sure I'm responsible for at least half of the Sapphire sales to date.

I love gin and tonics, especially on an airplane. Once a man I was sitting next to on Southwest Airlines had a bunch of drink coupons and he bought ma like 4 gin and tonics and I got blizt.

Hi all -

I'm the founder of Q Tonic that Darcy mentioned. We're actually getting ready for our first major production run - bottles should be coming off the line in early May (just in time for G&T season).

DARCY, or for that matter anyone else who's reading this - if you email me your mailing address, I'll send a couple of bottles to you as soon as they're ready. I'd love to hear what you think of it. My email is jordan@qtonicwater.com.

Jordan

I never liked G&T's until I realized it was the tonic the gives them their characteristic bitter taste. Once I figured that out I changed the ratio out to about 3 oz gin for every 4 oz of tonic and added around 1/2 oz of fresh lime juice to offset the bitterness. Makes all the difference in the world and I won't drink'em any other way.

Darcy,
I am a sucker for Tanqueray and Tonic. It is so smooth with that wonderful hint of juniper. I am in love also with Blue Sapphire. Two very good Gins.

Gee... wish I had jumped in here near the beginning...

Such a great article and such great comments that follow it. As simple as it might be, a G&T is one of my standby drinks, which I find I sometimes forget to order simply because of its simplicity. I mostly end up ordering it at joints which I wouldn’t otherwise trust their cocktail abilities. While it is possible to screw up a G&T, I’d trust getting a passable G&T at most bars before I’d trust them to make a good Old Fashioned. I refer to a G&T as my “safety drink”.

Darcy:
Shame on you for being so behind on your gin research! In my mind, gin is the best spirit out there for cocktails. It is wonderfully flexible and provides a beautifully seasoned palate on which to layer other flavors. Hopefully you’ve now seen the light and are making up for your past transgressions.

I also have a hard time drawing the G&T into the “Cocktail” category. HiBall? Yes. Likewise I wouldn’t push a “Pimm’s Cup” (delightful drink that it is) into that category either, even though technically “Pimm’s No. 1” is essentially a “Bottled Cocktail”. But anything that can increase an awareness and appreciation for gin is a step in the right direction in my mind.

Down here in America we are saddled with the sad fact that the government sees quinine as needing to be tempered, and so our tonic water doesn’t have the same level of quinine as the British standard. Not sure if Canada has this same problem or not. But for beginners perhaps it is for the better.

Rick:
Hendrick’s cucumber notes are quite subtle, and I think quickly disappear in a G&T. If that is the direction you like to go, you might want to try Miller’s gin, its cucumber is very apparent, and can stand out in many drinks… which isn’t always a good thing. But I think it makes a good G&T as well as a good Martini.

Brian:
Agree about Beefeater. It perhaps isn’t at the same level as Plymouth or Tanqueray, but it is a damn fine gin none-the-less. Plymouth, Tanqueray, Hendricks, Beefeater… a good line up to see behind the bar.

Jason:
Vodka… it is indeed a shame that it gets so much attention, but it shouldn’t be much of a surprise if you think about it. People often get their start in wines with the simple, light, fruity wines, and only after they master that do they start moving on to real wines. This process is sped up these days by the fact that wine appreciation has attained a certain “status”. Cocktail appreciation I hope is next on the ticket for attaining a similar status. Then we’ll see people start to move toward the more complex and interesting spirits, and leave their vodka training wheels behind. It is also important to realize that of all the base spirits, gin is the only one that really doesn’t have a tradition of being drunk straight. Gin needs to be mixed in a drink. However most folks are introduced to gin through the gin Martini… which more often than not is hardly more than a glass of cold gin. No wonder these palates-still-on-training-wheels have a hard time with it. I’d even say that a G&T is perhaps a little too adventuresome in flavors for beginners.

Darcy:
Love the “Drinkboy After School Special” label… wonder if it’s too late to change the name of the show :-> BTW: just for completeness sake, here is a link to the show for those of you who may have been wondering: http://www.SmallScreenNetwork.com

Michael:
I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree.. T10 works for me, but I find that its citrus notes come on a tad too strong, and then flatline. As for Sapphire… Bombay regular is fine, but Sapphire just can’t hold its own against its peers (IMHO). It has a sort of, well, “muddy” taste to it that I just can’t get past. I will grant that it was the Sapphire marketing campaign which brought gin back from the brink, so it does deserve some credit.

But the most exciting thing about this post, and the conversation that followed, is the fact that it is all about celebrating gin! Nothing could make me happier :->

Food Network "recommends" you buy their advertiser's product of course!

I don't usually drink G&Ts but maybe I should. My usual drink is a Gibson. Unfortunately, a lot of bartenders don't know how to make it. That's why I wear this t-shirt when I go out:
http://www.dailyshirts.com/2007/04/29/a-bumpy-night/

I figure instead of explaining it, I can just point. :)

Not a big drinker, but I do enjoy my G&Ts. My friend turned me onto Junipero Gin from Anchor last year and it's been my gin of choice. Unfortunately, most bars I go to don't have it in stock.

I find that adding two drops of Angostora bitters makes for a very tasty version of the classic G&T. The bitters cuts the sweetness and gives a nice light pink tone to the beverage. Very nice.

I am a recent convert to G&T, and appreciate your more learned contributions. I have tried Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray and Beefeaters. I found Tanqueray gets overwhelmed by the tonic water, Beefeater is rather strong and Bombay Sapphire is sweetish but seems to have the best taste.

The main problem I would like advice on is picking the tonic water. This is crucial, as it forms most of the drink. Any suggestions? For example, there is Schweppes Indian Tonic water, which seems too overpowering, and then there is a diet form of it. What do you think of diet forms of Tonic Water? Replies will be gratefully received.

I have to agree with Darcy on your description of G&T; it’s a classic and when made well an incredible drink. I am a huge fan of G&T and believe I have found the perfect recipe for this wonderful drink. This comes from a very serious bartender who I am fortunate enough to have running a small bar that caters to mostly Japanese and a few Westerners in Shanghai. He was trained by an expert bartender from Japan; and ironically he makes the best G&T I have ever had. Unfortunately it will be hard for most folks to replicate but anyway here it goes:

- Three to four large freshly chipped cubes from purified block ice (these guys chip it off right in front of you but obviously this is not going to be a hassle most will want in their homes. The cubes of ice are not really cubes but huge chunks that melt very slowly so as not to dilute your drink – this G&T tastes almost the same from the first sip to the last)
- Squeeze the lime onto the ice and set the lime to the side (this allows the ice to be coated with the lime juice providing a uniform flavor throughout. Japanese Limes are incredible and provide a fuller flavor than ordinary limes even though they tend to be smaller. If you can find them buy them you won’t be disappointed)
- Beefeaters Gin to taste (I have tried 10 and Saphire as well and prefer the dryness of Beefeaters; besides with the addition of lime and the tonic you loose much of complex but subtle aromas in these top shelf gin’s)
- Fill with tonic (preferably with quinine for taste but I believe this is hard to find in the States)
- Finally, with a bar spoon sunk to the bottom of the glass, stir three and only three times and drop the lime in the drink.

and you have the most perfect G&T I have ever tasted.

For my two years living in Malawi (southeastern Africa) I found the best gin I've ever tasted--Malawi Gin. Made with juniper that is found only in Malawi, it is quite aromatic. And the tonic for a gin and tonic is made by the local Coca Cola bottling company, making a fantastic MG & T. Sadly, I've not found a way to get any more Malawi gin here in the states.

I must say I agree with Alan that smoother or more complex gins are wasted in a gin and tonic. A Sapphire and tonic might as well be a vodka tonic for all the botanicals you'll be able to taste over the lime and the tonic, and similarly, a top-shelf gin full of subtlety and interest ought to be drunk on the rocks or neat, not in a long drink that has more mixer than spirits.

Call me a traditionalist, but the only gins I find to be a good fit are the classic London dry gins. Beefeater is my gin of choice, being strong but balanced on the botanicals, and not so complex that I hesitate to squeeze that lime into it. But I certainly wouldn't pass up a Hendrick's or Plymouth gin and tonic, so long as someone doesn't try to push me one with a sweet genever-style gin like No. 10 or a gin like Sapphire designed to pull over the vodka crowd (which is admirable, but again, has no place in a long drink, being not nearly dry enough to warrant that much dilution).

Top tip; if using Hendricks Gin, use cucumber as a garnish perhaps even accompanied by rose petals, the additions really add to the flavour.

As for an excellent gin [not yet mentioned] - BLACKWOODS....simply phenomenal, made in numbered batches in Scotland, they do a 43% export - simply superb- made via a direct infusion process which loses the oily qualities of Bombay sapphire and makes for a totally fragrant spirit.

I've found that Seagram's Dry Gin is excellent for G&Ts. Like Beefeater's it's not overly complex, but has enough flavor to compliment tonic water.

Google led me here, as I was looking for Malawi Gin details and hit Teewye's comments, to which I concur. Malawi Gin is very fine stuff indeed, though maybe my memory of it is over-romantised due to sipping it on the upper deck of Lake Malawi steamer "Ilala" for days on end.

Back to our colder climes, I reverted to more standard brands like Beefeater, Saphire and Tanqueray, with a slight preference for the latter, and then for the 43 % variety.

The main problem with gins, in W.Europe at least, is that the standard brands (like Gordon's) are only 37,5% alcohol - baaad! (has to do with high excise duties on spirit) But then I found a Kurdish (!) bottle store selling Turkish (!) State Monopolies Gin (47%!) for a very attractive price. Alas, both the brand with it fantastic art modern label, and the maker itself (privatized) are gone now.

Tonic is another problem. But I had an interesting correspondence with the manufacturers of the most down-market brand in the Netherlands: London Tonic. They wrote me that they did not advertise, and used less sugar than the competition. And indeed G&T with London tonic is immo the best!

Cheers indeed!

I personally use Tanqueray No.10 for my customers + Tonic + Fresh Lime + 1 Secret Ingredient... and some of them say that they have NEVER tasted a better G&T, so i am happy :) !

I work on the bar at Jools Hollands Jam House in Edinburgh.I recently tried a new way of making a G+T.

Shake 25ml of Gin with ice and 3 squeezed wedges of lime.
Strain over a glass with ice and pour the tonic over the gin.
Then rim the glass with another lime wedge and float on the top of the drink.
This tastes a hell of alot better and looks bangin as the drink has gone a cool cloudy white.

For those in Ontario suffering with the LCBO selection, I suggest my personal favourite gin for G & Ts: Broker's Premium London Dry Gin. It's midrange in price, about $26 for 750mL I think. A very crisp and clean taste. It's the one with the plastic bowler cap on top of the bottle.

Hey, about the Beefeater gin, don't bother trying. I was at a bar in Montreal the other day sipping Tanqueray and Tonic until the bartendress told me they ran out (no, I didn't drink that many. It was near closing time, the bottle was nearly empty and I had only 3 or 4) and suggested Beefeater. Beefeater tastes like really cheap vodka and does not mix with tonic water well at all. It overpowered the tonic and lime and burned on the way down. I haven't tried Iceberg Gin, haven't even heard or seen it before I read this article but it sounds like something I'd try some time.