The Best Gin and Tonic

A gin and tonic done well is one of the great hot-weather drinks. Done badly, it's bar-rail well gin and flat soda. The difference is two ingredients (good gin, good tonic) and one technique (lots of fresh ice, the right glass). Here's how we make it.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Nopalera Gin
• 4–5 oz quality tonic water (Fever-Tree, Q, or Fentimans)
• Lime wedge or pink grapefruit wheel
• Plenty of fresh ice

Method

1. Fill a tall glass (highball or copa) with ice. Lots of ice. Up to the rim.
2. Pour the gin over the ice.
3. Top with tonic. Pour gently down the side of the glass to preserve carbonation.
4. Stir once with a bar spoon, briefly, just to combine.
5. Garnish with the lime or grapefruit. Drink immediately.

Notes

The tonic matters as much as the gin. Mass-market tonic (Schweppes, Canada Dry) is corn-syrup-sweet and aggressively bitter in the wrong way. Fever-Tree, Q, and Fentimans use cane sugar and real cinchona bark; the difference is enormous.

Lots of ice. A glass with three ice cubes will be flat and warm in two minutes. A glass packed with ice melts slowly, keeps the drink cold, and barely dilutes it.

Garnish with intention. Lime is classic. Pink grapefruit shows off Nopalera's California citrus character better. Some bartenders use rosemary, juniper berries, or cucumber — all good with this gin.

Variations

• Gin and tonic with grapefruit. Replace lime with a pink grapefruit wheel. The Nopalera special.
• Gin Rickey. Replace tonic with soda water and add 0.5 oz lime juice. Drier.
• French 75. Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, champagne. The brunch upgrade.
• Gin and elderflower tonic. Use Fever-Tree's elderflower tonic. Floral.

Where to next

Shop Nopalera Gin, try our Negroni recipe, or learn about the difference between vodka and gin.