Speaking of Gin & Tonics

[Jenise]

Which no one was, but on a lark last night at a Vikram Vij restaurant over the border, I ordered one. I've never actually been a G&T drinker. When I briefly dated a Venezuelan who drank them, I did too. And one time on a singles camping trip where someone brought along enough for everyone, I had a few. And then one night in Long Beach circa 1999, I had one at the end of a long night. Or maybe I had two. The headache lasted for days. Never again.

Until last night at this Indian restaurant. I'd been reading about Fever Tree Tonic, and that's what put me over. This was: unspecified gin, Fever Tree tonic, fresh ginger slices, and bitters. How different are things when the gin is unnamed but the tonic is the special part? Couldn't resist.

Very complex and spicy, just loved it. Perfect intro to a spicy Indian dinner. Is this stuff really expensive or hard to get? Am I in trouble?

[David M. Bueker]

Fever Tree is not unreasonably priced.

I have no problem finding it. No idea about your area.

Fever Tree is in most supermarkets around here. Runs about $5 for a 4-pack of 7oz bottles.
They have a few different flavors of their tonic, each one with a pretty unique and yummy profile. You can spend a lifetime pairing different tonics with different gin styles with different garnishes.

[Jenise]

Fever Tree is in most supermarkets around here. Runs about $5 for a 4-pack of 7oz bottles.
They have a few different flavors of their tonic, each one with a pretty unique and yummy profile. You can spend a lifetime pairing different tonics with different gin styles with different garnishes.

I'll look for it, thanks.

I also enjoy Fever Tree tonic, Premium Indian. Try it with The Botanist gin.

Sometimes I like a bit more astringency from my tonic and use Q.

[Jenise]

Greg, good to see you! Been a long time. And how did you know that the last bottle of gin we bought was The Botanist? Really, it was.

Thanks, good to be back.

Enjoy the GnTs!

[Jenise]

Might be awhile--this isn't G&T weather at the moment. But say, you mentioned Premium Indian. So that's one of the flavors they make? What makes a tonic "Indian", any idea?

I arranged a tasting of twelve different gins and tonic a while ago. The winner? Gordon´s and Schweppes... D´uh!

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

IMO the most important thing with G&T is the preparation. And the most important aspects of that are
1) A good glass. A red wine glass for example. We tend to use large Riedel Os
2) Well-chilled tonic
3) Plenty of ice - more than you think you need
4) Don't be mean with the gin, though of course you should establish your own preference

There is nothing as miserable as a G&T in your average British pub - warm, weak, and served in a tumbler. Actually maybe things have improved now since its rise in popularity, but it certainly used to be dire.

[Jenise]

Steve, my memories of G&T's, as detailed accurately above, are somewhat vague. But I remember a lot of sharp flavors that didn't knit together. In wine terms: rustic. My favorite parts were the wedge of lime and the ice. It was cold and volumnous--aspects especially appreciated on that camping trip.

The drink I had the other night though was--again, wine terms--refined, complex and harmonious. Nothing stood out, there were no jagged flavors, it was a seamless whole. And maybe it was just me that changed, but I don't think so.

OK, Jenise. Can't say I can relate to either of those extremes, but then I haven't explored G&T much, sticking mainly to middle-of-the-road brands like Gordon's and Schweppes. I usually find it bitter, sharp, and very refreshing - an excellent aperitif.

However, I am now reminded not only of the dire pub G&T experiences, but also of a cheap (presumably) Spanish gin won by a relative as a bingo prize or similar. It was passed on to us, but after a couple of tastes it went down the drain. Tasted like clumsily-flavoured vodka.