The best end to the day is a gin and tonic, a ripping cold one at that. Picture it, condensation rolling down the glass, filled to the brim with ice, that new gin you've been really excited about waiting for you to rip into, and your thoughtfully selected garnish. Perfection. But you may be thinking - "how do I make the perfect gin and tonic?" We're here to help you out, with a super simple and short guide on how to make a really damned good gin and tonic. No faffing about or really fancy stuff, just the essentials.
Getting Started
Besides the obvious required Gin + Tonic, you're gonna need a few things. Firstly: Glassware. There are a few options but really this is a user preference. We're big fans of a classic rocks style glass (if you've visited our cellar door, you'll know we've got some awesome ones imported from Japan), but you can also use classic Spanish style Goblets which look pretty great. Tall glasses are cool, but just make sure you're not over diluting your gin - It's up to you. Secondly: Ice. Good ice is really key to a good gin and tonic, you don't want it to melt and dilute too quick. You can get some good ones from places like K-Mart that mould massive cubes, if you don't have a fancy ice machine like your favourite bar - like we're blessed with.
Know Your Gin, Know Your Tonic
On to the important stuff. The stuff you're actually going to drink. You're gonna need good gin. Now we're not going to tell you to only drink Applewood because there are bucket-loads of really good gins being produced around the country right now and we love drinking them too! But to make a good G+T, you need to know your gin first. Taste it neat, it's really going to help you to decipher what tonic to use, what garnishes to have, and actually what gins you like. And know your tonic - that's crucial. You can make a good G+T with average to bad gin but you can absolutely ruin a gin with really bad tonic. Make sure you're using something with pretty low sugar, and if you're using something with a bit of flavour in it, make sure it actually works in harmony with the gin you're using. It's like making a soup - taste as you go and season correctly. OK, maybe that is a little abstract but you know what I mean. Don't be silly, use the good stuff! We love Australian brands like Capi and Strangelove.
Garnishes are for Aroma, not Flavour.
This is the one I'm a stickler for: Don't over garnish your Gin + Tonic. Don't use lemon wedges like you're eating fish and chips - it's about aroma not flavour. Use peels rather than the flesh of your citrus - even better, use dried! Herbs and spices are your friends. If you want to use juices, make cocktails and get even more creative, make something more complex rather than masking the flavour of your drink. And get experimental! Don't just use orange peel and mint! Try stuff like Sage, Dill and Chillies - but taste your gin first and get really creative, it's why we don't give recommendations for our limited edition gins, we love seeing what you guys come up with. Use native ingredients too! Wild Thyme, Lemon Myrtle and Geraldton Wax are some of the most aromatic and awesome things to garnish G+T's with in the business. Have fun with it!
Sonic: A Whole New World.
50-50 Tonic and Soda. Sonic. This is the future. A great way to not only reduce the sugar and bitterness from your average tonic, but a way for you to taste your gin just that little bit more, without sacrificing the refreshment factor. Some don't like tonic for the bitterness, some don't like soda for the dryness - this is literally the best of both worlds. Trust us. Once you sonic, you never not sonic. You can thank us later, enjoy one now.
