How Not To Make A Gin & Tonic

A lot of people don't know what they are, or how to make them, and sometimes may make it wrong. Don’t fret, because here are some things that you should not do when making a good Gin & Tonic!

First, let’s see what craft gin and spirits are, as well as what botanicals go into making these exquisite beverages.

Craft gin is made by small independent distilleries, with handpicked ingredients. They produce only a limited quantity of the product annually, because their focus is mainly on producing a high-quality gin that can give the drinker a unique experience. While the predominant ingredient and flavour of gin is the juniper berry, when it comes to artisan gins, the distillers use many different types of botanicals in order to enhance flavour and aroma. These include a combination of fruits and berries, herbs, spices and even florals.

So, now that we know what craft gin is, let’s see how you can make the perfect G&T to cool you off on a hot summer day. While G&T can be made in many different ways and there are twists to the classic recipe, there are certain things that you absolutely should not do. These include:

Use the wrong type of gin - Using the wrong type of gin is the biggest mistake you can make when making a gin and tonic. Craft gin is made with botanicals that give it an earthier taste than vodka, so using cheap vodka instead of high-quality craft gin just doesn't work! Craft spirits are also different from regular liquors because they're distilled in small batches to create more flavour and tasting experience.

Measuring wrong - Gin should always be measured by volume (i.e. millilitres). However, since you can't measure that on your own, just fill up a standard sized glass to about 120 ml and then proceed with the recipe. When it comes to tonic, you should always measure by weight because this is how they are measured in metric units. This will also ensure that your drink isn't too sweet due to inaccuracies when measuring volume (i.e. millilitres). Start with about 250 grams of good quality tonic water and then proceed as per usual.

Mixing - After pouring gin into a standard glass full of ice cubes, pour over the iced cold tonic water; don't mix them together! The idea here is that adding unsweetened lime juice balances out the sweetness from the sugar or syrup added to most lemonades used for mixing drinks like Gin & Tonic.

Drink it too fast - Drinking your gin & tonic too quickly will also ensure that you are not getting the full flavour of this refreshing drink. Drink it over a long period to enjoy all its flavours and feel the effects on your palate as they develop. Essentially gin should be sipped and not gulped down. Drink it slowly and enjoy the taste, texture and aromas.

The right temperature - Add a small amount of tonic water to your gin glass (not too much) with ice cubes before pouring in the gin. This will help keep the drink cool without diluting its flavour or downgrading its alcohol content.

Adding a ton of ice to your drink and diluting it - Adding a lot of ice to your Gin and Tonic tends to dilute the drink, downgrading its alcohol content. What it ends up doing is watering down your gin and tonic which can make for an uneventful drinking experience.

Forget to add any tonic water or lime juice - Forgetting to add the tonic water or lime juice to your G&T can be a disaster. If you are not careful and do not use enough tonic or lime, the drink will taste watery. Use at least three parts gin to one part of each ingredient in this drink for a delicious drinking experience!

Pouring in more than one type of mixer (e.g., soda, cola) - Don't use more than one kind of mixer in your drink. If you want cola, use cola. If you add a different mixer to the recipe, for example Sprite or ginger ale instead of tonic water, it will change the taste of your cocktail. Most G&Ts use only one type of mixer, which is tonic water. If you want to add something else, make it a G&T and T (or GT).

A well-made gin & tonic is all about the proportions. You need the right amount of lime juice and not too much or too little ice.

There is no doubt that a properly made G&T is one of the most refreshing drinks around, especially during hot summer days. Try out some different flavoured craft gin brands such as The Lakes Gin or Old Bakery Gin to make some diversely flavoured G&T.