Recently I have been steering away from the classic G&T (Gin, it’s not you, it’s me…). Instead I have been making Rhubarb Gin Sours, Negronis and other cocktails. But as the sun is out and spring is here, I feel like it’s time to come back to the refreshing Gin and Tonics, but rather than a simple serve of G, T and lime, I have added more flavour by jazzing up the garnish.
These are all super-simple and won’t take you that long to prepare, but it will be worth the extra effort. Don’t forget to have plenty of ice – it’s key to every quality serve. It’s up to you what gin–tonic ratio you prefer. I normally go for 1 part gin to 2 parts tonic.
1 Strawberry & Black Pepper – My personal favourite!
This combo goes well with citrus gin. I used Malfy Gin Originale, but it would work even better with Malfy Con Limone (I ran out!!).
50ml Gin
Premium Tonic Water
3 Strawberries
Black pepper
Muddle two strawberries together with Gin, add ice, extra strawberry slices and top up with tonic. Grind black pepper on the top.
2 Blackberry, Lemon & Mint – Can’t get any fresher than this!
50ml Gin (I used Malfy Gin Originale)
Premium Tonic Water
4 Blackberries
Lemon and mint for garnish
Dash of sugar syrup
Muddle the blackberries together with sugar syrup and a dash of lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and garnish with a lemon wheel and a few mint leaves (bruise the mint slightly to release the flavour).
3 Rosemary & Grapefruit – Beautifully pink!
50ml Gin (I used Renegade Gin)
20ml Rosemary syrup*
50ml Fresh pink grapefruit juice
Premium Tonic Water
Combine all ingredients over ice and garnish with a rosemary sprig.
* To make the rosemary syrup simply add sugar, water and a few rosemary sprigs to a saucepan, bring to boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to sit for an hour. Strain and let it cool.
4 Gin & Vermouth – Botanical genius!
50ml Gin (I used Fifty Pounds Gin)
Premium Tonic Water
10–15ml Sweet Vermouth
Orange or peach slice for garnish
Pour the gin and tonic over the ice first, then add the vermouth. Garnish with a slice of orange or peach. (I prefer peach with this, but unfortunately, it’s not available here yet.)
5 Italian Blood Orange – Super fresh, not too sweet.
50ml Gin (I used Fifty Pounds Gin)
Premium Tonic Water
50ml Fresh blood orange juice
Blood orange for garnish
Combine all ingredients with ice and serve.
6 Raspberry & Mint – There’s no summer without Pinkster!
50ml Pinkster Gin
Premium Tonic Water
Raspberries
Mint
As I’ve previously mentioned, Pinkster Gin is my favourite summer G&T, especially when served with plenty of mint and raspberries! You can find more drinks made with Pinkster Gin from here.
What is your go-to summer G&T serve? Do you drink different Gins depending on the season?
*Some of the links used are affiliate links. By buying through the links I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
