Ice and a slice: how to make the ultimate gin and tonic

In order to treat a variety of ailments that included everything from stomach cramps to malaria, 18th century English sailors would imbibe a little quinine water. However, like a lot of medicines, the bitter taste made it an unpleasant elixir until some clever individual decided to sweeten it making it more palatable. But it took a truly incredible genius, to mix it with gin to create one of the most iconic drinks of all time, the Gin & Tonic.

Today the earlier, more humble versions of this drink have been repeatedly refined. Varieties of gin and even the tonics have grown as consumers round the world grew tired of bland and one dimensional beverages (we mean you, Vodka & Cola) gravitating towards spirits like gin for more interesting, layered tastes of citrus, spice and floral notes. To complement these more exciting gins, there are now ranges of tonic water that are more natural and varied in flavour to best pair with the depth of the premium gins.

What is added to your G & T by way of a garnish or additional ingredient is also a big deal. Ice and a slice might be a staple but wander in to even the most traditional of local pubs and lemon won’t be the only option: lime and lately cucumber are growing in popularity to the consternation of purists.

In Ireland, we now have a growing number of world class premium gins being distilled all round the country using native botanicals and ingredients to flavour their spirits. This means essences of the natural produce from their respective localities are captured within their products. Three of these Irish gins are the focus of the first Dublin Gin & Tonic Fest which begins on Monday 22nd June: Shortcross Gin from Ulster, Dingle Gin from Munster and Glendalough Gin from Leinster.

Bartenders are constantly coming up with new ways to make their individual G & T shine: In San Lorenzo’s on George’s Street in Dublin they’ve opted for the addition of freshly muddled berries while directly across the road from them in Yamamori Izakaya, they’ll be using wild Irish heather as a garnish with an earthy twist. Many of the venues are also offering fantastic food pairings, Irish seafood in particular match our gins very well.

The emergence of new Irish gins on the market is not just down to global demand, but cash flow. There are distilleries cropping up in many counties and they want to craft Irish whiskey, but that takes a minimum 3 years to cask age. In order to keep the business going, they are distilling clear spirits such as gin and poitín as they don’t need to be sitting in a barrel over long periods.

However you like your G& T this is excellent news for enhancing Ireland’s reputation as a centre of food and drink excellence. It also provides the perfect excuse to throw a new festival like ours.

SAN LORENZO’S BRAMBLE G & T

INGREDIENTS:

40 ml Shortcross Gin

5 ml Crème de Cassis

5 ml lime juice

1 teaspoon of mixed berries

80 ml of Schweppe’s Tonic

METHOD:

Place the berries, crème de cassis and lime juice in a long glass and squash them with a spoon. Add in the gin and ice and stir. Then top up with tonic water and stir again.

Oisin Davis runs the Dublin Gin and Tonic Festival which takes place from June 22nd – 27th with 30 venues cross the city taking part. A €5 wristband available at any of the venues entitles the wearer to a 30% discount on any of the special Irish Gin & Tonics for the week. www.greatirishbeverages.com