A Classic Gin and Tonic (or G&T) is one of the easiest drinks to make. It’s light and refreshing—and as the name implies—it is just two ingredients plus lime. It’s a great choice for happy hour or the campfire.

Thanks to 6 O’clock Gin for providing us samples for drink bending. This post contains affiliate links.

 
However, your Gin and Tonic will only be as good as the gin and tonic you choose to craft your cocktail with. The best G&T is made with a quality gin. We love our gins with hints of citrus and botanical blends. One of our favorite gins is the 6 O’clock Gin. Not only is it reasonably priced, but it’s strikingly smooth. The 6 O’clock Gin London Dry has a clean flavor led by juniper. We chose this for our Classic Gin and Tonic for World Gin Day, April 9, 2021. (See below for a list of some of our other favorite gins that are guaranteed to give you a great G&T.) 

Classic Gin and Tonic

Classic Gin and Tonic Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 4–6 ounces tonic water, to taste
• Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste
• Optional garnish: lime wedge or lime wheels

How to Make a Classic Gin and Tonic

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the gin.
2. Top with tonic water.
3. Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge or two on top, to taste.
4. Stir gently, as not to lose too much carbonation.
5. Optional garnish: lime wedge or lime wheels.
6. Serve and enjoy. Drink responsibly.

Classic Gin and Tonic

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

A Classic Gin and Tonic (or G&T) is one of the easiest drinks to make. It's light and refreshing—and as the name implies—it is just two ingredients plus lime. It's a great choice for happy hour or the campfire.

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Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 4–6 ounces tonic water, to taste
• Freshly squeezed lime juice to taste
• Optional garnish: lime wedge or lime wheels

Instructions

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the gin.
2. Top with tonic water.
3. Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge or two on top, to taste.
4. Stir gently, as not to lose too much carbonation.
5. Optional garnish: lime wedge or lime wheels.
6. Serve and enjoy. Drink responsibly.

What’s the Best Ratio for a Gin and Tonic?

Gin is a clear spirit distilled from fermented grain containing no less than 40% ABV (80 proof) in the U.S and 45% ABV (90 proof) in the EU, with the characteristic flavor of juniper berries.

To create the ultimate Gin and Tonic ratio, pour 1-part gin to 3-parts tonic. Too much gin and the botanical spirit will overshadow the unique qualities of the tonic you’ve selected. Too much tonic water and it will drown the gin you’ve selected.

With just those two ingredients, there are endless permutations and room for experimentation. There are hundreds of gins on the market, all with a variety of flavor profiles, though generally very juniper-forward. Modern gins tend to be a bit less juniper-forward and more heavy on the citrus and floral.

There are dozens of tonics available—some dry and straightforward with the bitter quinine right there on the palate. Other tonics are sweeter and syrupy. You’ll find tonics of all types in between the two extremes, featuring everything from citrus and floral aromatics to herbs and spice.

Then there are garnish options. Of course, you can stick with the status quo—a lime. But some people prefer a lemon (especially with Hendrick’s). Others swear by a slice of grapefruit or a sprig of rosemary. Truly the possibilities are endless.

What’s the Best Gin for a Gin and Tonic?

Like anything else, “best” is subjective, though we have our preferences, and there are a few things to keep in mind. While I never want to snub brands, I’m not a well liquor girl. Ever. I didn’t even like well liquors in college. So I would recommend anything you can find on the well of a bar isn’t going to be a gin you want to bother making a G&T with at home. If you’re insistent on well liquor, you can probably just stop reading and make your G&T with whatever gin and tonic you have one hand. 

Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, and Hendrick’s are popular gin brands that will always be G&T standbys that most people are familiar with and you can never go wrong with. Aviation Gin is another gin that you can’t go wrong with. I might be a bit biased given it’s from Oregon, but I loved it even before Ryan Reynolds bought the distillery. Aviation offers rich, floral, and savory notes of lavender, cardamom, and sarsaparilla to capture the lushness, spice, creativity, and freshness of the Pacific Northwest.

If you want to try a more botanical gin, Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin is one of my favorite botanical gins. It’s infused with juniper, cucumber, lemon, sage, and lavender and makes a beautifully aromatic G&T, especially with lemon or lavender as a garnish. Empress 1908 Gin is another excellent botanical gin. It’s got a gorgeous lavender color and uses 8 signature botanicals, including juniper, grapefruit peel, rose petal, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and a bespoke blend of tea made especially for the Empress Hotel. Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice is a limited edition botanical gin that is a lighter, crisper take on Hendrick’s house style but with those unmistakable notes of cucumber and rose. And Hendrick’s Lunar gin is a super treat, as well. It’s delightfully smooth and alluring and offers a delicate balance of gentle spice and subtle floral notes with a soft citrus finish.

What’s the Best Tonic Water?

Much like the “best” gin, the “best” tonic is also subjective. Fever-Tree and Q Drinks are at the top of our list for accessible and great tonic waters. They were designed for mixing cocktails, and they are high quality without breaking the bank. Both brands offer a variety of flavors if you want to experiment with botanicals or diet tonic water (they also make our favorite ginger beer for mules). That said, we buy Schweppes and Polar when we can’t find what we want at the store or we’re making drinks in bulk. It may seem counterintuitive, but I’ll use a slightly higher quality gin or one with more botanicals if I use a lower quality tonic water.

Is Tonic Water Healthy?

Nutritionally, tonic water does not provide any value. It typically has less sugar or sweetener than other soft drinks. What tonic water does offer is quinine, which comes from the bark of the cinchona tree, giving it its bitter taste. While quinine is a common treatment for malaria, it’s also something a lot of people take for helping with leg cramps and restless leg syndrome. Leg cramps are typically caused by dehydration, so you’re probably better off drinking a little more water throughout the day than relying on tonic water to do the trick, but that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good G&T from time to time.

Gin and Tonic Tips

• A G&T is almost always served with a lime wedge or lime wheel, but lemon is a substitute some people prefer.
• Running a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass is an excellent way to add a touch of extra citrus to the drink. 
• If you prefer a heavier lime flavor, squeeze the juice from an extra lime wedge or two into your G&T before you stir. 
• Chilled and freshly opened bottles of tonic will provide the best flavor for your G&T.

Gin and Tonic with lemon

Gin and Tonic Recipe Variations

As mentioned above, the Classic Gin and Tonic is so easy, and because it’s only two ingredients plus the lime, it makes it very easy to experiment. You can hardly “ruin” a drink with experimentation, but you can easily create a whole new drink with the Classic G&T as the building block.

• Don’t love gin? Try a Classic Vodka Tonic. It’s essentially the same drink but uses vodka instead of gin (keep the lime)
• Prefer whiskey to gin? Swapping whiskey for the gin gives you a Leprechaun (swap lemon for the lime).
• Muddled fresh fruit not only tastes great but it’s pretty, too. Mango, raspberries, and blueberries all pair well with that hint of citrus and lime in your G&T.
• G&Ts do tend to be dry, especially if you make it with a London Dry Gin. Looking for something a touch sweeter? Add a splash to 1 ounce of fruit juice such as cranberry or orange. Or you could add 1/2 ounce of a fruit-flavored liqueur, fruit-flavored syrup, or even grenadine to add a bit of sweetness.
• If you want to try getting fancy (but easy fancy, I promise) you could try infusing your own gin (or vodka!). While you can find a recipe and do your own, there are plenty of places that sell gin infusion kits all ready for you with everything you need to DIY your own gin infusion.

Check out our other cocktail recipes

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Jana

Jana Seitzer is a writer, traveler, podcaster, and geek. Although well-versed in many fictional universes, Star Wars & Marvel have always been her favorites.

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