Gin, Tonic, Big Ice, & a Cucumber

G&T

The quintessential summer drink, simple in statement, easy to make, and so refreshing when made right. My perfect G&T recipe includes Hendricks Gin and Fever Tree tonic.

1.5 oz (44.3ml) Gin
6.8 oz (200ml) Fever Tree Tonic
Large ice cubes
Cucumber spear
Lime wedge

Although I have an automatic ice machine on my refridgerator I opt for larger ice cubes with trays from Colourworks. These silicone trays make large square cubes that are easy to deploy into your glass.

Fever Tree Tonic, although dear at $1.50 for a 200ml bottle, is the perfect tonic compared to supermarket brands. Fever Tree is made from organic botanicals and cane sugar.

Gin is a personal choice with my favourites being Hendricks, Old Raj, and Sipsmith. 

For summer garden drinking I like to garnish my G&T with both a lime wedge and a spear of cucumber.

Stay cool as a cucumber this summer and enjoy the spoils of war and maleria with a G&T.

GIN - Hendrick's (Scotland)

My Favourite Gin for 2008

Made from the usual suspects and a couple of unusual botanicals this small batch Scottish gin made by William Grant and Son in Ayrshire is my current favourite as a martini or G&T. Made in a painstaking slow process using one of only four working 19th century Carter-Head Stills; the slow infusion of juniper, citrus, coriander, along with the very unusual rose and cucumber elements creates a gin apart in aroma, texture, and flavour. It is medium-bodied, smooth, slightly sweet, and complexly aromatic and tasting of rose, Turkish delight, spearmint, cucumber, and a hint of white chocolate. It's complex gin that merits the heavy apothecary bottle and packaging. http://www.hendricksgin.co.uk/us/about/index.asp

Next time you have a G&T add a slice of cucumber instead of the lemon or lime. Hendricks sells in British Columbia for $39.99 CDN