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Gin & Tonic
1 Recipe & 3 Big Controversial Topics
Whether in the bar, at a party or at home: Gin & Tonic is the order of the day. The name says it all - the spirit gin and the drink tonic water, which contains quinine. As simple as that sounds, there are many things to consider when making the perfect Gin & Tonic. You can also find out here what the 3 biggest points of contention about Gin & Tonic are!
Choose from:
The healing effect of Gin & Tonic:
Gin & Tonic is not only the king of gin cocktails, it is also said to have healing properties . The reason for this is the quinine content of tonic water. Quinine was used in colonial times as a fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory agent. As the taste of the powder was too bitter, they mixed it with gin, which significantly improved the taste. The result was the invented bitter lemonade! As gin & tonic has changed a lot over the years, tonic water today only contains a small amount of quinine, which is why it is no longer said to have healing properties.
recipe for Gin & Tonic
Regardless of which type of gin you choose and which tonic water you prefer, you can't go wrong with this mix:
Ingredients
- 4 cl gin
- 3 ice cubes
- 250 ml tonic water
- 1 slice of lemon, lime or cucumber
! The mixing ratio in this recipe is intended as a guideline. You can of course decide for yourself how strong your Gin & Tonic should be. The mixing ratio varies from about 1:1 to 1:4.
preparation
- Fill the ice cubes into a suitable glass, chill the glass beforehand if necessary
- Add gin
- Top up with tonic water
- Add lemon, lime, cucumber or other decoration (see below) to the glass according to taste
How many calories does a Gin & Tonic have?
Like all long drinks and cocktails, gin & tonic is of course not a diet drink. How many calories you consume depends on the type of gin and tonic water you use, as well as the mixing ratio. Roughly speaking, you can assume that 200 milliliters have between 135 and 150 kcal.
The right glass
A gin and tonic tastes best when served in the right glass. We therefore recommend the highball glass, which, with a capacity of 300-400 ml, is ideal for the cocktail.
Gin & Tonic - An eternal controversial topic
Friendship often ends with gin - because there are a few things that gin lovers disagree about. The name also often differs: it is said that the professionals talk about "gin & tonic", while ordering a "gin and tonic" exposes the layman. But let's look at what else gin friends discuss:
1. Cucumber in Gin & Tonic or not?
A slice of cucumber can add extra freshness to a long drink, but many fans of classic gin preparations don't like cucumber in a glass. What speaks against cucumber: The taste can mask the typical juniper note of gin, while citrus fruits enhance it.
But there are also types of gin that use cucumber during production. Here, it fits perfectly in the glass and enhances the taste. Whether the cucumber slice belongs in the gin & tonic depends primarily on the type of gin.
2. How much ice in a gin and tonic?
A good gin & tonic should not be watered down. However, doing without ice would be the wrong approach. In fact, you should put as much ice in the glass as possible. This way, the drink stays cold longer, the ice melts more slowly and the taste doesn't fade as quickly. Just one ice cube is not enough, depending on the size of the glass, you should have at least three.
It also matters what kind of ice you use: crushed ice is not suitable for gin & tonic, it is better to use ice cubes that are as large as possible. The smaller the ice cubes, the faster the water from the ice will pass into the drink. The taste of the gin & tonic suffers as a result, so large ice cubes are the best choice.
3. Decoration in the Gin Tonic or not?
Lemon, lime or cucumber can be used as decoration - usually called "garnish". But there are other ways to decorate your gin & tonic, especially with so-called botanicals, which many manufacturers offer. These are spices that are themselves part of the gin and so go perfectly with the aroma of your long drink.
Whether you add botanicals to the glass as decoration ultimately depends on your taste. And it also determines whether the gin & tonic is served with a straw. This is actually considered a no-go by many long drink fans, but if there are a lot of botanicals floating in the glass, the straw makes drinking easier.
Want to make your own gin?
Is that possible? Of course, and it's actually really easy! We'll show you how it's done here !
... Or go to the overview to learn more about the gin!