Gin and tonic
Gin, cold tonic and a glass full of ice. Simple, so the small details matter.
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- 2 UK units
How to make a gin and tonic
- Chill the glass. Put the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes if you can. A cold glass keeps the ice from melting too fast.
- Fill the glass with ice. Pack the glass to the very top with large, hard ice cubes. It should look fuller than seems sensible.
- Pour in the gin. Measure 50 ml of gin over the ice. Squeeze the lime wedge over it, or twist your chosen peel, so the oils land on the surface.
- Add the tonic and stir once. Pour the tonic slowly down the side of the glass, or down the bar spoon, to keep the bubbles. Stir once, gently, from the bottom up.
- Garnish and serve. Drop in the lime wedge or peel and drink it straight away, while it is fizzing.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? A large wine glass, which is how it is often served in Spain.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- A wedge of limeOr: Match the gin: a strip of grapefruit peel for citrus gins, a cucumber ribbon for floral ones, rosemary for earthy ones.
What you need to make a gin and tonic
Bottles we'd use
- Premium tonic waterFever-Tree or Schweppes 1783 both hold their bubbles well. Use small bottles and open one per round.Find it on Amazon
- London dry ginGordon's, Beefeater or Tanqueray: a classic juniper-led gin suits tonic best.Find it on Amazon
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The gin and tonic story
The usual story is that British officers in India took quinine, a bitter bark extract, to guard against malaria, and mixed it with sugar, water and gin to make it bearable. Whether or not that is precisely how it happened, tonic water and gin have been a pair for well over a century.
The drink is only three things, so the details decide it. Use plenty of ice, because a glass that is full melts slowly and keeps the drink cold and fizzy. Use fresh, chilled tonic from a small bottle. Aim for 1 part gin to 3 parts tonic, then taste and adjust.
Gin and tonic: your questions answered
What is in a gin and tonic?
A gin and tonic is made with 50 ml gin and 150 ml tonic water. Garnish: a wedge of lime.
How strong is a gin and tonic?
Made to this recipe, a gin and tonic contains about 2 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a gin and tonic in?
Serve a gin and tonic in a highball over ice. No highball? A large wine glass, which is how it is often served in Spain.
