The interaction of gin and tonic water is crucial to creating a good gin and tonic – logically so. But which tonic water goes with which gin? What is the perfect gin and tonic combination? We are asked this question very often - understandable, after all there are now over 100 German gins and the selection in the tonic water range is also hard to keep track of. Now, of course, it would be great if there was a concrete answer to this question. Unfortunately we have to disappoint you. As with many things, this is a matter of individual taste.
The good news is that trying out different gins and tonic water is really fun! Imagine a gin and tonic tasting with friends: First, the individual gins are tasted neat - it will quickly become apparent that the differences are enormous. From classic juniper, herbal or citrusy, to fruity floral, you can certainly find a gin to suit every taste. Then you try different tonic water variations.
But what exactly is tonic water and what does it taste like? When making tonic water, carbonated water is mixed with quinine, which is obtained from cinchona bark. Sugar and other botanicals or fruit acids can also be added. Tonic water can be roughly divided into the following categories:
Classic and Dry Tonic Water
In a classic tonic water, the focus is on the bitter note of quinine, which is usually accompanied by citrus notes. The more quinine a tonic water contains, the more bitter it tastes. No additional botanicals are used here.
Dry tonic water contains relatively little quinine and little sugar, so the taste is very mild and less sweet. Restrained gins in particular can be mixed well with dry tonic water, as their gentle aromas are not displaced by those of the tonic water.
Classic and dry tonic water ensures a balanced ratio to the gin in a gin and tonic. Floral or fruity tonic water, on the other hand, tends to be more prominent in a gin and tonic.
Floral and fruity tonic water
Floral tonic water is characterized by a fresh and floral aroma. Fruity tonic waters are usually quite sweet. For example, if you want to emphasize the floral or fruity notes of a gin, you can mix it with an equally floral or fruity tonic water. Thinking the other way around, gins with a juniper accent can be paired very well with floral or fruity tonic water to provide a complementary note to the gin in the drink.
Spicy and tart tonic water
In spicy tonic waters, the focus is on fine herbal aromas, which provide a bitter note and allow the classic bitter and citrus notes to fade into the background.
Once you've tried a number of different gins and tonics, it's time to start mixing. We are sure that at the end of the evening everyone will find the perfect gin and tonic combination for themselves. In general, make sure to fill the long drink glass to the top with ice before pouring the gin and tonic water. This ensures that the drink stays cold until the last sip without becoming watered down.
Garnish with gin and tonic
Last but not least, there is the question of the right set. This is similar to the perfect gin and tonic combination - a matter of taste. But for orientation, it helps to know which botanicals are used to produce the selected gin and which flavors you want to support or complement with the garnish. For example, we use orange blossoms, among other things, for our THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin, which is why an orange zest as a garnish for the drink harmonizes wonderfully with it. You're probably wondering why gin and tonic is often garnished with cucumber. There is a simple reason for this: marketing. A well-known gin manufacturer uses, among other things, cucumber as a gin botanical and celebrates this with the help of a variety of marketing campaigns. As a result, it became a trend
THE DUKE Gin & Tonic
We have a few tips for you so that you can find the perfect tonic water for our three gins.
THE DUKE Rough Gin
Tip: THE DUKE Rough Gin + classic tonic water (not too sweet) + 2-3 thin apple slices as a garnish
THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin
Our classic gin consists of 13 botanicals: In addition to juniper berries, coriander seeds and bitter orange, it gets its fine, spicy aroma from ginger root, cubeb pepper, arnica root, lavender, lemon peel, hops and malt. This gin focuses on juniper and citrus notes, accompanied by other fine herbs and spices.
If you want to emphasize the herbal aromas in the gin, a spicy tonic water is suitable. For those who like it more classic, we recommend a classic tonic that is not too sweet. But floral notes in tonic water, such as lavender or rose petals, are also conceivable.
Tip: THE DUKE Munich Dry Gin + classic tonic water (not too sweet) + orange zest as a garnish
Mixing drinks is a lot of fun! However, there are situations in which it can be a bit inconvenient to have to take the individual ingredients with you - just imagine a spontaneous evening by the river or lake. It is precisely for such situations that we have created 4 bottled long drinks in organic quality in cooperation with Aqua Monaco. With them you no longer have to go without a high-quality drink in any situation. Have you tried our THE DUKE Gin & Tonic Yet?
THE DUKE Wanderlust Gin
Our Wanderlust Gin enchants with its floral notes. A total of 20 botanicals are combined with each other, with floral aromas such as poppy seeds, rose petals, arnica, edelweiss and lavender being in the foreground. The gin gets a distinctly fruity touch from the raspberry. Due to the complex aroma, you have to be a little more careful when choosing tonic water. If the tonic water is too flavorful or too sweet, you run the risk of overpowering the gin. We therefore recommend a classic or even dry tonic water that is not too sweet.
Tip: THE DUKE Wanderlust Gin + Dry Tonic + fresh raspberries as a garnish
THE DUKE Variations
On our Drinks-Seite fyou will not only find great cocktail recipes, but also some gin and tonic variations. For example, by adding other ingredients or infusing the gin, you can mix exciting gin and tonic creations. Try it out!
