Gin and Tonic
Juniper, quinine, sparkle.
The simplest of long drinks: gin and tonic water over plenty of ice. The juniper and botanicals of the gin meet the bitterness of quinine, while a touch of citrus brightens the whole.
- Long drink
- Built
- Glass
- Highball glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Light
- Time
- 1 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- Cubes
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Gin
50 ml
-
Tonic water
100 ml
Garnish
- Lime wedge
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a highball glass.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Pour the gin.
- Add the well-chilled tonic water.
- Stir very gently from the bottom up to keep the fizz.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
The story
Origins
ProbableA plausible account, without definitive proof.
The Gin and Tonic has no known inventor: it began as a remedy before it was a drink. Quinine, extracted from cinchona bark, had long been used against malaria, and the first quinine-based tonics went on sale in the 1850s; Schweppes launched its Indian Tonic Water around 1870. According to the most widely accepted account, in the second half of the century British officers stationed in India took to lengthening the very bitter tonic with gin to make it more palatable. From colonial medicine, the Gin and Tonic became one of the most popular long drinks in the world, with endless combinations of gins, tonics and garnishes.
Sources (2)
- Difford's Guide — Gin & Tonic (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Dissapore — Gin tonic, la ricetta con le dosi (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
Taste profile
- Bubbly
- 4 out of 5
- Fresh
- 4 out of 5
- Herbal
- 3 out of 5
- Bitter
- 2 out of 5
- Citrus
- 2 out of 5
