July/August 2016 ~ Imbibemagazine.Com 1 Oldold Dog,Dog, Newnew Trickstricks Revisiting the Gin & Tonic, a Summertime Staple
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july/august 2016 ~ imbibemagazine.com 1 OldOld Dog,Dog, NewNew TricksTricks Revisiting the Gin & Tonic, a summertime staple. There’s no magic to making a good Gin & Tonic—but as bartenders have tinkered with the familiar formula in recent years, the results they’ve come up with have often proved magical. “It’s a simple drink, easy to understand for almost everybody,” says Alberto Pizarro, bar manager and co-owner of Bobby Gin in Barcelona, a city that’s gone particularly wild for the revamped G&T. Pizarro explains that the drink’s unrivaled powers of refreshment, coupled with the expanding options in the worlds of both gins and tonics, have opened the doors for many variations on the familiar theme. With Spanish bartenders spreading the Gin & Tonic gospel, and North American bartenders reappraising the simple classic, we thought this summer the perfect time to share a few favorites we’ve come across along the way. Photos by LARA FERRONI Old Dog, New Tricks Aviation Gin & Tonic At Bobby Gin in Barcelona, Alberto Pizarro and his team offer more than a dozen G&T variations that accent the mixtures with touches of fruit, herbs, bitters and spices. In this version, floral bitters and a spray of lemon zest nod toward the classic Aviation cocktail. 2 oz. gin (Bobby Gin uses Aviation) 6 oz. chilled tonic water (Pizarro recommends Schweppes or Fever-Tree) 2 dashes lavender bitters Glass: large goblet Garnish: large lemon twist Fill the glass with ice cubes and add the gin and bitters. Slowly add chilled tonic, twist a lemon peel over the drink and use as a garnish. Alberto Pizarro Bobby Gin, Barcelona Simon’s G&T While tending bar one evening, Shaun Layton was midway through mixing a Martini when the guest who ordered it suddenly left. “Another guest asked for a Gin & Tonic, dealer’s choice,” Layton says. “Me being somewhat resourceful, I turned the Martini into a G&T,” he says of this fusion of two preeminent gin drinks, named for gin producer Simon Ford. 1½ oz. gin (Juniper uses Fords Gin) ½ oz. dry vermouth 4-5 oz. chilled tonic water, to taste (Juniper uses Fever-Tree Indian Tonic) Glass: large goblet Garnish: long, thin lemon twist, 2 picholine olives Fill a goblet with ice and add all the ingredients. Stir to combine, then garnish. Shaun Layton Juniper, Vancouver, B.C. Italian Gin & Tonic While developing a Gin & Tonic menu for 2 oz. London dry gin gin-focused bar Whitechapel, co-owner ½ oz. Campari and beverage director Alex Smith looked to ½ oz. sweet vermouth Italian flavors for inspiration—and wound Chilled tonic water (Whitechapel uses Lurisia, up with a hybrid that evokes another gin- an Italian brand available in specialty shops based classic. “I was thinking about how and on Amazon) best to capture the signature flavors of Glass: highball Italian spirits,” Smith says. “The two classic Garnish: orange twist, rosemary sprig Negroni ingredients, vermouth and Campari, seemed almost too poetically perfect for this Combine the first 3 ingredients in an ice-filled application—but the resulting drink is quite highball glass and top with chilled tonic, to delicious as it turns out.” taste; stir to combine, then garnish. Alex Smith Whitechapel, San Francisco july/august 2013 ~ imbibemagazine.com 43 My Father’s Gin & Tonic Brooklyn bar owner Toby Cecchini learned how to make the perfect Gin & Tonic from his father, a research chemist and artist whose approach to the drink utilizes the gin’s solvent properties to maximize the lime’s character in the drink. Cecchini simply calls this “My Father’s Gin & Tonic”—a name that’s apparently stuck. “Some of my customers actually ask for it by that name, which I always find funny,” Cecchini says. 2½ oz. gin 1 lime Chilled tonic water (Cecchini’s father used Schweppes) Tools: kitchen knife, muddler, barspoon, strainer Glass: large (20 oz.) Collins glass Garnish: julienned lime peel Wash the lime and cut it in half at the equator; squeeze the juice and set it aside for another use. Julienne the lime rinds into thin strips using a sharp kitchen knife, then add to a mixing glass along with the gin. Muddle the mixture together for approximately 1 minute, until the mixture is fragrant and the lime’s oils and juice are well integrated in the gin. Fill serving glass ¾ full with ice, and add chilled tonic water until ¾ full; add a straw. Strain the gin mixture over the back of a barspoon so it floats atop the tonic; spoon some of the lime strips atop the drink as a garnish. Stir before drinking. Toby Cecchini Long Island Bar, Brooklyn, New York To read the full story behind Cecchini and his father’s Gin & Tonic, go online to imbibemagazine.com. Sherry & Tonic At Small Victory in Austin, Steven Robbins took the Spanish enthusiasm for Gin & Tonics to the next logical step: substituting Spain’s signature fortified wine for the gin. The result is a smooth mixture that’s gentle enough to sip all afternoon. 3 oz. amontillado sherry 1 tsp. simple syrup (1:1) 2 dashes orange bitters 3 oz. chilled tonic water (Small Victory uses Fever-Tree Indian Tonic) 1 lemon peel Glass: large wine goblet Garnish: mint sprig, orange wheels Combine the sherry, bitters and simple syrup in a large wine glass filled with ice. Top with chilled tonic; twist the peel over drink and discard, then garnish. Steven Robbins Small Victory, Austin, Texas Calvados & Tonic The French tend to do things a little differently, and this G&T relative from Normandy—which swaps the gin for French apple brandy—is picking up fans on this side of the Atlantic. “Calvados can get pegged as a winter spirit or an after- dinner drink,” says Damn the Weather owner Bryn Lumsden. “Stretching it out with tonic allows it to become a daytime drink, as well as a summer drink.” 1½ oz. Calvados ¾ oz. tonic syrup (Lumsden uses Bradley’s Kina Tonic) 3 oz. chilled soda water Glass: Collins Garnish: orange twist Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled glass and stir to combine. Garnish. Note: A good-quality commercial tonic water may be substituted for the tonic syrup and soda. Bryn Lumsden Damn the Weather, Seattle Frozen Gin & Tonic What’s more refreshing on a summer day than a Gin & Tonic? A frozen G&T, especially one made with cooling cucumber. 1½ oz. gin ½ oz. tonic syrup (use a good-quality commercial brand such as Small Hand Foods or Tomr’s Tonic) ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1) ¾ oz. fresh lime juice 1 thin slice cucumber Tools: blender Glass: jar Garnish: lime wheel Combine all the ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of ice and blend until smooth. Pour into a jar and garnish. Rob Krueger Extra Fancy, Brooklyn, New York Strawberries & Old Tom Chicago bar Sable offers a menu of Spanish-inspired Gin & Tonics, including this version that’s lightly sweetened with Old Tom gin and fresh strawberries. 2 oz. Old Tom gin 1 6.8-oz. bottle tonic water (Sable uses Fever-Tree Indian Tonic) Tools: vegetable peeler, barspoon Glass: large (20 oz.) goblet Garnish: fresh lime, 2 fresh strawberries Using a peeler, remove 2 large strips of lime zest and squeeze the aromatic oils into the glass; add the peels to the glass, along with 2 thinly sliced strawberries. Fill the glass with large ice cubes, then add the gin and the entire bottle of tonic water. Stir gently before serving. John Stanton Sable Kitchen & Bar, Chicago Tonic Boom These days, quality commercial tonics and tonic syrups mean there are plenty of options at the ready for your summer G&T sessions. They each bring a unique flavor to the mix; here’s a quick guide to some of the best bottles. BRADLEY’S KINA TONIC Soft and mildly JACK RUDY SMALL BATCH TONIC sweet, with a touch of warm spice and a SYRUP Citrus peel and lemongrass add gently building bitterness. brightness to this tonic syrup, which has a delicate yet engaging bitterness. EAST IMPERIAL East Imperial’s Old World Tonic Water has a full-spectrum LURISIA ACQUA TONICA DI CHINOTTO complexity, with a depth of citrus A very elegant tonic, vivaciously citrusy peel and a lingering mild bitterness. and crisp in flavor, with a slow-evolving East Imperial’s Burma Tonic has a bitterness and a vibrant fizz. bright snap of citrus and spice; both tonics have excellent balance, delicate Q TONIC Tangy and herbaceous, with a effervescence and an engaging dryness. delicious bitterness. FENTIMANS TONIC WATER Herbaceous SMALL HAND FOODS TONIC SYRUP and assertively citrus-forward, with Bright in flavor, with a slight citrusy a touch of lemongrass and a rich tang, this tonic syrup finishes with a sweetness. soft, spicy bitterness. FEVER-TREE Fever-Tree Indian Tonic TOMR’S TONIC This syrup is Water is delicate and nuanced, with herbaceous and aromatic, and the a dry, softly bitter rasp, while the flavor is full of winter spice and citrus Mediterranean Tonic Water aims herbal, peel, balanced by a snappy bitterness. with touches of rosemary and thyme..