Gin and Tonic!

After our last post, it's time to make some drinks!  As promised, we're going to show you how to use our homemade tonic concentrate.

For a change, we're not reproducing or redacting a recipe from The Ideal Bartender.  Why did Bullock not include the gin and tonic in his book?  Was it not a popular beverage in Saint Louis in 1917?  We'll never know.  In any case, the following is an original recipe.



Gin and tonic is one of our go-to session cocktails. Great for after dinner, great for a summer afternoon. The clean, crisp flavor of our trusty New Amsterdam gin makes it a perfect fit in this drink.  

Now, how do you make an ordinary G&T?  Bottled tonic water, gin, mix, garnish with lime wedge.  This is more a little complicated.  What's the standard G&T's biggest drawback?  Apart from the fact that it's not as delicious, it's the half a bottle of tonic water you find, flat, in the fridge three days later.  Every single time.  In our view, one of the prime benefits of homemade tonic concentrate is that it keeps in the refrigerator for three or four months.  With no carbonation, it doesn't go flat, and with its high acidity (and no sugar), it's very...microbiology resistant.

Gin and Tonic

lump ice
2 oz. dry gin
1 tsp. homemade tonic concentrate
1 tsp. simple syrup, or to taste
2 oz. soda water
wedge of lime

Mix all ingredients in a bar glass.  Garnish with lime wedge.

The magic in a G&T is the balance. I think these proportions are perfect, but as you see, everything is under your control.  If you're a person who regularly keeps simple syrup and seltzer water on hand -- and realistically, if you're reading this, I know you are, friend -- you could be drinking a bracing gin and tonic at any moment.  (If you find yourself tragically out of limes...closing your eyes while you drink it helps.  Well, a little.)