Saturday, January 19, 2013

Gin + Tonic


I am quite aware of the fact that you probably think that you don't need a recipe for gin + tonic, as it is really easy to just throw together without any directions at all.
But a gin + tonic has become one of my favorite drinks over the last weeks/months, if not my favorite, and as I learnt from my uncle, there are still a few things you have to get right for a great gin + tonic.
If you are anything like me, you buy quality ingredients when you think it matters, and in other cases you buy the cheapest you can find. I'd never buy the cheapest wine (although I also don't spend a ton of money on a bottle) because I know the cheap ones are barely drinkable. But when it comes to spirits, I just go out and buy the cheapest bottle I can find. It had never occurred to me that the different brands of gin actually vary in quality. Duh.
But as I mentioned before, I talked with my uncle about gin and the different brands and their flavor and he suggested I try Hendrick's gin, and I did go out to buy a bottle.
Hendrick's gin is flavored with cucumber and rose, in addition to the traditional juniper. And the difference in taste compared to the generic brand gin is amazing. It is less harsh, almost delicate and the flavor is complex, with the cucumber and rose showing through lightly. No wonder Hendrick's Gin was named Best Gin in the World by the Wall Street Journal in 2003.


So now that you have spent quite a bit more cash on a bottle of gin that you used to, you don't want to use any cheap tonic water either. But spending the extra money on a bottle of tonic is really worth it, too. For the sake of research I had to compare to versions of gin + tonic, one made with a generic brand of tonic that I bought at Migros, the Swiss supermarket, and the other made with a tonic made by fever-tree, a British tonic I bought at a store here in Bern. (If you are interested in buying this particular tonic as well, the link to fever-tree actually leads to the availability page. They do sell them in the States, though I don't know how easy they would be to find)
The generic tonic was a lot sweeter than the fever-tree tonic, less bitter too (and bitter is good). The fever-tree tonic water is a lot more subtle and fresher, with more herbal flavor than just sweetness like the generic brand tonic.
As a result, the gin + tonic with the fever-tree tonic was less sweet and had a more complex flavor, just add a slice of cucumber and you have the perfect gin + tonic.




Perfect Gin + Tonic
Note: The addition of black pepper in the gin + tonic you see here was a suggestion of a friend. I found that it did not really add anything except when you actually bite into the pepper, which is not something I'd do with a drink normally. I say skip it, or add it just because it looks kind of nice)

per glass (I use a tumbler, for a small gin + tonic. I'd rather have two  small ones instead of a large one)
1 oz of Hendrick's Gin (more or less, depending on how you like it)
tonic water, like the fever-tree brand
ice cubes
1 slice of cucumber

Add a few ice cubes into your glass. Pour the gin over the ice. Fill the glass with tonic water. (Taste test if the ratio of gin to tonic is right for you and try to remember how you'd want to adjust the next time you make one). Add the slice of cucumber and enjoy.



6 comments :

  1. Ah, the gin and tonic. It used to be my go-to drink when I didn't live in Chicago and couldn't count on a bar or restaurant's more "creative" cocktails to be anything but overly sweet and heavy-handed. (This was a few years ago--the era where every drink name seemed to start with a fruit and ended in "tini.")

    I don't often mix drinks at home, but I'll be sure to ask for Hendricks gin the next time I order a G+T.

    And in my experience, Fever Tree is pretty widely available in the US. I think you can reliably find it at Whole Foods and some other grocery store chains. Have you tried their bitter lemon soda? It's my favourite.

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    1. Thanks Katie for letting me know that Fever-Tree is actually available in the US. I really loved this tonic water. I haven't tried any other of their sodas, though. I'll look for the bitter lemon soda the next time I go tonic shopping. Have you tried any of the other drinks they make, too? I haven't but they all sound great.
      One reason I really like the gin and tonic is precisly because everything else is either colored blue or fruity and cloyingly sweet or then just a mixture of different spirits, which I usually find too strong and harsh.

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    2. I've had Fever Tree ginger ale, which I also like.

      The cocktail scene has gotten a lot better in Chicago and Toronto (the two cities that I spend the most time in, anyway) in the past few years. Everyone, including at least one of my friends, seems to be into making their own bitters and syrups for cocktails. It seems to have become much more of an art form. Speaking of which, in the US, in addition to nicer tonic waters, at least a couple of small-batch brands of tonic syrup have been popping up in some stores. Have you seen these in Switzerland? You're supposed to mix them with carbonated water and then mix your G+T. I tried one over the holidays and wasn't crazy about it (the tonic didn't seem properly fizzy), but they seem to be pretty popular.

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    3. I have made a ginger syrup before, but never actually used it in a drink. But I have never heard of tonic syrups, but then I have not been looking for that kind of thing. But now I have to look into making my own bitters and syrups, too. Sounds like a lot of fun.
      I have now tried the fever-tree ginger beer and liked it, but it is pretty strong/gingery. I think I saw the bitter lemon soda, too, so I'll have to try that one next.

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  2. Whoa, I don't know if I've seen cucumber added to gin & tonics before (as opposed to a wedge of lime), but I absolutely LOVE gin & tonics too, so I'll have to give this a try! :)

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    1. I always considered cucumber to be quite flavorless (to eat), but it is amazing how it can change the drink. If you give this a try, I'd love to hear how you like it.

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