It is a very simple drink, but there may be a few things you do not know about a basic Gin and Tonic.
The Gin and Tonic is a drink that is as old as time, once used as a medical prevention and a cure to malaria during the 1700’s it has a large following for being a simple but adaptive drink. One thing you may not know is that most of the tonic waters you see sold in stores today are not as bitter as the ones sold in the old days. So, you probably will not be able to replicate the original recipe used to cure medical ailments, but the modern equivalent is said to be more appealing and tastier by many .
Of course, like a lot of drinks of this nature people will have their preference on the ratio of Gin to tonic water ( with most recipes calling for a 1:1 to 1:3 ratio) but this is the one I consider the best balance and most satisfying. Feel free to play about with the quantities to find your preferred taste.
Ingrediants
2.oz (60ml) Gin
4-5 oz. (120 -150ml) Tonic water
Garnish : Lime or Lemon wedge
Preparation
Fill a High ball glass with ice
Add your Gin
Squeeze a few drops of Lime juice from your wedge over the Gin
Add your tonic water of choice
Give it a stir with a bar spoon
Garnish with a Lime wedge
Futher Information
Obviously there are many kinds of tonic waters out there (brands, flavours etc) in this example I have used just a plain Fever Tree Indian tonic but I encourage you and experiment with different brands and flavours because it can make a difference in how you view this drink. One bad experience with a type of tonic can ruin this drink for some people.
Another small point to make is some recipes specify a Lime or Lemon wedge as a garnish, the use of both is known as an “Evans” in the UK. There is debate on the use of Lemon or Lime but leading brands of Gins such as Gordon’s and Bombay recommend the use of a Lime. The Lime wedge is also usually placed in the glass ( I have it on the glass in the example, but this is easily changed).
Finally pouring your tonic water down the back of a bar spoon into your glass can help preserve some of its effervescence (fizz/carbonation) which can have a big impact on the taste of the drink so keep this in mind.
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