“Distilled for the eradication of seemingly incurable sadness,” is how Thomas Shelby from the series, Peaky Blinders described his father’s gin recipe while generously pouring for himself and others from the grain distillate.

But you don’t have to travel back to 1919’s Birmingham, as a glass of gin and tonic will bring you this experience anywhere, anytime.

Discover the secrets, history, proportions and spices of this great classic!

Feisty Juniper

Did you know that 40 million bottles of gin are consumed each year by the British alone? That’s enough to make over a billion gin and tonics… but what exactly do we call gin?

This distillate is made from a neutral-tasting spirit – most often grain alcohol – and the “cherry” on top are juniper berries or their extract, known since antiquity.

The word ‘gin’ itself is derived from the foreign language equivalents of juniper, ‘jenever’ in Dutch and ‘genièvre’ in French.

The alcohol content of the drink is at least 37.5%, and although juniper provides the unmistakable taste, it can be flavored with many spices (e.g. coriander, citrus peel).

Gin originated in Europe and is believed to have traveled to England from what is now the Netherlands, where increasingly sophisticated versions began to emerge.

Today’s most popular cocktail, gin and tonic could not exist without this development process, as the basis of the beloved combination is quality gin and preferably first-class tonic.

A Sip of G&T History

The history of one of the most popular drinks in modern mixology dates back to the 1700-1800s. And like so many things, gin and tonic has its roots in medicine.

The British Weren’t Just Quenching Their Thirst!

George Cleghorn, an 18th century Scottish physician discovered that quinine could treat the terrible symptoms of malaria. Known as an active ingredient in tonic, this bitter-tasting substance has fever-soothing, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Quinine was first extracted from the bark of the South American Quina tree by drying and grinding it into a fine powder. Interestingly, at first it was ingested mixed in wine.

Numerous sources support the legend that British soldiers stationed in India drank a lot of tonic, and of course no less gin (or other alcohol) in the 19th century to repel malaria.

Winston Churchill once said “the gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire”.

After such a statement, it is perhaps not surprising that the popularity of gin and tonic has increased even further. At the time a squeeze of lime was also added to the drink as a little extra health-booster.

The Myth of Spanish Chefs

If we jump forward in time, we arrive at modern Spanish bar culture, where the gin and tonic mania got its greatest hype.

With tall glasses and thousands of fragrance and fruit variations bartenders opened the door to cocktail heaven, through which we have been traveling ever since.

A representative of a tonic brand cites the myth that Spanish chefs sipped gin tonic in the kitchen and as they sliced ingredients, they threw a few into their drinks.

Just imagine getting inspiration while chopping cucumbers and herbs for a salad recipe, or just a rough move creating a new, random mix!

Two Bitters Don’t Spoil the Broth

There’s no need for advanced math to enumerate the ingredients of gin and tonic, as they can be purchased quite easily, the drink is ready in literally a few seconds, and these are all strong arguments in favor of its popularity.

The most important thing, however, is the taste, which can be a real refreshment after a long day at work or in the middle of a night party.

Gin and tonic are both bitter, but mixed together they become something completely different.

As the author of Sóbors writes, “individual molecules of gin attract similar elements of tonic, and this union results in a completely new taste experience”.

The Holy ‘Ginity’

According to EU regulations, there are three types of gin:

• Gin (without any other labeling): a mixture of neutral alcohol spirit and aromatic plant extracts, including juniper,
• Distilled gin: extracts and flavorings are added to the above after distillation,
• London (Dry) gin: nothing other than water can be added to the gin after distillation to reduce the alcohol content, so it cannot be flavored or sweetened when it leaves the distillery.

Although the third type mentions the capital of the United Kingdom in its name, it only refers to its creation style. London dry gin is not a protected geographical indication, so it can be produced anywhere in the world.

In addition to the three main versions, a number of other gins are well known by the public. Just think of Old Tom, or Bathtub that conquered during Prohibition, or the yellow gin aged in oak barrels for a few months, or the rose/strawberry/melon-flavored pink gins!

Hungarian Gin Manufacturers

In Hungary, more and more distillers began to experiment with creating the perfect gin. Recently, the following brands have embarked on their journey:

– Opera Gin,

– Búzavirág Gin,

– Tokaj GIN.

Learn more about their fascinating backgrounds from this article!

The Secret to Pairing

There are many gin and tonic recipes and guides on the internet, but as numerous sources indicate, this cocktail is like Yin and Yang – the right proportions and matching fragrances should be pursued to achieve perfect balance of flavor.

You can find the best tips here:

• Mix a classic juniper-only gin (such as London Dry Gin) with a traditional tonic that has no extra flavor (such as Thomas Henry, Fever-Tree Light)! You may experiment with a slightly citrusy or juniper-flavored tonic.
• For the characteristic, sweet, fruity or herbal gin, try selecting a less sugary, more astringent tonic. A great example to this is the combination of Skully Oriental and Three Cents dry tonic.
• Gins made by distilling flowers (such as The Botanist) cry for elderflower tonic (such as elderberry-flavored Thomas Henry)! Guaranteed Yin-Yang effect
• Navy-strength (that is, with a minimum alcohol content of 57%) gins are an excellent companion for stronger flavored tonics (for example, aromatic Fever-Tree). Unleash your imagination when it comes to experimenting with proportions, as you have a bold pair in your hands!

Four Hungarian G&T Recipes

As we have already mentioned the fresh, and most decisive elements of the Hungarian gin production, get to know some exciting Hungarian matches! Here is the selection from an &T TONICS article:

• Tattoo Criminal Gin + &T Indian Tonic Water = for highlighting Madagascar vanilla and coriander,
• Seven Hills Tokaji Gin + & T Light Indian Tonic Water = because juniper-accented gin requires a certain ease,
• Historia Hungarian Dry Gin + &T Grapefruit Tonic Water = if you want an energizing citrusy flavor,
• Búzavirág Gin + &T Blueberry Tonic Water = for zesty bittersweet moments.

Gin & Tonic Homebrew

If you want to try yourself in mixology at home, in the case of gin and tonic, you should definitely begin by cooling the glass. Move around the glass packed with a few ice cubes and drain the melted water using a bartender strainer!

Then fill the glass with ice – if possible, made from filtered water so the cubes cool each other and the chances of watering your drink are lower! The joy of flavors will therefore last until the very last sip. Who would say no to that?

The ideal gin and tonic ratio

For one part of gin, two parts of tonic are recommended by tradition:

• 4 cl gin,
• 2 dl tonic.

Of course, it is worth considering the strength of gin, as we wrote in the case of navy-strength, the higher alcohol content can easily justify divergence from the classic gin and tonic ratio.

Endless supply of accessories and spices

Gin and tonic culture is defined by inexhaustible creativity, so it is hard to give an exhaustive list of all the spices this classic refreshment goes with. Choose a favorite from these:

• juniper berries
• lemon
• lime
• cucumber
• lemongrass
• basil
• thyme
• rosemary
• sage leaves
• pink Persian rosebud
• freeze-dried raspberries
• lavender flowers
• cardamom
• grapefruit
• orange peel
• pomegranate seeds
• fig syrup
• apple cider
• elderberry syrup.

Some Flavors Don’t Add Up!

Perhaps “mistake” is a strong word, as a casual evening of experimentation can create a lot of laughter and happy memories. So we would rather just draw your attention to what is worth avoiding.

Remember this when making gin and tonic:

• Try not to use more than three spices, so as not to make your flavor chaotic!
• If you are already paying attention to the quality of one component, do not forget about the others! The gin and tonic dance requires two great partners.
• Toast with responsibility! Gin and tonic is an extremely palatable cocktail, bringing a pleasant refreshment to the consumer. So it’s easy to forget how many glasses we’ve had.

Gin and Tonic Alternatives

“Juniper berry nectar” cannot only be sipped on its own or used for gin and tonic recipes, it also provides an irresistible basis for many other cocktails. Such as:

• the Cucumber Snapper,
• the Shiso Gimlet,
• the Space Gin Smash,the C&B Old Fashioned,
• and the Ginger Gin Fizz.

Get Your Spirits Up!

Sit back and let the bartenders of Élesztőház Spirit Bar treat you to the best fit for your mood from our selection of nearly twenty types of gin!

Let us know if your glass breaks down (i.e., runs out of gin and tonic), share with us what kind of flavor you want and we’ll fix it right away!

Let’s meet tonight at Élesztőház, and try our mind-blowing gin and tonic combos!