Welcome to another ongoing bartending article , from Westchester’s PREMIER Bartending School, The Academy of Professional Bartending The Number 1 rated Bartending School in New York!

Gin and Tonic

Today’s mini-series will cover the all too simple Gin and Tonic. Well, easy to make but did you know…

 

 

 

 

Gin and Tonics were -like Gin itself- originally developed as a medicine. In this case to help fight malaria. When the British were in the East they became susceptible to malaria and eventually found out that quinine (an ingredient in Tonic Water) was useful for getting rid of the disease. Well, as you would probably expect, drinking Tonic Water by itself is pretty nasty (unless you’ve acquired a taste for it) and they had problems getting the British in the East to drink it.

Along comes our friend Gin to be mixed with the Tonic Water, which not only made drinking it much more pleasant, but also created an excellent drink that would be remembered from then on, even if its relationship to the disease was forgotten. So, as you can see, Gin and Tonic Water came about due to medicinal reasons, then caught on later for their more pleasurable aspects.

On a minor note, the Lime (served in any GOOD Gin and Tonic) being a citrus fruit (and therefore containing Vitamin C) helps to prevent scurvy. Usually the limes are not the dominant ingredient of Gin and Tonic, so they won’t actually get rid of scurvy if you’ve already got it – unless you drink A LOT of Gin and Tonics of course.

 

 

 

 

Turn Back the Hands of Time . 

 

 

 

 

This cocktail was introduced by the army of the British East India Company in India. Tonic water contains quinine, which was used to prevent malaria. Because the tonic water consumed to prevent malaria in the 18th century was extremely strong, making it taste very bitter, gin was added to make it more palatable. The bitter flavor of quinine complements the green notes of gin (flavored with juniper), much as dry vermouth complements the gin in a classic martini. Tonic water sold today contains less quinine and is consequently less bitter (and is sometimes sweetened).

 

Although tonic water today has less medical use than formerly, gin and tonic has remained a popular drink. Because of its connection with warm climates and its refreshing effects, this cocktail is very popular during the warmer months.

 

Don’t be fooled: the gin and tonic may be many things, but easy it is not.

It’s a very simple drink, as is the martini. For that reason, it’s very easy to get wrong.

Because there’s so little that goes into this symbolic drink — gin, tonic water, ice and perhaps a bit of lime — what really matters are good ingredients .

Yet even gin and tonic lovers face an uphill battle to find a good one.  Even when done right, it’s not an easy drink to love — tonic’s slightly bitter quinine taste is a turnoff to sweet-drink lovers.

Atop the list of potential pitfalls is the tonic, a misunderstood beverage if ever there was one, and a potentially devastating blow to a perfect G&T.

The sad part is, it’s screwed up at 90 percent of the bars in America, and you know the reason? Ninety percent of bars in America use soda out of a gun that in no way, shape or form resembles quinine water.

The better bet is tonic from a bottle — preferably one of those single-serving jobs, which preserves freshness. Request it that way if you’re ordering in a bar; the best bars will at least stock club soda and tonic in bottles.

Gin vs. gin
The secret to the gin is the choice of botanicals. All gins have juniper as a flavor base in their distillation, which is what provides those foresty scents. But most use additional flavorings of citrus and spices. Bombay Sapphire has made its reputation on its use of 10 botanicals, from lemon peel to cubeb berries, a Javanese pepper. The mix makes Sapphire’s taste profile spicier than most — though Walker insists it’s the balance of flavors, not the number of them, that is key to its seductiveness
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If you prefer a more straightforward gin — any London dry such as Beefeater or regular Bombay — to the more aromatic options, which also include Dutch and Plymouth gins, and new options like Tanqueray Ten. Or if you opt for “something snappier” like the original Tanqueray.

The key to the drink’s classic taste is to balance the bitterness of the tonic against the juniper and other flavors in the gin.

As for the rest, choose a tall, slim, chilled highball glass, the freshest limes possible and — no matter how hot the day — solid cubes of the coldest ice you can get. Ratios for tonic to gin vary widely, from equal parts to 2:1. It’s really a matter of taste.

Variations abound, and none are beyond the pale: a sprig of mint, or a dash of Angostura bitters only add additional layers of flavor.  But the humble gin and tonic is a hot-weather drink, best not to be over thought.

Keep it simple a gentle stir and a big ol’ hunk of lime and head for the hammock.

 

And now the recipe You will need:

1. Some Collin/Highball glasses
2. some lemons
3. ice-cubes
4. Gin
4. Tonic

 
1. Cut a lemon slice and squeeze it into the glass, to get out all its oil and juice and after this put it at the bottom of the glass
2. Full with ice cubes till the edges of the glass
3. Squeeze a half lemon above of the ice cubes. Wait for 30 secs.
4. Fill the 1/3 of the glass with Gin
5. Fill the rest of glass with Tonic
6. Gently stir the mixture with the knife you have cut the lemon