The History of the Gin & Tonic – And How to Make Different Variations
Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s the best time of the year for swimming, spending time with friends and family, and, of course, enjoying a refreshingly delicious gin & tonic cocktail.
If G&T’s are as exciting to you as they are for us, then you’ve come to the right place. First, we’ll share the history of this fantastic concoction, then we’ll share a few of our favorite gin and tonic recipes, both classic and some with a Bowling & Burch twist.
The History of the Gin & Tonic
Back in the 1700s, malaria was running rampant in India and other tropical regions. A Scottish doctor named George Cleghorn studied how quinine, which comes from the bark of a cinchona tree, could be used to treat the disease. The quinine was turned into an extract and combined with tonic water. However, the taste was so bitter people began adding water, sugar, lime and gin to make it more palatable. So, the gin and tonic was born.
A few hundred years later, modern science concluded that it actually wasn’t an effective treatment for malaria after all.
Guess we’ll just keep drinking it for fun, then. Here’s a classic G&T recipe to start with:
The Classic Gin & Tonic Recipe
Some may think that gin & tonic is just ice, gin, and soda water. However, it’s the bitterness in the tonic water, when mixed with the other ingredients, that really gives it that delicious taste.
INGREDIENTS
Ice cubes (typically, 4-5 will do)
2 ounces Bowling & Burch New World Gin
4 ounces of tonic water (whichever is your favorite)
1 tablespoon or a nice squeeze of fresh lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the ice in a tall, narrow glass. Pour the Bowling & Burch gin, tonic water, and lime juice over the ice. Stir, add garnish, and enjoy!
Variations on the Classic Gin & Tonic
Because Bowling & Burch gin features such fragrant botanicals like rosemary, thyme, tart orange, honeysuckle, and coriander, we’ve created a few recipes to highlight those notes. Consider crafting these variations during your next summer outing.
The Bowling & Burch Botanical Burst
INGREDIENTS
Ice cubes (typically, 4-5 will do)
2 ounces Bowling & Burch New World Gin
4 ounces of tonic water (whichever is your favorite)
1 tablespoon or a nice squeeze of fresh lime juice
1 Cucumber, sliced
2-3 sprigs of rosemary, save one for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and slice the cucumber, place 1-2 slices in the bottom of a highball or heavy bottom glass. Add 1 sprig of rosemary, the lime juice, and one ounce of Bowling & Burch gin. Gently, muddle the mix, using the back of a spoon. Once well muddled, strain the mix into another glass. Add ice and a few more slices of cucumber. Top with tonic and the remaining gin. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy!
The Cherry Lime B&B G&T
INGREDIENTS
Ice cubes (typically, 4-5 will do)
2 ounces Bowling & Burch New World Gin
4 ounces of tonic water (whichever is your favorite)
1 tablespoon or a nice squeeze of fresh lime juice
4-5 cherries, pitted and sliced
1 ounce cherry juice, either from the jar or your favorite cherry mixer
Lime wedge for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a tall glass with ice and add the cherries, lime juice, cherry juice, gin, and tonic. Mix with a spoon, garnish with a lime, and enjoy! Add more lime or cherry juice based on your preference.
You can also find a recipe for the Tea-N-T over on our YouTube page.
There are hundreds of variations you can make. Consider outside the box syrups or herbs. Even unique ingredients like peppercorns and chilies might surprise you and could become your new favorite summer cocktail.
Need more drink ideas? Check out all of our cocktail recipes.
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