Welcome back to the blog Darrins Mixology, blog dedicated to mixing and its various aspects. In this article I propose you a guide to the perfect gin and tonic going to mention some gin labels and giving you the fundamental expert advice that I use to prepare a gin and tonic. In this way you will avoid falling back into the most common mistakes of those who try this preparation at home with friends.
The choice of gin
Gin is one of the best known distillates in the world thanks to its flexibility in taste and its history that has led it to be known and produced all over the world. Surely one of the best known cocktails is the gin and tonic but there are many others such as the dry martini and the gin fizz.
Compared to other drinks, gin and tonic has conquered everyone's palate over time as there are different categories that really encompass many tastes. In fact, on the market we find soft and fruity gins, spiced gins and more classic gins with drier notes, in short, there is one for everyone.
The choice of tonic
As in the case of gin, also tonics, the second component of the drink to compose a gin and tonic, it can now be found in different flavors. There are dry tonics that use less sugar in the recipe, fruit flavored tonics and spicy tonics such as the case of the Fever tree mediterranean.
Hence the first advice I give to anyone trying a new gin is to use a neutral tonic for the preparation of gin and tonic. In this way you will be able to understand the balance of the gin and understand if it is to your liking or not.
To be sure that the tonic is neutral, check that there is the wording on the label ‘INDIAN‘. This word means one neutral toned style which adapts very well to any type of gin. In this case the indian fever tree is more than good or even a very simple schweppes tonic in a glass bottle will make a good impression contrary to many people think.
The choice of gasket
Even today, the garnish in gin and tonic is a little-studied detail. There are still many people who tend to put different spices in the drink just for the sake of giving more color to the drink without thinking about its balance. In fact, it must be considered that each gin is produced by an expert who doses the different botanicals used to find the right balance of the recipe. If we go to insert other spices without a purpose, flowers or fruits we will destroy that balance by drinking a completely different product. In most cases the gasket can be used, but it only serves to give perfume to the gin and tonic that you are going to drink.
In fact, it is enough to obtain the zest from a lemon and press the sides so that the essential oils of the citrus fall back onto the glass.
GIN TONIC RECIPE AND PREPARATION
- 50 ml Gin
- 150 ml Tonic water
- Possible gasket
- Ice
To prepare a gin and tonic, use a tall tumbler or a glass with a similar capacity and fill it with ice cubes. Stir with a suitable teaspoon or any other utensil that allows you to stir the ice in the glass so that you can cool it without touching it with your hands. At this point, drain the water that has formed and use a jigger to measure out the gin. After the gin complete with the tonic and l”any gasket.
Please avoid pouring the tonic on the stem of the teaspoon, it went out of fashion for a long time but this only serves to degas the tonic, making the drink less pleasant.
Gin and tonic glasses on Amazon
SOME LABELS OF GIN
Below are three different gin labels that you can buy directly on amazon. In particular I chose a particularly dry gin, one softer fruity and a third more spicy. You can then go and prepare a gin and tonic following your favorite flavours.
1. No.3 London Dry Gin
The number 3 is a gin produced in England according to the London dry style, the best known and most valuable historical style that has allowed this label to be the only one to have won for 4 years as the best gin in the world all’International Spirits Challange.
This particularly dry gin from 46% alc. makes the notes of Italian juniper stand out followed by fruity notes of orange and grapefruit and spicy notes of coriander and cardamom.
Buy No. 3 London Dry Gin su Amazon
2. Brockmans
Brockmans is also a gin produced in England by 40% alc.. It is a decidedly softer and fruitier gin which sees among the ingredients that stand out the most fruits such as blackberries and blueberries which are left to infuse for some time in the alcoholic grain base.
The juniper used is a Tuscan juniper and the recipe is balanced by using coriander and orange peels.
3. Opihr Oriental Spiced london Dry Gin
The legacy of this gin is linked to the spice route as can be guessed from the name itself. Opihr is an English gin from 42,5% alc. and characterized by the use of hand-picked exotic spices for its production. After juniper, the main botanicals are grapefruit peel, the cumin, the cardamom, and a blend of other secret exotic spices that spice up the gin.
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