A Gin & Tonic for Every Mood

Today, it’s not uncommon for a Gin & Tonic to boast a laundry list of ingredients. Improving upon the tried-and-tested formula while retaining the inherent simplicity of the original, however, is no easy task. Here are our favorite takes on the drink that fulfill that mission, from regional riffs to highly engineered recipes and beyond.

When we put several recipes head to head in a blind tasting, our favorite was Toby Cecchini’s Gin & Tonic. In his drink, julienned lime skins are muddled with gin until “the aromatic oil has clearly emerged and the whole has taken on a translucent green from the juice.” When the gin-lime mixture is floated atop tonic water, the lime strips eventually act as a garnish. Despite its unconventional look and build, the extra steps are worth it, with the result described by the tasting panel as “crisp, bright and deeply flavorful.” 

For a more traditional, but highly technical, take, consider Dave Arnold’s Way of The G&T, his ultra-refreshing recipe that requires force carbonation, distillation, clarification and more. (If you don’t have all that, don’t worry, he has also made the Best G&T You Can Muster If You Can’t Muster Much.