Gin and Tonic

Why you are pouring this tonight

The Gin and Tonic is the most quietly ruined drink in the country. Every pub in Australia charges you $18 for a thimble of gin, a splash of flat supermarket tonic, and one sad lime wedge that has been cut since Tuesday. Then we decide we do not really like gin.

Made properly at home, the Gin and Tonic is a miracle. It is what you drink when it is 35 degrees and someone’s bringing over prawns. It is what you drink before dinner when dinner is Thai. It is what you drink on a Sunday afternoon when you are pretending to read a book. It cuts heat, it cuts richness, it refreshes, and it costs less than three dollars a serve to make at home.

Three rules will save it: cold everything, good tonic, a proper glass. Get those right and it is a different drink entirely.

What you need

45 to 60 ml gin. A contemporary Australian gin is where I would start. Four Pillars Rare Dry, Archie Rose Signature Dry, or Husk Ink Gin are all fantastic and make the drink distinctly Australian. London Dry like Tanqueray or Beefeater is the classic, drier and more juniper-forward.

150 ml premium tonic water. This is the non-negotiable. Fever-Tree Indian Tonic, or the Australian-made Capi or Strangelove tonics. Schweppes tonic from the supermarket is why people think they do not like gin. The quinine in cheap tonic tastes like paracetamol.

Big ice. Lots of it. Fill the glass. More ice means slower dilution, colder drink. Counter-intuitive but real.

One considered garnish. Not the tired lime wedge. Match the garnish to the gin. Citrus-forward gin gets pink grapefruit. Herbal gin gets rosemary and a juniper berry or two. Spicy gin gets a slice of cucumber. The garnish is not decoration, it is the third flavour.

A big balloon glass or Copa. If you do not have one, a wine glass works. A tall highball is the Australian pub standard but a balloon glass holds the aromatics over the drink where your nose can find them.

How to make it

Chill the glass. Fill it with ice right to the top. Let it sit for 30 seconds while you open the tonic. A warm glass murders a G&T.
Pour the gin. Straight over the ice. No measuring ritual required, but 45 ml is a proper drink and 60 ml is a weekend drink.
Pour the tonic. Down the side of the glass, slowly, onto the ice. This preserves the carbonation. A stressed tonic goes flat in ninety seconds.
Stir once, gently. Bar spoon or a clean chopstick, one lift up, one fold down. You are combining, not whisking.
Garnish. Press the peel or the herb against the rim to release the oils. Drop it in. Serve immediately.

Dinners that pair with this

What to cook when this is in the glass.

Thai green curry

Juniper and lemongrass are siblings. The tonic handles the heat.

Ceviche or poke

Citrus food needs citrus drink. Clean, bright, built for it.

Whole roasted barramundi

Fish needs lift. The G&T is lift in a glass.

Roast chicken with lemon

Lemon to lemon. Gin's botanicals echo the herbs on the bird.

Green salad with goat cheese

The lightest pairing on the site. Works even at 11am.

Browse every dinner on the site

Three variations worth knowing

Same frame, different paint.

Spanish-style G&T

Copa glass, big ice, extra botanicals (rosemary, juniper berries). Theatre in a drink.

Mediterranean G&T

Add 3 olives and a strip of orange peel instead of lime. Dry, savoury.

Pink G&T

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz or a strawberry gin, sliced strawberries, good tonic. Summer in a glass.

Bottles worth buying for this

For a serious first gin, Four Pillars Rare Dry at around $85 is worth it. Archie Rose Signature Dry around $80 is also spectacular. Either one makes a G&T worth drinking every night for a week.

Tonic matters more than you think. A 4-pack of Fever-Tree or Capi is maybe eight dollars. Cheapest smart upgrade in your drinks cabinet.

Cocktails, Recipes