Gin and Tonics

January 1, 2005 12:41 PM

Gin and tonic demonic, bodies smell like chronic... so a couple weeks ago I discovered the drink known as gin and tonic. It had a small lime slice, ice and apparently just gin and tonic. I am totally not a cocktail person (wine and beer) and I have no hard liquors currently. How would I go preparing this Sprite-like contraption so it doesn't reek of a Victorian commoner. Details and general cocktail advice appreciated within.

I tried making it at a friend's house and it definitely wasn't the gin and tonic I had at this bar, as this reeked of gin and was quite gross. I was drinking with a wonderful English bloke who kept ordering me gin and tonics, so I'm guessing the bar didn't do anything beyond the basics or he probably would have told me.

The Internet is a wealth of unrated information, thus I turn to my favorite online alcoholics. Here's what I've been trying (culled from the most basic Internet resources):

2 oz Bombay Sapphire
5 oz Canadian Tonic
Ice
Lime wedge

First of all, buying and cutting up limes for is annoying. Can this be substituted? I didn't notice the bartender shaking the drinks, so I have not bought a shaker -- should I get one of these contraptions?

My gin and tonics just don't have that touch yet, and I'm blaming it on the shaker. Any advice on anything here? I'm not swearing allegiance to any alcohol brand -- I just figured Bombay Sapphire was the best.

My last question will sound stupid and therefore I will try to answer it myself so I don't seem like such a dweeb. I'm having a large party in several weeks here and would love to serve my guests my new favorite drink (whom I'm sure probably have never tried it, as a lot of people my age consider it a grandpa drink) -- I don't want to be spending all night bartending. Can I make a large batch of gin and tonic and have it so all I have to do is pour it a glass? I'm guessing no because the gin will settle at the bottom. I'm not willing to waste a whole bottle trying it out though.

Okay I lied, I guess I have another question now too -- any cocktails I can easily make it batches? Like rum and coke and such?

Sorry I'm really, really naive as it comes to cocktails. As I just started doing the whole "old enough to drink" thing when Sex and the City and the pink cocktail craze was starting -- I thought anything except Jack and Coke was to be blunt, a little fruity. And I would like to share with the world my new appreciation of these old favorites.

posted by geoff. to food & drink (44 comments total)

Erm. I haven't tried it with Sapphire, so take this with a grain of salt, but I don't believe it would be the ideal gin for what you're doing. Tanqueray (the regular stuff, not No. 10) is the best gin for a G&T.

Also, 2 oz of gin is perfectly acceptable but a bit strong -- if it's too gin-flavored, try 1 or 1.5 oz.

You can substitute for the lime with a touch (and I mean a touch — a very little goes a long way, think significantly less than a capful) of Rose's Lime Juice (yes, it has to be Rose's). You can forego the lime altogether if you want.

Make sure you're using tonic water, not seltzer or club soda, and for God's sake make sure you didn't pick up the diet tonic water by mistake — it is vile, vile stuff that will make an otherwise excellent G&T taste like you're freebasing NutraSweet.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 1:01 PM on January 1, 2005

A gin and tonic, as you may have noticed, is a very simple affair. In fact, the simplicity may be what's making difficulties for you. What you want is a high quality gin like Sapphire. If you like a bit of juniper aroma, Boodles and Beefeater are pretty good too. Canadian Club tonic is also a good choice. The operation of making the gin and tonic cannot be simpler. Fill a tumbler with ice, fill it 2/3 full of gin (or adjust to your taste) and finish with tonic. Place the lime slice on the rim for optional squeezing. Done.

It might turn out that you don't really like gin - many people don't. I would also try out some vodka tonics (same as above just use vodka instead of gin.)
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:03 PM on January 1, 2005

A) You cannot make gin and tonic in advance, because the gin will settle at the bottom.

B) Gin and tonic is stirred, not shaken.

C) You need real tonic with quinine in it or else it will taste like ass.

D) You need real lime wedges.

E) This is how you make a gin and tonic:

1. Take one lime wedge and squeeze it into the glass.
2. Put ice cubes in the glass.
3. Pour in 2 ounces of a good gin (Bombay Sapphire is fine, but I prefer Tanqueray myself).
4. Pour in 6 ounces of a good tonic water (Schweppes is my favorite)
5. Stir with a swizzler.
6. Drop a different lime wedge, not the one you squeezed in step 1, into the glass as a garnish.

Now, if I were having a party and wanted to make gin and tonic a feature, I would print out the directions, laminate a few copies, and leave it on the table near the gin, tonic, glasses, ice, and limes. It would be a good icebreaker.

Speaking of ice--if you really want a classy gin-and-tonic party, make tonic-water ice cubes in advance.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:05 PM on January 1, 2005

25ml Gordon's Gin,
1 slice lime,
1 slice lemon (if preferred),
Indian Tonic Water (to taste).

Stir.
posted by armoured-ant at 1:06 PM on January 1, 2005

Oh, I should say that that "two ounces gin, five ounces tonic" proportion only works with crappy supermarket-generic gins, which are watery. If you're using a good gin, you need six ounces of tonic or the flavorings will just be too powerful.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:06 PM on January 1, 2005

Oh, and no, I wouldn't advise pre-mixing the gin and tonic. It really is a drink that requires being made fresh to order. In a party situation you can just put all the elements out and hope for the best. You can make a variety of rum punches or margaritas that can be pre-mixed for partying purposes.

what sidhedevil said
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:07 PM on January 1, 2005

Well first of all, gin & tonic is traditionally a warm weather drink. Why? I don't know, but it is. You may want to consider this before planning to serve it as a main drink for a party given in the winter.

Second, tonic is carbonated and will go flat after a few minutes. Thus, making it in batches and serving it as punch may not be a optimal.

Third, a lot of people do not like gin. You may take that into consideration and opt to have a second drink so that people have a choice.

You can avoid cutting up limes by just using concentrated lime juice, sold in those little plastic green limes. I don't recommend that as part of the flavor of a good gin & tonic is the fresh squeezed lime. It only takes a few minutes to cut up a bag of key limes. Take the time to do it.

You effort at trying to copy the drink that you had at a bar maybe have been corrupted by putting in too much gin and not enough tonic. This can make it "reek," although Bombay Saphire is a really good gin and shouldn't "reek." In the same vein, Saphire is a top shelf gin with a wonderful boquet and botanical flavor. I highly recommend saving it for martinis where the flavor won't be covered up by tonic & lime.

I've never had a "shaken" gin & tonic, but that may very well be what gave it the edge that you enjoyed. You can buy a cheap shaker at Target. Why not test it out before the party?

The best "large batch" drinks tend to use fruit juices and/or small amounts of carbonations, hot buttered rum would be an exception.

Why not put out the liquor and mixes and let your guests make their own drinks?
posted by Juicylicious at 1:14 PM on January 1, 2005

Gin and Tonic is the simplest drink you can make. The type of gin you use makes the biggest difference. I agree that Tanqueray is best for G&T, but Bombay Sapphire is certainly nice gin. Avoid something too heavily aromatic (say, Hendricks). Tanqueray tastes a bit sweeter to me, which is good in G&T. Sapphire is quite neutral and Gordon's is fairly medicinal.

The other things that matter are good ingredients. Tonic water is not subtle, but make sure you get something fresh and lively. And for god's sake use real fresh lime. Roll the lime in your hand a bit before cutting to release the oils. If you want to get pissy, good clear cracked cocktail ice is the right thing for this drink. It does make a difference, but it's not easy to keep on hand.

Preparing it right also helps. Definitely don't shake it - you never shake anything carbonated. A tall narrow glass works best for this drink. And the colder, the better. Gin belongs in the freezer anyway, so you get a head start. Agitating the ice with the refrigerator temperature tonic water will help a bit, but be careful not to drive out the carbonation.

All drinks should be made fresh. Always.

Obligatory follow-on link: Cocktail Time, the old HotWired cocktail site. Excellent reference. You won't find anything specific about G&T there (it's a mixed drink, not a cocktail), but the general philosophy is helpful.
posted by Nelson at 1:19 PM on January 1, 2005

The Gin & Vodka Association
posted by ericb at 1:33 PM on January 1, 2005

As most everyone has noted, the taste can vary considerably depending on the brand of gin, and the brand of tonic water. I'll cast another vote for Tanqueray, but for tonic water I tend to like the cheapest grocery store (non-diet) house brands as having the flavor that suits me best. It must say "contains quinine" to taste right.

If the bar where you were enjoying them is local, why not drop back in, order a fresh one and (if it still tastes like what you're after), ask the bartender what brand of gin was used? Assuming you didn't specify the gin, you probably got whatever they tend to use for well drinks. You might also try ordering a Tanqueray and Tonic and a Sapphire and Tonic, to become familiar with how the taste changes with each -- that's a lot cheaper than dropping $20 - $30 a bottle and deciding it's not to your liking.

If for some reason it isn't convenient to go back to the bar, you might try calling them (during the day, not when they're busy) and asking them what gin they buy for well drinks, as you really enjoyed it.

Real limes are worth the trouble, and since you can cut a big batch of them up ahead of time, that's probably what you want to do for party preparations. Get your limes and a supply of ice ready, and experiment with the specific glasses you'll be using to determine what proportions are to your taste - note how far up the glass the gin comes, and how full it is once the tonic is added. Once you've done that, it will only take you a few seconds to prepare fresh drinks, eyeballing the mix and using your pre-cut limes...
posted by nonliteral at 1:43 PM on January 1, 2005

I think that the G&T aspect has been nicely covered, so I'll weigh in on some things you can make in advance. These are some of my personal favourites, at least:

Gin & Sin

3/4oz each of gin (something not too botanical), orange juice (fresh squeezed is best, but strain out the pulp), lemon juice.

scant splash of grenadine.

Shake over ice, strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with an orange or lemon twist.

These can be made by the bucketload without much trouble-- so long as the buckets are kept brass monkey cold.


Cosmopolitan (and a variation)

2oz vodka
1oz triple sec
Lime juice (fresh!)
Splash of cranberry juice.

Shake vodka, triple sec, cranberry, and a decent squeeze of lime over ice until well-chilled. Rub another lime over the rim of a martini glass; serve drink in this glass. Garnish as you will.

For a variation, you can do the Invisible Cosmo, using white cranberry instead. If you're making them for people (as I often do), I like to be slightly more theatrical about it: rather than adding the lime to the shaker, I squeeze it into the glass, coating it, while shaking the drink. Then garnish with a slice of orange peel, the pith removed, that you squeeze skin-first into a lit match over the drink. The essential oils in the peel cause a brief little fireball, and a heavenly scent of orange. This is difficult to do when you're trying to sling a lot of drinks, though :)


Orange Chocolate Sundae (yes, I know it needs a better name).

1.5 oz vanilla vodka (experiment to find out which one you like; I find Stoli's almost medicinal, and am currently leaning towards saying 'fuck it,' and just leaving a vanilla pod in a bottle of vodka. Alternatively, use regular vodka, and a few drops of good vanilla.)

1/2 oz white creme de cacao
1/2 oz triple sec
hefty splash of orange juice

Shake everything over ice. Decorate the bowl of a very well-chilled martini glass with chocolate syrup (my favourite method is to squeeze a small dollop up near the rim of the glass, and slowly twirl it as I'm shaking, to create a simple spiral-- looks good, and there's not so much chocolate that it overpowers the drink. Alternatively, garnish with an orange Ovation stick.


Well, there's a couple :) I'm currently trying to figure out how to make a clear, or at least very translucent, martini-esque drink that tastes like a Caesar. Will report back :D




Oh, another hint that may be of use... when making a G&T (and, indeed most cocktails), you put stuff in the glass in this order: ice, alcohol, mix, garnish. This has the effect of mixing the drink for you as you pour in the mixer.

Also, gin and vodka should always be kept in the freezer.

Oh yeah, and when cutting lime wedges, do yourself a favour: cut a slit into each one to make putting it on the glass much easier :)
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:45 PM on January 1, 2005 [1 favorite]

I'm not a bartender or anything, but I do like a good G&T, and in my opinion Rose's Lime Juice is too sweet to be an appropriate G&T ingredient. Anyway, if you're trying to do this right, real lime wedges are nonnegotiable.
posted by box at 1:51 PM on January 1, 2005

And should you graduate to the distinguished vodka martini, may I recommend Jim Coudal's martini recipe.
posted by jimray at 1:59 PM on January 1, 2005

I prefer lemons, or even a slice of lemon peel alone. Use tonic from cans - much fizzier. I use Schweppes. Use a lot of ice - more than most cocktails, and serve in a higher glass if you need the space. The pungency was probably that your 2:5 ratio is a pretty strong g&t. A weaker one is tastier, and, you can drink more of them.

As nonliteral said, they are quick and easy to make if you precut the lemons/limes and have the right jiggers, glasses etc. at hand. Maybe your guests can self-serve them even?
posted by Rumple at 2:03 PM on January 1, 2005

Just leave the ingrediants out and let your guests mix their own. Do not prepare in advance, it will go flat.

The best make a batch drink, in my opinion, is Sangria. When I make Sangria I use Concho Y Toro, some Sprite, a whole lot of fruit, and throw in some Vodka, but this is block part Sangria. If you're out to impress take a look at a couple site and you will find great recipes I am sure.

This is a pretty classy drink that will cover those who don't like Gin and Tonic.
posted by xammerboy at 2:03 PM on January 1, 2005

Is original Bombay gin acceptable for a gin & tonic, or does it have to be Sapphire?
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:12 PM on January 1, 2005

Mojitos

For 10 servings:

30 fresh Mint sprigs
20 tsp Sugar
30 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
15 oz Light Rum
Club Soda

In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lemon slice and the remaining mint, and serve.

If you're stuck on gin, there's always gin n' juice.
posted by Juicylicious at 2:30 PM on January 1, 2005

Mojito's, especially those at Fatty's Cafe down the block from me are sublime if done right. Also Black Russians, score high on the non-fruity cocktail scale and are easy to make. Bloody Marys are nice too and can be very simple if you purchase a decent mix.
posted by jonmc at 2:45 PM on January 1, 2005

It sounds like using a shaker and too much gin were your problem. One more point on gin and tonics is that tonic water tends to quickly turn flat in the refrigerator once the bottle has been opened. Six packs of 12 oz. bottles of tonic water are the ticket, they can be hard to find in some supermarkets but can be had in liquor stores.
posted by LarryC at 2:46 PM on January 1, 2005

One of the biggest things I've learned from having been a bartender--fresh gin and fresh tonic. The flavor components in gin, unlike _most_ other hard alchohols, are still relatively fragile organic compounds. Ditto, twice as much, for the flavors in the tonic water.

Like an expensive perfume that's made from real flower oils, the juniper and other flavors in gin, and the quinine and other flavors in the tonic water, can and will go bad after a while.

That's one of the reasons that when you ask for a just a "gin & tonic" at a bar, it's going to taste like crap--if you don't specify a type of gin you want, the bartender's just going to use the bottle in the "well", and since cheap gin isn't very popular nowadays, that bottle's probably been sitting open at room temperature for _weeks_, and it's basically rancid. (Don't even think about what the tonic water's been through.)

Your best bet for good gin and tonics, once you've found a brand you like, is to buy them in smaller bottles, so you're regularly opening fresh ones. For the gin, buy it at whatever size you drink it at so you don't have open bottles sitting around for weeks or months, and keep it in the fridge, if you can. For the tonic, buy the small "individual serving size" bottles, so you're basically cracking open a fresh bottle of tonic for each drink. Finish everything off with a fresh lime, and it's a lot easier to see what all the fuss is about.

(P.S., My buddy conducted a 'blind taste test' a little while ago, and surprisingly, we picked Beefeater pretty overwhelmingly as the favorite--which is great, since it's so readily available and affordable.)
posted by LairBob at 2:47 PM on January 1, 2005

Oh, God, Sangria. That stuff is too easy to drink litres and litres of, and wake up the next morning wanting to kill yourself, if only the hippos would stop tap-dancing inside your skull.

Oh, and I second the suggestion on using tonic from a can-- it's less waste if you have to open a new one if the old has gone flat. Also, carbonated beverages stay fizzier longer if kept chilled. (Really, pretty much an entire bar should be kept at or just below zero (I use Celsius, don't freak out :p), except for sipping drinks like scotch, most of the syrupy liqueurs, and your garnishes).

Upon reflection... yes, Rose's is too sweet for a G&T, but will do if there is no other option. And no, concentrated lime juice from those plastic squeezy things isn't really an option. Blech!

Now I want a G&T! Argh. *shakes fist impotently*


Also, here's a suggestion for trying gin. Go to the bar where you're a regular (and if there isn't one, find one! Even if you rarely drink alcohol there, it's a good thing to have), and sit down with the bartender. Get him/her/it, if at all possible, to pour you quarter ounces of all the gins they have in stock. Taste them like wine, with all parts of your tongue, and figure out what you like. Do you like the botanical notes in Sapphire? Or the intense peppery flavour of Gilbeys? Something more subtle, or something much bolder? Paying for this should be simple... just pay for (however many ounces it works out to) of their top-shelf gin, and throw in a nice tip for the bartender as a thank-you. Oh, and rinse your mouth out a bit with water between each taste. Also, go from subtlest to boldest (the bartender should know which is which; I don't, offhand. All I know is, I really like Sapphire, and don't much mind Tanqueray. Tanq #10, though, is divine. Better be, for the price.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 2:50 PM on January 1, 2005

Another very simple gin drink is the gimlet, which I've seen made two ways. Each requires 1.5 oz of good (Bombay, Beefeater) gin.

The first recipe:

Mix gin with 1 oz fresh lime juice, add 1/2 tsp powdered sugar, shake, pour over ice.

The second:

Mix gin with 1oz Rose's lime juice (this stuff is pre-sweetened), stir/shake, pour over ice, or serve chilled w/o ice.

I prefer the second method since it's easier.
posted by aberrant at 2:57 PM on January 1, 2005

Yes, but the first method tastes better :)
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:18 PM on January 1, 2005

Amen to the stirring - in fact my MO is to pour the tonic into the gin, which in my view is enough mixing. ("Don't drown the gin!" is the cry of the G&T fancier, which I learnt on my mother's knee). Shaking a drink with a carbonated mixer is just stupid.

Keep your gin in the fridge, and your glasses in the freezer, and then you don't need too much ice, otherwise the last part of your drink will be somewhat diluted.

Avoid big bottles of tonic - the last part of the bottle will go flat. Buy the sixpacks of smaller bottles instead.

Many people are big on Sapphire. Personally I find it tasteless and prefer something lower-class and gruntier, such as Gordons.

And at the risk of complete sacrilege, this is one drink where I think diet mixers have the edge. Schweppes Diet Tonic produces a less sticky, edgier G&T than ordinary tonic. Seriously.

Gin goes well with orange juice. A dash of bitters does wonders for gin drinks.

All gin drinks should be very cold. I can't think of a single one that's better at room temperature.

Lastly, if you're making tomato soup, a dash of gin will a) make it delicious and b) bamboozle visting gourmets.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:22 PM on January 1, 2005

PS: reasonable people may choose to use a slice of lemon rather than lime.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 3:36 PM on January 1, 2005

Boodles is the best, but Sapphire and Tanq 10 are quite acceptable. As far as proportions, it's your glass and there are only three ingredients. If you are using the good stuff, fresh lime or lemon or nothing. Oly use Rose's in a pinch on cheap stuff and only 5-8 drops. Ice too, yes, but the drink should be consumed before the ice melts significantly. At the bar you likely received an ounce and a half of gin and the gun tonic was likely sweeter than what you would get out of a bottle at home. 2/3rds tonic, 1/3 7up if you like it sweeter. I prefer it more dry, half tonic, half soda, sort of a Presbyterian gin and tonic. It's all in the proportions and by the time you finish that bottle, you'll have found what proportions taste best to you.
posted by roboto at 3:45 PM on January 1, 2005

Random related trivia: tonic glows blue under a black light. It looks radioactive.
posted by smackfu at 4:00 PM on January 1, 2005

Here's the thing about ice (and this comes from a French Quarter eccetric/bartender/drunk, so...take it as Gospel).

ICE MAKES THE DRINK.

Fill the cocktail glass with ice before you start. Really, really cram it in there. Then, make the drink around the ice. The more ice, the colder the cocktail, the better the cocktail. Yes, you'll keep refilling your glass, but you're at home and not paying by the drink. Trust me on this: ice.

(and real limes, for jebus's sake!)
posted by ColdChef at 4:03 PM on January 1, 2005

Johnny Assay: regular Bombay is fine for a G&T. I actually prefer it to Bombay Sapphire. Gordon's gin is also good, and quite inexpensive.
posted by nixxon at 4:29 PM on January 1, 2005

These were my personal batch-drink standbys when I threw parties (college and post-college). I would hardly call them classy, but I never had leftovers. I kept the JD in the freezer.

Lynchburg Lemonade: 1 part Jack Daniel's, 1 part triple sec, 1 part sweet-and-sour mix, 4 parts Sprite. Make a pitcher of it, keep it cold, serve over ice (with a maraschino cherry, if you like).

Tennessee Tea: same thing as above, only use Coke instead of Sprite, and use less of it (2 or 3 parts). No cherry.

Sweet Potato Queens' margaritas: 12 oz. tequila, 12 oz. (1 bottle) of Corona beer, 12 oz. (1 can) frozen limeade, and 12 oz. (1 can) of 7-Up. Makes a pitcherful. Salt the glass rims, serve over ice, lime slice if you like.

Blender margaritas: Fill blender 3/4 full with ice. Add 6-8 oz. of tequila (more or less), 1 can frozen lemonade, and 1 can frozen limeade. Blend. Salt the glass rims. Pour. I call this stuff "margarita slurpee"; sweet and strong.
posted by Melinika at 4:47 PM on January 1, 2005

What you want is a high quality gin like Sapphire

Sapphire isn't "high quality"; it's just had the botanicals toned down and the price jacked up for the vodka crowd (probably why i_m_j_s finds it flavorless). Also, you shouldn't need to shake or stir a gin & tonic; the effervescence of the tonic should suffice (and make sure the tonic's cold).

Gimlet's made with Rose's can be pretty good, but the proportions should be more like 3 gin / 1 Rose's.
posted by kenko at 6:24 PM on January 1, 2005

Some opinionated discussion of gins for gin & tonics on eGullet.
posted by kenko at 6:26 PM on January 1, 2005

More random related trivia. G&T was invented to make
quinine palatable for those unfortunate victims of malaria.
posted by hortense at 6:35 PM on January 1, 2005

As the Coudal link that jimray posted above points out, if you're going to make a martini, use the "vermouth swirl" method. Coudal swirls the vermouth inside the shaker and then pours it out so that all the vermouth remaining is that which is clinging to the sides; I swirl the vermouth in the martini glasses and then pour out similarly.

Also, if you're going to serve with a lemon twist, take just the outer portion of the peel (a tool like this is ideal), get a long strip of the zest - lemon oil will be spraying off it while you zest and will smell just delicious - after pouring out the vermouth, run the inside of the zest completely around the inside of the lip of the glass to transfer the lemon oil - do it quickly - shake your 'tini and pour it in the glass, tie the lemon peel strip into a cute little knot and garnish the drink. Serve and enjoy.
posted by matildaben at 7:30 PM on January 1, 2005

Previously on Metafilter:

1, 2, 3, 4.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 8:32 PM on January 1, 2005

A dash of bitters does wonders for gin drinks.

Agree very much (with the caveat that they can be a bit of an acquired taste for some people). I keep a bottle of Angostura around for just this reason.
posted by gimonca at 8:45 PM on January 1, 2005

And at the risk of complete sacrilege, this is one drink where I think diet mixers have the edge. Schweppes Diet Tonic produces a less sticky, edgier G&T than ordinary tonic. Seriously.

You're mad, unless Schweppes Diet is radically different than Canada Dry Diet, which I (to my lasting shame) picked up last night by mistake and which necessitated walking five blocks to the corner store at 11:30 last night to buy real tonic water because it was utterly fucking undrinkable, and contained saccherine, ferchrissake, for which there is no excuse. It was very sticky and not at all edgy.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:27 PM on January 1, 2005

What follows is unadulterated opinion. Please don't mistake it for something vulgar like facts or gospel writ.

Ice is very important. When you crush up ice so it has a lot of surface area, then fill a shaker with it, then put in some gin and tonic and shake it around, the surface of all those lovely ice crystals is going to melt, sliding gently into your drink. If you use nasty water, like vile chloraminated tap water; or if your freezer smells funny and makes nasty tasting ice cubes; you are going to have a nasty tasting drink. Use good drinking water in a clean ice cube tray and use fresh ice.

The lime is important. Slice the lime wedge, impale the rim of the glass on it, and run it around the rim, squeezing the juice out as you go. Dribble a few drops into the glass as well.

The gin is important. I drink Sapphire but also have a soft spot for Gordon's. Seagram's is sweet and mild, and is a decent 'starter' gin as it has the gin-nature without being overwhelming. It's a little yellow, though, which is odd.

The tonic water is important. I like Canada Dry. It MUST contain real quinine or else it does not protect against malaria and leg cramps. If you are serving to guests, please be aware that some of us find aspartame unpleasantly metallic-tasting and not sweet at all.

The proportions are not that important. In the summertime in my dinner jacket in Harvard Square, I have been known to speak to the bartender out of the corner of my mouth: "Gin and tonic, easy on the tonic." Experiment.

Datum: I have drank jynnan tonnyx pre-made, out of a powered water cooler. There appeared to be no issues, with total miscibility. Gin is 40/60 ethanol and water, with trace impurities; you would be hard put to find *anything* that didn't mix well with that. Gin 'settling out to the bottom' is the rankest sort of superstition.

Another fun drink to make in bulk is the kamikaze: one part vodka, one part triple sec, one part lime juice (fresh or Rose's.) It is a shooter, not a sipper. All these drinks are better suited for the warm weather of a summer day in India or some other of the Crown colonies.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:42 PM on January 1, 2005

IshmaelGraves: where I live, diet tonic is sweetened with nutrasweet, not saccharine. This Canada Dry stuff is unknown to me, I'm afraid. The Schweppes tonic I buy, whether diet or regular, says on the label that it has real quinine in it.

Ordinary tonic is fine, understand - I just like the mouth-feel of no sugar, and possibly I should start experimenting with soda water and bitters instead of tonic. ikkyu2 notes "some of us find aspartame unpleasantly metallic-tasting and not sweet at all" - I don't notice the metallic part, but I love the dryness. But it's your drink - don't drink what I do, drink what you like.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:35 PM on January 1, 2005

As a former bartender but not a big gin drinker let me just drop a plug for the best gin I have ever had. Plymouth. My attention was first drawn to it after a 10 minute bit on NPR's Morning Edition program, RealMedia here. It is a bit hard to find and might be a waste in a gin and tonic but I would encourage you Sapphire drinkers to keep an eye open for it and give it a try.
posted by geekyguy at 7:04 AM on January 2, 2005

Fine Living Network's television program "Thirsty Traveler" did an episode (Gin Joint Jive) on Plymouth Gin - "Unlike London Dry Gins, which can be manufactured anywhere, Plymouth Gin must be made in Plymouth, England. And since there is only one distillery in the port town, there is only one Plymouth Gin!"

Gin Tips from the program.
posted by ericb at 11:15 AM on January 2, 2005

Tanqueray for gin and tonics, Bombay Saphire for martinis. That is all.
posted by fixedgear at 1:53 PM on January 2, 2005

ikkyu2, if you are going to be in a dinner jacket in Harvard Square this summer, let me know. The only men I ever see in evening clothes in the Square are the children who sing in the a capella groups, and it's wrong for an old lady like me to leer at them.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:00 PM on January 2, 2005

Juicylicious: Gin & Tonic is a warm weather drink because it was used to help fight malaria. The quinine in the tonic water does the trick and the gin was used to make the tonic water more palatable.

In related news, the lime contains vitamin C which helps prevent scurvy. So drink to your health!
posted by furtive at 3:51 PM on January 2, 2005