The Perfect Gin & Tonic in Three Easy Steps

One of my favorite cocktails, the gin and tonic, started out over 170 years ago as a medicinal drink to combat malaria. Sounds yummy, right?! Well, it probably wasn’t way back then but it certainly is now in its current modern form. Here’s our version of the perfect G&T, in three easy steps!

The perfect G&T - Photo by Laurie Geis

In the 18th century, malaria was raging on the Indian continent, and occupying British soldiers were suffering accordingly. Quinine, made from cinchona bark, was a medicine that was proven to successfully treat malaria. But it was extremely bitter and unpleasant, so legend has it that the British soldiers began mixing in sugar and water with their daily quinine supplement to make it palatable, along with a bit of their daily ration of gin to take even more of the edge off. And Viola! – a new cocktail was born!

In its modern form, a gin and tonic cocktail, or G&T is a simple drink made with lime juice, tonic water and gin served over ice. Simple, right? But it turns out, this seemingly simple cocktail requires a great deal of thought and attention to get it right. In particular, the proportions of each of the ingredients is critical to ensuring this refreshing cocktail has just the right amount of bitterness, acidity/tartness, and alcohol.

My wife Laurie has perfected the modern G&T over the years, to the point where I always ask her to make mine. And amazingly, she always gets the proportions right, even though she never measures anything out! So how do you make a perfect G&T every time? Here’s how to do it in three easy steps.

First, use the right amount of fresh lime juice. In the case of a G&T, restraint here is critical – too much lime juice throws off the balance of the drink and creates an unpleasant “pucker” factor that should always be absent from a clean drink like the G&T. One teaspoon provides the perfect amount here.

Second, choose your gin and pour the correct amount. It’s amazing how much the gin itself can change the taste and character of a G&T, and how underpouring or overpouring can take the drink out of balance quickly. Laurie and I have a preference for dry London gins when making our G&Ts, but we also frequently use other high-quality gins from America and around the world. The key here is “high quality” – you want to use a premium gin that will shine and balance the bitterness of the tonic water with a hint of spice and sweetness. Three of our favorites are No. 3 London Dry Gin, Highclere Castle London Dry Gin, and Brooklyn Gin. Each of these gins runs about $40 per 750 ml, but they are definitely worth the price and absolutely delicious!

Pouring the correct amount of gin is also critical. Most recipes call for a ratio of 1:1 to 1:3 gin to tonic water. We have found that the 1:1 ratio will lay you out flat quite quickly, while the 1:3 ratio results in a weak and overly bitter cocktail. Our preferred ratio is 1:1.5 or 1:2, which allows you to truly taste the gin while also achieving the perfect level of bitterness in the drink.

Three of our favorite gins for G&Ts

The final step to the perfect G&T is to carefully pick your tonic water. These range from insipidly bad tonics that are overly caustic and bitter (there are, unfortunately, a lot of these out there), to delightfully fresh and flavorful tonics with the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness.

Our three favorite “go to” brands of tonic are Navy Hill, Betty Buzz, and Fever Tree. Navy Hill is a bit unique in that their tonics are actually a combination of soda and tonic, which makes them a bit mellower and subtle. Betty Buzz only makes one tonic, but it’s absolutely delicious, with a subtle bitterness to it – if you like a less bitter tonic, this is the one for you. And finally, the best known and probably most popular tonic we use is Fever Tree – it comes in many different flavors (cucumber, elderflower, Indian, Mediterranean, lemon, and premium). Our favorites are the Indian and cucumber, but all of them are great.

Also, each of these brands’ tonics come in different size bottles – 8.45 fl. Oz. for Navy Hill, 9 fl. Oz. for Betty Buzz, and 6.8 fl. Oz. for Fever Tree. We usually just adjust the gin amount accordingly for the amount of tonic in the bottle. Regardless, you can’t go wrong with any of these wonderful tonic waters, and I suggest you try them all to see which one(s) you like the most.

Our three favorite tonics for G&Ts

G&Ts are usually served in a highball glass, or a balloon glass such as a large wine glass. Laurie likes hers in a medium Tervis glass, while I prefer mine in a large stemless glass created exclusively by Riedel for G&Ts (pictured above at the beginning of the blog). So, you can really go with whatever you prefer here – it’ll taste great in any of these glasses!

Now you know everything you need to know to make the perfect G&T – give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

The Perfect Gin & Tonic (makes 1 cocktail)

This simple recipe makes a classic, sophisticated, and refreshing drink that’s perfect for any time of year. Make sure to use high quality ingredients here – it really makes a difference!

Ingredients

1 part gin (we prefer London Dry Gin for our G&Ts)

2 parts tonic water (Fever Tree is one of the best and widely available)

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lime wedge or wheel for garnish, along with a rosemary sprig and black peppercorns

Directions

Pour the gin, tonic water, and lemon juice into a highball or balloon glass. Stir gently, and then add ice. Garnish with lime wedge or wheel and any others you would like (such as rosemary sprig or black peppercorns).