Gin
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Spanish G&T
The Spanish G&T is all about the garnish. The possibilities are endless, but the idea is to choose garnishes that complement both the gin and the tonic.
London Dry and other juniper-forward gin's pair well with Classic Tonic, fresh herbs, citrus, and juniper berries. American and other floral-forward gins take well to Indian Tonic and fresh seasonal fruits and edible flowers.
Spanish G&T Recipe:
2 oz gin
4 oz tonic*
2 dashes bitters
Squeeze lemon
Cucumber slice (3)
Juniper Berry (3) and or Red Peppercorn (3)
Lemon peel
Add Gin, Bitters, Cucumber, Juniper, Lemon Juice, and Peppercorns to a balloon glass. Add ice and stir. Slowly pour in tonic on side of glass. Carefully lift and stir. Spritz with the lemon peel and drop peel in glass.
Serve with or without a straw.
Photo by @steph.achter
Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball
When asked about the inspiration behind this highball, Kirk laughed and proclaimed that he’d “made it around Valentine’s Day” and that it reminded him of his ex, so it’s fitting that he named it the Bitter Sweetheart!
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Kirk and follow Royal Rose Syrups on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz Campari
.5 oz Dry Curaçao
.75 oz Royal Rose Organic Raspberry Syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Shake all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with club soda, and stir.
Gin Sonic
Enter: the Gin Sonic. Nope, not a typo. It’s what you get when you mix Japanese Roku Gin with equal parts tonic water and club soda. We love the simple elegance and balance of this cocktail and we’re betting you will, too.
Gin Sonic Recipe:
1.5 oz Suntory Roku Gin
2.25 oz Top Note Club Soda No. 1
2.25 oz Top Note Classic Tonic
Garnish: expressed lemon twist
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled highball glass and garnish.
Barrel & Bumble
A classic Prohibition-era cocktail, the Bees Knees is traditionally shaken and served up, but we also love adding a bit of carbonation to liven it up and lengthen it out from time to time. In this variation, we combine a smooth barrel-aged gin with our ultra bubbly Club Soda No. 1 for a sweet, smoky and effervescent refresher.
Barrel & Bumble Recipe:
2 oz Barrel-Aged Gin
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Garnish: lemon wheel
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled Collins glass and garnish.
Birds Of A Feather
Calling all Negroni lovers, this one's for you. Following an equal parts formula and adding a dash of absinthe for depth, this tonic cocktail is warming and bitter with hints of anise and citrus.
Birds Of A Feather Recipe:
1 oz London dry gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash absinthe
1 oz Top Note Gentiana Tonic Water
Garnish: orange peel
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish.
Nick Kokonas’s Something & Tonic
The drink that launched dozens of Something & Tonic’s that would make their way into Nick Kokonas’s first book. Be sure to check out our Q&A with Nick, keep up with him on Instagram, and order a copy of Something & Tonic!
Nick Kokonas’s Something & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz Letherbee Gin
1 oz Ancho Reyes (or 3 dashes mole bitters + 1/2 oz simple syrup)
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz rosemary simple syrup*
Top Note Classic Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: rosemary sprig
Add all ingredients except Tonic Water to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with Tonic Water, lift ice with a bar spoon to incorporate, and garnish.
*Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 cup (250 grams) white sugar
1 cup (250 grams) water
3-4 (5 grams) fresh rosemary sprigs
Combine all of the ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and let the rosemary steep for 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary and allow the syrup to come to room temperature before storing it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Syrup can be stored for 2-3 weeks.
Spirit-Free Recipe:
2 slices jalapeno or favorite fresh chili
1 oz lime juice
1 oz rosemary simple syrup*
Top Note Classic Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: rosemary sprig, lime wheel
Add lime, rosemary syrup, and two slices of chili to a shaker with ice. Shake hard and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with tonic water, lift ice with a bar spoon to incorporate, and garnish.
Photo @somethingandtonic
Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball
The highball is, in its purest historic iteration: spirit, mixer, and garnish. When you’re working with quality ingredients that complement each other, simple is truly king.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Ross and follow Great Lakes Distillery on Instagram for the latest distillery news.
Image credit: Ross Salchow
Ross Salchow’s Barrel Gin Highball Recipe:
2 oz Rehorst Barrel Reserve Gin
Garnish: twist of lemon
Stir gin and soda together in an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish.
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic
Sage and citrus are married together with a host of complimentary botanicals in this creative take on the classic Gin & Tonic.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Evan and follow him on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Evan Knutson
Evan Knutson’s Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz sage-infused Death’s Door Gin
2 dashes Bittercube orange bitters
Top Note Indian Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: expressed orange peel (flamed, if desired)
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish.
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball
“All this thinking about Negroni’s led me to want to make a Negroni highball!” - Emily Vikre
Read our Q&A with Emily to learn more about her journey into the world of cocktails, distilling, and - you guessed it - Negroni’s!
Image credit: Emily Vikre
Emily Vikre’s Negroni Highball Recipe:
1 oz Vikre Distillery Gin
3/4 oz Vikre Distillery Amaro (or Campari)
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
Top Note Bitter Lemon Tonic Water, to top
Garnish: orange twist, optional
Combine the spirits in a highball glass with ice, top with Bitter Lemon, and stir gently. Garnish if desired.
Alyssa Hughes’s Pineapple Gin & Tonic
Add some flair to the classic gin & tonic with a splash of tropical citrus! Enjoy this lower-ABV refresher on the rocks or straight-up like Alyssa. She uses a small mason jar, but a coupe or champagne glass would work just as well.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Alyssa and follow her on Instagram for the latest updates on her distilling adventures.
Image credit: Alyssa Hughes
Alyssa Hughes's Pineapple Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1 dash Orange Bitters
Top Note Classic Tonic, to top
Garnish: Manderin orange peel
Stir all ingredients together in a glass with ice (or skip the ice as per Alyssa’s preference!) and garnish.
Rachel Miller's Gin & Tonic
"The classic Champagne Cocktail (bitters, sugar, sparkling wine) is one of my favorite drinks. It's delicious, celebratory, and so easy. Often it's finished with an expression of lemon over the top, and I like mine with just a drop of absinthe on top as well. This highball uses the tonic water to achieve the sparkle and the light bitter-sweet flavor of a Champagne Cocktail, along with tonic's best friend gin, a lemon cordial to amplify the lemon accent, and a touch of absinthe (optional), my preferred finish to the drink." - Rachel Miller
Rachel Miller's Gin & Tonic Recipe:
1 oz gin
.5 oz lemon cordial*
4 oz Top Note Classic Tonic Water
2-3 drops absinthe
Garnish: expressed lemon peel
Stir gin, cordial and tonic together in an ice-filled highball glass, finish with absinthe, and garnish.
*Lemon Cordial: Zest two lemons and set the zest aside. Juice the lemons and heat the juice in a pan with an equal amount, by volume, of white sugar. Bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil, then immediately remove from heat and pour over the zest. Allow to cool and steep at least ten minutes, then strain well. Yields ~4oz cordial (multiply the recipe as needed for more cordial). Stored in the fridge, it will last for weeks.
Gin Pear Collins
Celebrate the bounty of fall produce with this delicately refreshing highball.
Gin Pear Collins Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
2 oz pear juice (or pear purée)
.5 oz lemon juice
Garnish: fresh rosemary and citrus peel
Add all ingredients except Club Soda to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass and top with Club Soda. Stir and garnish.