Gin & Tonic
Prep time:
The easiest drink to make and the easiest to ruin. The difference between a correct one and a memorable one comes down to ice, temperature and how you pour the tonic.
Ingredients
- 50 ml gin
- 150 ml well-chilled tonic water
- Large ice cubes, up to the rim
- Lemon twist or orange peel
Preparation
- Fill the glass to the top with ice. Less ice makes the drink water down faster, not slower.
- Stir the ice for a few seconds and drain off any melted water.
- Pour the gin over the ice.
- Top up with tonic very slowly, letting it slide down. Give it one gentle stir to combine.
- Express the citrus peel over the surface to release its oils and drop it in.
Bartender’s notes
What is a Gin & Tonic “with a twist”?
Almost always, a Gin & Tonic with a strip of lemon peel expressed over the top. “Twist” at a bar means exactly that: twisting the peel over the drink so it releases its oils, which is where nearly all the citrus aroma comes from. It is not the same as dropping in a slice. A slice adds juice and acidity; the peel adds only aroma, and in a well-made Gin & Tonic that is enough. The word is also used for variations on a classic, but when it is ordered at a bar it means the peel.
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