The Gin & Tonic is as classic a mix as one gets — it’s like junipery gin and bitter tonic water were fated to be found in one of those ‘name a more iconic duo’ memes. (We’ll wait).
But for such a simple mix, there’s a lot that can go wrong with a G&T; whilst a good one is a great drink, a Gin & Tonic that’s slapped together feels wrong, very wrong.
So we’ve turned to four of Australia’s best gin bars for answers, all with the hope of finding your perfect Gin & Tonic.
BEN LUZZ, GIN PALACE, MELBOURNE
“A higher ABV gin works well in some cases more than a standard 30ml pour; 45ml to 50ml seems to roughly work against 125ml of tonic water, but it really depends on the gin and on the tonic.”
MARCUS MOTTERAM, HAINS & CO, ADELAIDE
“At Hains & Co. we use a 3:1 ratio. Ice is important here too, a solid cubed ice, as you don’t want over-dilution. The drink needs to be refreshing, any less tonic, and the booziness can take some of this away, any more and you begin to drown the gin, and the botanicals of the tonic take over.”
DAVID NGUYEN-LUU, THE BARBER SHOP, SYDNEY
“One part gin, to three parts tonic. Plenty of ice. I don’t like it when you taste more tonic than gin — that ratio to me is perfect. It’s got to be ice cold. You want juniper, juniper, juniper. Not enough gins out there are going back to a solid London dry style of bold juniper. There’s too many new botanicals being introduced.”
OWEN HUMPHREY, FRISK SMALL BAR, PERTH
“For me the garnish should support the gin. I’d say lime if you want to keep simple, but it depends on the Citrus in the botanical profile.”
4 keys to a great G&T
- The Garnish: Really, you can garnish a G&T with whatever the hell you want, but the idea is to either complement or contrast the botanicals present in the gin you use.
- The Tonic: It’s the largest component of the recipe, so make sure you use a good one, like Fever-Tree’s Indian Tonic Water, which we’ve used here.
- The Gin: Although there’s a plethora of gins available today, nothing beats a punchy, juniper-driven gin.
- The Ice: Use the best damn ice you’ve got, because a watery Gin & Tonic is an intolerable situation.