Naturally, here at Craft Gin Club we all appreciate a classic gin and tonic. However, variety is the spice of life, after all, and we do love to come up with a fabulous new twist on the usual G&T! Here are just a few of our favourite alternative gin and tonic recipes for you to try at home.
Grapefruit & Pink Peppercorn
30ml grapefruit juice (preferably freshly squeezed, but store-bought is fine)
30ml simple syrup (optional, depending on how tart you like your drink)
40ml gin
Tonic, to top up
Handful of pink peppercorns
Fill your glass with ice and add your remaining ingredients. (To make simple syrup, gently simmer equal parts caster sugar and water until for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissovled and you have a syrup.) Stir gently until the drink is well combined and chilled. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin & Tonic
3 strawberries (fresh is best; defrosted ones work too!)
Freshly ground black pepper
45ml gin (go for a neutral or citrussy one)
Tonic water (You could also use elderflower tonic, for a sweeter drink)
Wash and hull the strawberries. Slice in half, or into quarters if they’re big. Muddle the strawberries with a good twist of freshly ground black pepper in a shaker, then pour into an ice-filled glass. Stir in the gin and top with tonic. Garnish with a strawberry and serve!
Image: Theodore Pictish Gin
Peach & Thyme G&T
50ml gin
125ml tonic
3-4 fresh peach slices (orange, mango and nectarine also work in this recipe - fresh if possible, but tinned fruit is also yummy!)
Sprig of fresh thyme
Pour your gin and tonic over ice and add your peach slices. Garnish with a sprig of thyme. For a stronger peach flavour, you can blitz the fruit in a blender and strain it into the glass before adding your other ingredients, then stirring until the drink infuses with the juice.
Cucumber, Lime, Elderflower & Basil Gin & Tonic
50ml gin
125 ml tonic water
15ml elderflower liqueur
Half a lime
Half a cucumber
2-3 fresh basil leaves
Slice thin ribbons of cucumber and place in a highball glass. Gently add a handful of ice cubes. Squeeze half a lime’s juice into a cocktail shaker (or separate container) and add your gin, a splash of elderflower liqueur, a few leaves of basil, and a few cucumber chunks. Muddle the ingredients well, and then add ice. Shake well, then strain into your glass. Top with tonic and garnish with a few more basil leaves.
Elderflower and Lemon Gin & Tonic
A good squeeze of lemon juice
20ml elderflower liqueur (or cordial)
50ml gin
110ml tonic
Add all your ingredients into a glass over lots of ice and stir gently until chilled and combined. Elderflower tonic, lemonade or prosecco work well as alternatives to tonic water here! Garnish with a sprig of elderflowers or a slice of lemon.
Roasted Pineapple Gin & Tonic
2 pineapple wheels (tinned or fresh)
50ml gin
70ml pineapple juice
Tonic water, to top up
1 lime (Optional)
Grill, griddle or BBQ the pineapple wheels for 5 minutes before turning them over. Continue grilling until they are lightly browned, smoky and caramelised. Cut one wheel of pineapple into wedges and muddle it into your cocktail shaker. Add ice, gin and juice. Shake for two minutes. Strain into a glass with ice. Top up with tonic water (prosecco is also delicious as an alternative to tonic here) and garnish with the remaining grilled pineapple wheel and/or a mint leaf.
You can add a squeeze of lime if the drink is a little sweet for you. Tinned pineapple chunks are probably too wet to grill, but you could use them in the recipe without grilling!
Pink Rose Gin & Tonic
Juice of half a lemon
30ml simple syrup infused with 1 tsp rosewater
40ml gin
100ml tonic
Rose petals, to garnish
To make your simple syrup, simply simmer equal parts sugar and water with 1tsp rosewater for 5-10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and you have a clear syrup. Wait until it cools to add to your glass or shaker. Add the rest of your ingredients to a cocktail shaker and or glass with ice and shake or stir for a minute. Pour over a glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh rose petals and a slice of lemon.
Fresh Cherry G&T
Handful of ripe sweet cherries*
50ml gin
125ml tonic (or to taste)
Fresh lime
*Tinned Morello cherries are a delicious alternative
Remove the stones from the cherries then put them in a bowl or mixing glass and muddle them lightly. Add lots of ice to to your glass along with the muddled cherries, gin, tonic and a few good squeezes of juice from the lime (adjust according to how tart you like your G&T).
Stir gently for a minute or two, until the juice from the cherries has mingled well with the gin/tonic mixture and the drink is chilled. Add a cherry on a stick or a slice of lime to garnish and serve.
Sage, Rosemary & Thyme Gin and Tonic
50ml gin
115 ml tonic
30ml herb-infused honey or simple syrup (see below)
2 sprigs of thyme and/or rosemary
2 sage leaves
1 lemon
Gently simmer the honey (or a simple syrup of equal parts water and sugar) with the thyme, rosemary and sage for roughly 5 minutes. (Add a little more water if it starts to get too thick.) You can also use just one or two of the herbs instead of all three, if you prefer. Once the honey or simple syrup is cool, add it to a glass filled with ice along with the gin, tonic, and a squeeze of lemon, then stir for at least 30 seconds. Add a twist of lemon peel and/or a little sprig of any of the herbs, to garnish.
Pink Raspberry & Lime Gin and Tonic
Handful of ripe raspberries (defrosted ones also work!)
50ml gin
125ml tonic (or to taste)
Fresh lime
Muddle the raspberries very lightly. Add lots of ice to to your shaker or glass along with the muddled raspberries, gin, tonic and a few good squeezes of juice from the lime. Stir or shake for 30 seconds, until the juice from the raspberries has mingled well with the gin/tonic mixture and the drink is chilled. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a slice of lime. You could use pink gin for this recipe if desired.
Blackberry Gin & Tonic
Handful of ripe (or defrosted frozen) blackberries
Juice of half a lime or lemon
30ml simple syrup
40ml gin
90ml tonic
Save a few blackberries for the garnish. Fill your drinking glass with ice. In a separate glass or cocktail shaker, muddle the remaining blackberries with the lime juice, then add more ice, the simple syrup and gin. Shake or stir using a long spoon until the ingredients are well combined and the colour and juices of the blackberries have infused the mixture.
Strain the liquid into your drinking glass to get rid of the pips. Now add tonic and stir gently. Garnish with a few blackberries on a cocktail pick or a twist of lime peel.
Spiced Orange & Cinnamon G&T
50ml gin
125ml tonic
Fresh orange slices (plus peel, to garnish)
Fresh ground nutmeg
Cinnamon stick
Pour gin and tonic into a glass over plenty of ice, add in a few orange slices, a little sprinkle of ground nutmeg (optional) and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Don’t use dried ground cinnamon. Sloe gin and Christmas-spiced gin work well in this recipe.
Image: Martin Miller’s Gin
Red Chilli, Lime & Coriander G&T
1 red chilli
Juice of half a lime
50ml gin
125ml tonic water (or to taste)
Coriander leaves to garnish (optional)
Slit the chilli lengthwise and scrape out and remove the seeds and pith. Slice and muddle gently in a glass. Add ice, lime juice and gin. Top with tonic and stir gently until chilled. Garnish with coriander leaves if using.
Blueberry & Mint G&T
Handful fresh or frozen blueberries
Few squeezes of lime juice
2 mint leaves
50ml gin
125ml tonic water (or to taste)
Muddle a few blueberries lightly in a glass. Add ice, gin, tonic, lime juice and stir gently until chilled and a little of the juice has infused the drink. Add a few mint leaves (and a slice of lime, if desired) to garnish.
Watermelon Gin & Tonic
Fresh lime
30ml gin
4-5 cubes of fresh watermelon
Tonic water
Put a few good squeezes of lime juice into your glass, then add a few fresh slices of the lime to your glass. Fill your glass with plenty of ice cubes. Add a handful of freshly sliced cubes or wedges of watermelon. Pour over your gin and tonic water. Stir for a minute to help the watermelon flavour infuse and to chill the drink. Garnish with more lime or lemon slices, and a sprig of mint, if desired.
Bonus G&T recipe:
Spiced Apple Gin & Tonic
50ml gin (we recommend Kongsgaard Raw Gin for it’s apple notes)
20ml fresh apple juice
Tonic water, to top
Fresh apple slices, cinnamon, star anise and cloves, to garnish
Add the gin, apple juice and tonic to a glass with ice. Stir, garnish and enjoy!
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