The essential elements to get the perfect gin and tonic

Creating a gin and tonic is not a complicated task, but you have to bear in mind the quality of all the elements in its preparation. From choosing the best ingredients to the selection of the best glass and even the quality of the ice, we leave you some of the best tips to obtain the perfect gin tonic.

Tonic Water

Let's start with the basics: the ratio of gin to tonic water. Depending on how strongly you appreciate your gin and tonic, the ratio can vary from two to four parts of tonic per part of gin.

As the proportion of tonic is higher than gin in gin tonic, it is very important to have a quality tonic water. In the last couple of years, the number of tonic water brands available worldwide has increased significantly, and they vary in many aspects, such as the quinine and sugar quantity, which determine its bitterness and sweetness. There are also other ingredients that contribute to the tonic water flavour, like citric fruits. It is important that the tonic water does not remove or camouflage the "personality" of the gin. There has to be a perfect combination of gin and tonic, so that the two stand out in a balanced way.

Ice 

In a drink with such few ingredients as the gin and tonic, all of them have to shine - including the ice. The ice cubes made from tap water may contain impurities that harm the flavour of your drink. Distilled water, though, might create a dull taste, which also doesn’t help. The solution is to use filtered water from a jar. This way, you will obtain ice cubes that assure a gin and tonic with a balanced flavour.

Also consider the shape and amount of ice cubes. Remember that the goal is to maintain the drink fresh. The larger the size of the ice cube, the harder it will be to melt, thus ensuring that the taste will not be diluted by the water resulting from the ice.

Garnish 

The garnish is the fruit, herb or even vegetable that is added to the gin and tonic and that may serve three different goals: to accentuate a flavour already present in the gin, to add a flavour that doesn’t exist in the gin, by balancing it, or to simply make your gin and tonic aesthetically pleasing.

That said, there are no correct answers - it’s your drink, so might as well try different garnishes until you find your favourite. Just make sure you always respect the gin’s soul!

Many gins have citric ingredients, so lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit are often the prefered garnishes. But, bear in mind: a lemon wheel might be too much. Just add a little lemon peel, enough to make a difference in your gin and tonic taste.

 A good gin should always be tried simply, in order to capture its essence. However, you can always try other garnishings such as pepper, star anise, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, lavender and edible flowers, among others.

Glass

If you want to highlight your gin and tonic flavours, the glass choice is primordial. Pick a balloon glass, which has a spheric format, ideal to preserve the flavours and make the ice melt slower, keeping the drink fresh and less diluted for longer. Besides, the glass balloon shape allows you to better enjoy the botanics aroma present in the gin.

When preparing, cooling the glass by "rotating" the ice and having the tonic water very fresh are essential aspects that ensure a refreshing gin and tonic.