Gin & Tonic! How do you like it?

Had a really decent G&T the other night using Hayman’s London Dry. Nothing fancy, just a can of Slimline tonic straight from the fridge. The gin’s bright, crisp style actually suited it surprisingly well. No harsh edges, no weird sweeteners dominating just a clean, refreshing mix where the citrus and juniper stayed in focus. Simple, satisfying stuff. No garnish, no fuss, lots of big ice cubes.

Curiosity got the better of me so I opened a Fever-Tree Indian, the full-fat one and tried the same gin again. It felt a bit rounder this time with a tad more weight and a softer edge. The tonic’s bitterness seemed to tease out more of the spice while the tonic's sweetness helped lift the citrus in the gin. Still had that clean, classic feel just smoother, less sharp, more of a gentle flow.

Both worked. Slimline gave it clarity and bite. The full fat Indian gave it a bit more polish and charm. I’ll happily go back to either depending on the mood. Both at a 3:1 ratio. 41.2%

As in my opening post - I'm now thinking that the Slimline works better overall with Navy Strength gins because its drier, leaner profile cuts through the weight and intensity letting the bold flavours show more clearly without tipping into heaviness.

Next stop, a revisit of the Plymouth Original (May 2018 was the last time I tried it!!)…
 
Coming to this late.
Didn’t pick up on Isle of Harris being mentioned. My fav gin, and nice bottle being a bonus.
Ice, 50ml IOH (short term in fridge?). Slice of orange. 3/4 can of Fevertree tonic (optional with elderflower!)
Have often wondered whether the big block of ice melting more slowly would mean that it had a lesser cooling effect (all that “latent heat of fusion of ice” malarkey) or whether you just imagine it melts more slowly.
Must ask a scientist.
 
John larkin said:
Coming to this late.
Didn’t pick up on Isle of Harris being mentioned. My fav gin, and nice bottle being a bonus.
Ice, 50ml IOH (short term in fridge?). Slice of orange. 3/4 can of Fevertree tonic (optional with elderflower!)
Have often wondered whether the big block of ice melting more slowly would mean that it had a lesser cooling effect (all that “latent heat of fusion of ice” malarkey) or whether you just imagine it melts more slowly.
Must ask a scientist.
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Great to see the Isle of Harris gin getting a mention. I was actually recommended it a while back but somehow forgot to pick up a bottle in the end. Definitely need to fix that soon. You’re onto something with the ice. Your gin stays cooler for longer without getting watered down too quickly. It’s the slow and steady way to keep things chilled. I have to admit though I’m usually more of a guzzler than a delicate sipper, unless it’s gone warm/flat then all bets are off! So maybe the big ice is just there to try and keep me on the straight and narrow. And yes, chilling the gin in the fridge definitely helps keep everything nice and fresh right from the first sip. Thanks for posting your approach, John. It’s always good to hear how others enjoy their G&T
 
After yesterday's White Lady(Embury proportions, of course, 8 Gin, 2 strained lemon juice, 1 triple sec/Cointreau-the common 1-1-1 makes a revolting drink)and the Old Fashioned Gin Cocktail the day before that I find myself reflecting once more that for my purposes mixing Gin with tonic is rather a waste of potential.
 
Thom Blach said:
After yesterday's White Lady(Embury proportions, of course, 8 Gin, 2 strained lemon juice, 1 triple sec/Cointreau-the common 1-1-1 makes a revolting drink)and the Old Fashioned Gin Cocktail the day before that I find myself reflecting once more that for my purposes mixing Gin with tonic is rather a waste of potential.
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I’;ve never had a White Lady myself athough yours sounds like it’d knock my socks off - or knock me off my trolley more like. It’s clearly a better stage for gin than lobbing in some tonic and ice. Still… sometimes ‘basic refreshment’ is all I’ve got the stamina for. One to add to the list, though!
 
I've never had a White Lady either. I thought it had egg white it in, but that is apparently optional.

Presumably "Embury" refers to David Embury's 1948 book. I was given a first edition copy when I was a student. Must try and find it. No doubt in a box somewhere. I very much doubt I've read it as I'm fairly clueless on cocktails.
 
AJ Temple said:
I've never had a White Lady either. I thought it had egg white it in, but that is apparently optional.

Presumably "Embury" refers to David Embury's 1948 book. I was given a first edition copy when I was a student. Must try and find it. No doubt in a box somewhere. I very much doubt I've read it as I'm fairly clueless on cocktails.
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It is optional nowadays. It looks impressive but gives a meringue flavour which one may not always want.
Do find it, it contains all one needs to know and is so well written one can read it like a novel. He is most insistent that cocktails should always be dry, and I am completely convinced.
 
Rather than hunt around in the loft I thought this is an old book and can only be a few pounds on abe or world of books. Have you see the price of a first edition? :oops: £500 plus. Incredible. So I am definitely going to find it now.
 
Found it now. Interesting that it was US Prohibition that led to the creation of many cocktails, masking unpalatable gin and whisky. I wonder if cocktails have developed differently in the US compared with the rest of the world.
 
AJ Temple said:
Found it now. Interesting that it was US Prohibition that led to the creation of many cocktails, masking unpalatable gin and whisky. I wonder if cocktails have developed differently in the US compared with the rest of the world.
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I think cocktails are a fundamentally American phenomenon.
 
I’m becoming slightly obsessed with gin and their tonic blends!

Tonight I tried my three new gins [6 O’clock Gin Brunel (50%abv), Brentingby Gin Black Edition (45%abv) and Conker Distillery Dorset Navy Strength (57%abv)] starting with my go-to Schweppes Slimline and loved every gin with it: crisp, clean, nothing getting in the way of the botanicals. Then I switched to London Essence Original Indian Tonic Water and… o sea of soupy sweetness… it was like wading into syrup. I think I’m now so used to the dryness and the low sweetness of slimline/skinny tonics that the full-fat versions just feel overblown and bloated.

My tonic line-up for this little experiment will be - Double Dutch Indian Tonic, Double Dutch Skinny Tonic Water, Folkington’s Indian Tonic Water, Britvic Tonic Water, London Essence Original Indian Tonic Water, Fever-Tree Naturally Light, Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water and Schweppes Slimline. *All from 150ml tins* It’s going to take me a while to work through all of them with each gin. However I’m already genuinely surprised at just how much the tonic can change the gin’s flavour, sometimes even completely dominating it.
 
PhilWilkins said:
I’m becoming slightly obsessed with gin and their tonic blends!

Tonight I tried my three new gins [6 O’clock Gin Brunel (50%abv), Brentingby Gin Black Edition (45%abv) and Conker Distillery Dorset Navy Strength (57%abv)] starting with my go-to Schweppes Slimline and loved every gin with it: crisp, clean, nothing getting in the way of the botanicals. Then I switched to London Essence Original Indian Tonic Water and… o sea of soupy sweetness… it was like wading into syrup. I think I’m now so used to the dryness and the low sweetness of slimline/skinny tonics that the full-fat versions just feel overblown and bloated.

My tonic line-up for this little experiment will be - Double Dutch Indian Tonic, Double Dutch Skinny Tonic Water, Folkington’s Indian Tonic Water, Britvic Tonic Water, London Essence Original Indian Tonic Water, Fever-Tree Naturally Light, Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water and Schweppes Slimline. *All from 150ml tins* It’s going to take me a while to work through all of them with each gin. However I’m already genuinely surprised at just how much the tonic can change the gin’s flavour, sometimes even completely dominating it.
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Great dedication Phil.
Taking one ( dozen ) for the team :)
 
For anyone curious I’ve lined up my eight tonic waters from perceived sweetest to driest based on taste alone so hardly scientific. To avoid getting completely annihilated I initially mixed with Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free gin alternative with 50ml gin/150ml tonic (from an aluminium tin) ratio.

At the sweet end you’ve got London Essence Original Indian Tonic Water (light citrus/cane sugar), Britvic Indian Tonic Water (full old-school/sweet lemon sherbet edge), Folkington’s Indian Tonic Water (softer/floral lift), Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water (rounded with orange/citrus notes) then finally there’s my favourite full fat Double Dutch Indian Tonic (grapefruit twist/gentle bitterness).

We then head into the light brigade with Fever-Tree Light (crisp/faint herbal lift), Double Dutch Skinny (clean/mineral) and finally the Schweppes Slimline (bone-dry/proper quinine snap/clean). So if you’ve (like me) been living in the slimline/skinny world for a while anything from the first 5 listed will feel like you’ve fallen into a sugar bowl. I, as usual, preferred the Slimline from that lot.

It turns out tonic isn’t just a mixer but sometimes a full-on flavour hijacker. Overall… not all tonics are created equal. Some are sweet, some are clean & some hijack the gin entirely. I think I'll stick with the Slimline for my London Dry gins.
 
AJ Temple said:
Hmmm. Slimline tonic is basically pointless with alcohol laden quality gin. Actually, it's pointless with everything. There are better ways to achieve calorie reduction. Eat less for example. Don't compromise the taste of expensive alcohol.
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Interesting take, AJ. Although I’m not sure how you’ve landed on “pointless,” especially when we’re talking 150 ml tins, ice-cold and part of the gin’s intended serve. I get the “don’t compromise flavour” angle but slimline changes the bitterness/sweetness balance rather than just hacking at calories. And that’s worth exploring.
 
It's a personal thing Phil. I don't personally like the sweetening agents used in any of the low calorie drinks (including soft drinks) - my palate is very sensitive to them.

What I was really getting at was a bit tongue in cheek. We obviously serve quite a few drinks, and it amuses me that people ask for low calorie mixers and then eat a 9 course tasting menu and sometimes have double pudding. :cool:

Not intended as an attack on your tastes and I apologise if it came over in that way.
 
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