10 gin & tonics with a twist
Bored of the same old gin & tonic? Try these 10 ways to spruce up your old favourite, transforming it from an average tipple into a classy cocktail.
When served correctly, gin & tonic sounds, looks, smells and tastes irresistible. But, if you want to take it to another level, the magnificent blueprint can be adapted easily. These 10 simple serving suggestions use liqueur and fresh ingredients to complement the spirit and mixer combination.
Unveil the simplicity of elegance with our gin and tonic ingredients, the key to crafting timeless, refreshing drinks, we recommend a 50ml serving of gin (if other spirit is added, decrease the amount of gin appropriately) and a 100ml serving of tonic water. This is 1:2 parts in cocktail terms. Use a nice long glass or even better, a large Spanish-style copa glass with a stem and a big mouth (any decent wine glasses will work for this). Fill the glass right to the top with some good quality ice and use straws if you wish. All tonic should be Indian tonic unless stated otherwise.
10 ways to makeover gin & tonic
1. The Parisian
Take a herbal gin and pour a tablespoon of elderflower liqueur in. Add equal parts tonic water and champagne, garnish with a slapped sage leaf or two and a lemon wedge to create the perfect gin and tonic drink.
2. Too cool
Use a gin with fresh cucumber notes and pair with an elderflower flavoured tonic then garnish with long ribbons of cucumber and a sprig of mint.
3. Sbagliato-nic
Mix equal parts of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari in a lowball glass, spritz it up with a tonic top and garnish with a big, juicy wedge of orange.
4. Posh G&T
Take a vibrant, citrussy gin and add a tablespoon of sweet vermouth. Add two dashes of peach bitters, top with tonic and garnish with a generous handful of luscious seasonal berries.
5. Sloe down
Sloe gin combines ridiculously well with lemon tonic, flirt with a zest of lemon over the glass and drop it in. Fancy making your own? Try our sloe gin recipe.
6. Ol’ smokey
Marry a juniper-heavy gin with half a teaspoon of a super smokey whiskey. Add a dash of apricot liqueur and top with tonic, garnish with a chunky pink grapefruit zest.
7. Tonic delight
Select a floral gin and add a tablespoon of rose water, a tablespoon of peach liqueur and a two dashes of grapefruit bitters. Go demure on the garnish and top with a rose petal.
8. Guilty pleasure
Pour a herbal-style gin and grab a few leaves of fresh mint, slap them and drop them in. Pop in two dashes of mint bitters and a tablespoon of chocolate liqueur. Introduce the tonic then garnish with a few sprigs of mint and some luxurious grated dark chocolate.
9. Stuck in the Med
Pick up some intriguing herbaceous gin and introduce it to a Mediterranean-style tonic. Rim your glass with some herbed sea salt, slap some fresh rosemary and stand it tall in the glass.
10. The evolver
Make some flavoured aqua by boiling some herbs in water for a minute or two. Let the water cool then freeze the water and add the ice cubes to a classic gin and tonic – the drink's flavour profile will evolve throughout the drinking. Garnish with the matching herbs for that extra special touch.
Love G&T? Try these guides and recipes
How to make the perfect gin & tonic
Gin & tonic recipe collection
5 ways with gin & tonic
The 8 best gin glasses for serving a G&T
How to make flavoured gin
What is a gin and tonic
What to mix with gin instead of tonic
Gin with tonic water
How do you serve your G&T? Do you like to keep things simple or do our cocktail makeovers float your boat? We have lots more liquid inspiration in our cocktails & drinks section too.
Comments, questions and tips
