The Gin & Tonic recipe
for your table
Chill the glass first, then fill it generously with large ice cubes. More ice means less dilution.
Pour the gin over the ice and stir for three seconds to chill.
Slowly pour in the tonic along a bar spoon to preserve the bubbles.
Finish with one or two garnishes that enhance your gin's botanicals. Less is more.
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The story
The Gin & Tonic was born in British India, where soldiers washed down their daily dose of bitter quinine against malaria with sugar, water, and a generous splash of gin. What began as medicine became a habit, and what was a habit became an institution. The great revolution came from Spain around 2010: bartenders in San Sebastián and Barcelona served their 'gin-tonica' in enormous balloon glasses with plenty of ice and surprising garnishes. That Spanish serving style conquered Europe and gave the G&T its second youth, along with hundreds of new craft gins to play with.
The right glass
The Spanish copa glass, a balloon glass on a stem, is the standard for a modern G&T. The rounded bowl captures the aromas of the botanicals, the stem keeps your warm hand away from the ice and it fits a mountain of ice cubes, which helps prevent dilution. Choose a generous copa of 50 to 67 cl. You can taste and smell the difference from an ordinary highball glass immediately. If you prefer to drink it from a tall, narrow glass, take a look at our highball glasses.
RCR Alkemist Gin Tonic Glass 53 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Timeless Gin Tonic Glass 50 cl (4 pieces)
Both sets together € 83,90.
The right tools
For a Gin & Tonic, in addition to the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring and large ice cubes. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 91,80.
Variations & twists
Every gin calls for its own garnish: citrus gins for lemon or grapefruit, herbal gins for rosemary or juniper berries, and floral gins for cucumber. Mediterranean tonic makes it softer, while dry tonic makes it crisper. Adapt it to the season: light serves in summer, herbal ones in winter. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
One good ratio to remember: 1 part gin to 2 to 3 parts tonic. Pour in the tonic at the table. That hissing moment is part of the experience.
Good to know
The right gin-to-tonic ratio
One part gin to two or three parts tonic is the rule of thumb, so 5 cl of gin with 10 to 15 cl of tonic. At a 1-to-2 ratio, the gin comes clearly to the fore and the drink contains about 13 percent alcohol; at 1-to-3, it becomes a long, easy-drinking aperitif of around 9 percent. What primarily determines your ratio is the gin itself: a robust 47 percent London Dry easily withstands a 1-to-3 ratio, while a soft 37.5 percent gin holds up better at 1-to-2.
Which tonic for which gin
Tonic is not a neutral mixer but half of the flavor. A classic Indian tonic with plenty of quinine pairs well with a dry London Dry with juniper up front. Mediterranean tonic, softer and more herbal, comes into its own with floral or citrus gins. A dry tonic with less sugar gives a complex craft gin the most room to shine. In any case, use a small bottle rather than a large one, because carbonation disappears extremely quickly. Pour the tonic slowly down the handle of a bar spoon and stir no more than once afterward.
How to make a pink gin and tonic
The pink version is the best-known variation, and there are two ways to make it. With a pink gin made from strawberry or red berries, simply use 5 cl of gin and a neutral tonic; these gins are often somewhat sweeter, so choose one with little added sugar. The classic method is different: a few dashes of Angostura bitters in a regular gin and tonic give it a light pink color and add spicy bitterness instead of fruit. Garnish the first with strawberry or raspberry, and the second with a wide orange zest. Both work, but they taste completely different.
Non-alcoholic gin and tonic
Non-alcoholic gin has taken a big leap forward and works better in this combination than in most cocktails, because the tonic brings so much bitterness and structure. Use 5 cl of 0.0 gin with 10 cl of tonic, so slightly less tonic than in the regular version, because without alcohol the whole drink quickly becomes watery. Choose a 0.0 gin with a clear juniper character and use a bold garnish: a wide grapefruit zest, juniper berries, or a sprig of rosemary that you briefly rub between your hands. Large, solid ice cubes are especially important here, because meltwater is the biggest enemy.
How much gin per glass in a gin and tonic
How much gin belongs in a gin and tonic determines the rest of the drink. This recipe calls for 5 cl per glass, and that measure stays the same whether you use 10 or 15 cl of tonic. So think of the gin and tonic ratio in parts rather than a fixed amount of liquid: the more ice in your copa glass, the less tonic fits, and the stronger that same 5 cl will taste. Making several glasses at once? Measure the gin per glass; if you pour from the bottle into four glasses, the first glass will almost always get too much.
Gin and tonic or gin-tonic?
You’ll encounter the drink under different names. In English, it’s gin and tonic, often abbreviated to G&T; in Dutch, you write gin-tonic with a hyphen, and many people simply say gin en tonic because it literally refers to those two bottles. Whatever spelling you use, it’s the same drink. Looking for gin and tonic recipes with a twist? Start with the tonic and garnish: that’s where the biggest difference in flavor lies, before you even think about extra ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the right ratio for a gin and tonic?
One part gin to two or three parts tonic; in this recipe, 5 cl of gin to 10 to 15 cl of tonic. If you want to taste the botanicals of a craft gin properly, choose one to two; for a lighter, longer drink, go for one to three. Measure instead of guessing.
Which garnish goes with which gin?
Let the garnish enhance the botanicals: citrus gins call for lemon or grapefruit, herbal gins for rosemary or juniper berries, and floral gins for cucumber. Stick to one or two elements. A mountain of fruit looks festive, but it actually overwhelms the gin you paid for.
How do you make an alcohol-free gin and tonic?
Replace the gin with an alcohol-free 0.0 gin and follow the rest of the recipe: plenty of large ice cubes, good tonic, and the same garnish. Because alcohol carries flavor, you can garnish a little more generously. Serve it in the same copa glass as the rest of the table.
Which glass do you use for a gin and tonic?
A Spanish copa glass holding 50 to 67 cl. The rounded bowl captures the aromas of the botanicals, the stem keeps your warm hand away from the ice, and there is plenty of room for ice, which actually helps prevent dilution: see our gin and tonic glasses.
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