A gin and tonic is a perfect Highball-style drink for a warm summer day, or any day when you are in the mood for a classic, refreshing cocktail. You may be surprised to learn that the history behind this drink involves a literal life-and-death situation. In the early nineteenth century, the army of the British East India Company discovered that quinine could prevent malaria, but the taste was bitter and unpalatable. The soldiers mixed it with water, gin, sugar, and lime, and the rest is history. To quote Winston Churchill, “The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives than all the doctors in the Empire.”
EQUIPMENT
- 12-ounce Highball glass
- Jigger
- Bar spoon
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- lime wedge
- tonic water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Fill the glass with as much ice as possible.
- Add the gin. Pour in the tonic water until the glass is full.
- Stir gently to combine the ingredients—two or three rotations should be enough. Garnish with a lime wedge.
quick tip
The lime wedge should be perched on the side of the glass,so that the drinker can squeeze it into the drink. To accomplish this, make a cut in the middle of the lime wedge, halfway through the fruit. There are many affordable craft tonics on the market, so no need to settle for the supermarket brand if you’d like to experiment.
Gin and Tonic
A gin and tonic is a perfect Highball-style drink for a warm summer day, or any day when you are in the mood for a classic, refreshing cocktail. You may be surprised to learn that the history behind this drink involves a literal life-and-death situation.
- 2 ounces gin
- lime wedge
- tonic water
Fill the glass with as much ice as possible.
Add the gin.Pour in the tonic water until the glass is full.
Stir gently tocombine the ingredients—two or three rotations shouldbe enough. Garnish with a lime wedge.
The lime wedge should be perched on the side of the glass,
so that the drinker can squeeze it into the drink. To
accomplish this, make a cut in the middle of the lime wedge,
halfway through the fruit.
There are many affordable craft tonics on the market, so
no need to settle for the supermarket brand if you’d like
to experiment.
