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How to Make a Proper Gin and Tonic

Name: How to Make a Proper Gin and Tonic
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 oz gin; 4-6 oz tonic water; 1 lime wedge; full glass ice cubes

A proper gin and tonic starts with a tall glass filled with ice, two ounces of gin, four to six ounces of quality tonic water, and a lime wedge. The key is the ratio, the ice, and not drowning the gin with too much tonic. Build it in the glass, stir once, and serve immediately.

Total time: 5 min
Hands-on: 5 min
Serves: 1
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 oz gin
4-6 oz tonic water
1 lime wedge
full glass ice cubes

Step by step

Fill a highball glass with ice. Use a proper tall glass, not a rocks glass. Fill it completely with fresh ice cubes. The ice chills everything and dilutes the drink just enough as it melts.
Add two ounces of gin. Pour the gin directly over the ice. Use a London Dry gin for classic flavor, or try a more botanical gin if you want something different. Measure it properly — eyeballing leads to weak drinks.
Top with four to six ounces of tonic water. Pour the tonic slowly down the side of the glass to preserve carbonation. Start with four ounces and taste. Add more if you want it lighter. Fresh tonic makes all the difference — check the expiration date.
Add lime and stir once. Squeeze a lime wedge into the drink, then drop it in. Give it one gentle stir with a bar spoon or knife. Too much stirring kills the bubbles.

Tips & troubleshooting

Chill your glass in the freezer for ten minutes before making the drink
Keep tonic water cold and only open it when you're ready to use it
The gin-to-tonic ratio should be roughly 1:3, but adjust to your taste
Use lime, not lemon — lemon is for gin fizzes
If your tonic tastes flat, it probably is — buy smaller bottles
A bar spoon works better than a regular spoon for stirring

Variations

Spanish Style G&T. Serve in a large wine glass with lots of ice, premium gin, and botanical garnishes like cucumber, herbs, or different citrus. Very aromatic and visual.
Pink Gin and Tonic. Add a few dashes of Angostura bitters to the gin before adding tonic. The bitters turn it pink and add complexity.
Elderflower G&T. Replace regular tonic with elderflower tonic water, or add a splash of elderflower liqueur to regular tonic.
Cucumber G&T. Muddle thin cucumber slices in the bottom of the glass before adding gin and tonic. Refreshing and spa-like.

Questions

What's the best gin for a gin and tonic?: London Dry gins like Tanqueray or Beefeater work perfectly for classic G&Ts. They have enough juniper to stand up to the tonic. Premium gins with lots of botanicals can get muddy with tonic, so save those for martinis.
Does the type of tonic water really matter?: Absolutely. Cheap tonic is mostly sugar water with quinine. Good tonic water like Fever-Tree or Q Tonic has better balance and more quinine bite. The tonic is half your drink — don't cheap out.
Why lime instead of lemon?: Lime's acidity and oils complement gin's botanicals better than lemon. Lemon can overpower the gin and make everything taste like furniture polish. Save lemon for gin fizzes and Tom Collins.
How much should I stir a gin and tonic?: One gentle stir, maybe two. You want to mix the gin and tonic without beating all the carbonation to death. The drink should still have life when you serve it.
Can I make gin and tonics ahead of time?: No. The tonic goes flat and the ice melts. Make them one at a time, right before serving. It takes two minutes — there's no shortcut worth taking.