How to Make the Best Gin and Tonic

BySam Linsell Last Updated on
113 Comments
A gin and tonic with pink grapefruit and elderflower syrup

A gin and tonic may seem like the simplest of drinks — just two ingredients and a garnish — but when made with care, it transforms into something extraordinary. The right gin, the freshest tonic, plenty of ice, and the perfect citrus can turn an everyday G&T into a refreshing ritual. For me, it’s more than a drink; it’s a memory of family lunches, lemon trees in the garden, and the unmistakable aroma of gin mingling with citrus. Here’s how to make the best gin and tonic, every time.

Key Takeaways

  • Use a good quality gin that suits your taste.
  • Always use freshly opened tonic water with maximum fizz.
  • Pack the glass with plenty of ice to keep the drink crisp.
  • Lemon or lime? Both work — choose based on your flavour preference.
  • Experiment with variations like cucumber, herbs, or flavoured tonics.

The Gin and Tonic: A Simple Drink with Endless Possibilities

Gin and tonic has always been part of my life. Growing up, the smell of fresh lemon and tonic takes me straight back to lazy Sunday lunches at my parents’ home in Johannesburg, where I’d dash into the garden to pick lemons off the tree. My father taught me how to pour a proper G&T, and his careful ritual shaped how I still make them today.

Years later, a friend introduced me to Hendrick’s gin, and it was love at first sip — or rather, first sniff. The floral and cucumber notes were unlike anything I’d ever tried, and I realised there really was such a thing as the perfect gin and tonic. For me, the drink is more than refreshment — it’s a thread of memory, connection, and ritual. And nothing beats enjoying one in the bush, where the heat, the stillness, and even the mosquitoes make it taste all the better.

Ingredients for the Best Gin and Tonic

  • Gin: Choose the best quality gin you can afford — London Dry, Hendrick’s, Tanqueray, or your favourite craft gin.
  • Tonic water: Freshly opened, ice-cold, with strong carbonation.
  • Ice: Lots of it, ideally large cubes that won’t melt too quickly.
  • Citrus: Lemon or lime wedges for garnish and a subtle squeeze.
A gin and tonic with pink grapefruit and elderflower syrup

The Step-by-Step Method

  1. Add gin to your glass.
  2. Top slowly with tonic water to preserve the bubbles.
  3. Fill with ice cubes (the more, the better).
  4. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime, plus an extra wedge or slice.
  5. Stir gently and enjoy.
Gin & tonic with lemon cordial & rosemary

Gin and Tonic Variations to Try

Lemon sorbet gin and tonic recipe

Lemon or Lime in a Gin and Tonic?

Both work beautifully, but here’s the difference:

  • Lemon: Brings out crisp, slightly sweet notes.
  • Lime: Adds tangy freshness and pairs especially well with floral or spiced gins.
    Try both and decide which balances best with your favourite gin.
Lemons & limes

What Is the Best Tonic for a Gin and Tonic?

The tonic makes up most of the drink, so it matters. Popular options:

  • Fever-Tree: Widely considered premium, with various flavours.
  • Schweppes: A classic choice with strong carbonation.
  • Indian tonic water: For traditional dry bitterness.
  • Light or diet tonic: For a lower-calorie option.

Tip: Always use tonic water that is ice-cold and freshly opened. Flat tonic will ruin even the best gin.

Tips for how to make the Perfect Gin and Tonic

  • Use a short glass for a stronger gin flavour, or a tall glass for a lighter drink.
  • Chill the glass before serving.
  • Make tonic water ice cubes to avoid dilution.
  • Always balance gin and tonic to your taste — the classic ratio is 1:2, but many prefer 1:3.
Gin & tonic with pink grapefruit and elderflower

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best ratio for gin and tonic?
Most people prefer 1 part gin to 2 or 3 parts tonic, but you can adjust to taste.

Should a gin and tonic be served in a tall or short glass?
Either works. A short glass gives a stronger gin flavour; a tall glass makes it lighter and more refreshing.

Is gin and tonic better with lemon or lime?
Both are traditional. Lemon adds brightness, while lime adds tang and pairs well with floral or spiced gins.

What’s the best tonic for a gin and tonic?
Premium tonics like Fever-Tree are excellent, but Schweppes remains a classic. Always choose tonic that is fresh and fizzy.

What garnishes can I use in a gin and tonic?
Citrus wedges, cucumber slices, herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil), or berries. Garnishes enhance aroma and flavour.

How can I make a lower-calorie gin and tonic?
Use light or diet tonic water, or reduce the tonic ratio slightly.

Gin & tonic with lemon cordial & rosemary

Conclusion

A gin and tonic may look simple, but when made with care it’s one of the most refreshing and elegant drinks around. Whether you prefer lemon or lime, classic or creative, the secret is quality gin, fresh tonic, plenty of ice, and a thoughtful garnish. Cheers

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Sam Linsell is a trained chef, cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, food stylist and food videographer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Sam has created recipes and digital content for her award-winning food blog Drizzleanddip.com since 2010.

113 Comments

  1. Where did you find those lovely glasses?

  2. Hi, love the photos! I use (and drink) Hendricks all the time at work (bartender)and home and have discovered that mixing Hendricks and tonic with either cucumber OR rose petals adds a completely different dimension.
    Both enhance the rose and cucumber flavours that Hendricks is so famous for. 😀

    Just thought i’d pass that along to a fellow G&T drinker.
    N

  3. Hi Nicole, thank you so much for dropping by with your expert opinion, I am now wanting to try cucumber and rose petals too.
    I think they would look so beautiful in the glass.
    Sam

  4. Hi Kate, I cant remember exactly, but would think it was from the Milnerton flea market.

  5. Oops!!
    I almost drank the cup through the computer screen, so this drink refreshing and inviting. I loved the explanations of each item. Beautiful pictures. Kisses Gin

  6. i thought i liked hendricks best – but then i tried sipsmith, a fantastic gin made in hammersmith, london. if you can get it where you are, i highly recommend.

  7. I love Hendricks but prefer to drink it with a cucumber! You should try it:) It’s yummy!

  9. my english mum is a hardcore g&t drinker, is obsessed with hendricks and only drinks it with cucumber.

  10. Hi Lou, yes it seems that cucumber is very popular with Hendrick’s and I must try this on my next one 🙂
    Sam

  11. Thank you Kiran, I’m glad you like and I hope I see you in these parts again.
    Sam

  12. Thanks Tina, seems that cucumber is a favourite garnish for Hendrick’s. I can picture beautiful long ribbons folded through my drink.
    Sam

  13. Hi S, have never heard of Sipsmith, but when next I’m in London I will check it out. I’m quite fascinated by gin now and want to get a full exposure to a variety of brands.

  14. Hello Gina / Gin 🙂 *waves* – nice to see you again and ching ching

  15. Stunning photos! Such a pity I am at work…… 😉

  16. Hi Louise, just keep thinking about it all day and then have one tonight #phuzathursday

  17. Can I add: rubbing the rim of the glass with the lemon or lime. yum scrum!

  18. Great tip All, thanks 🙂

  19. Beautiful post Sam, the photos are absolutely stunning. I do love a good G & T — thanks for the great tips.

  20. To make this the perfect gnt a slice of cucumber is out of this world!!!!!

  21. I love the photos, but what caught my attention was the your LOVE of Gin as I do Love it as well. I have never tried Hendricks, but have been drinking a Gin by Ketel One Vodka called “NOLETS” it has the essence of Turkish Rose in the Gin and I must say I absolutely LOVE, LOVE this Gin. Please give it a try and let me know what you think. Again, beautiful pics!

  22. HI Carole, so its seems that Cucumber is a favoured garnish and one which I will definitely re visit.

  23. Hi Norma, I’ll keep an eye out for Nolets too, it sounds like they have also infused rose with it which must be wonderful.
    Thanks
    Sam

  24. love this Sam! – A family friend of mine freezes lemons and then grates some zest into his G & T just before serving. The fragrance that it gives off is out-of-this-world amazing!!

  25. Beautiful photography and I, too, love Hendricks for special, and appreciate the original Bombay for “every day.” (Sappire is too bland, IMHO.) But a giant omission? Tonic water is key! Leave off any made with corn syrup, which is way heavier in calories and leaves an unpleasant coating in the mouth. Blech! Find a favorite among those produced with a little sugar or agave. The difference is striking, although it might take a few attempts to find your perfect flavor fit. Look for Fever Tree, Q, Stirling, Fentiman’s, the Whole Foods store brand (great value), White Rock (good value, but read the label because some WR is made with corn syrup).

    We’re lucky to have a key lime tree in the yard. When the fruit is ripe, the gin starts calling!

  26. Hi Meg, unfortunately we don’t get all those tonic water brands in South Africa, we essentially have one main brand, Schwepps, which is nice enough.
    Great tips to add to this post, much appreciated.
    sam

  27. amazing pics sam … am so going to give hendricks a try

  28. Thanks Pete:-)

  29. Hi Sam,
    Just bought your book – can’t wait to start cooking from it! Am also a G&T fan – can you get Hendriks locally?
    Karin

  30. Hi Karin, excellent and thank you very much :-). Yes you can, although I am not to sure where my friend purchased it from. Let me know if you get stuck.

  31. Hendricks is the absolute best hands down….and I now take mine with cucumber garnish since its infused that way. Best drink ever!

  32. This look DEEELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait to try it!

  33. Cheers Stacy 🙂

  34. Thanks for the Tip with the tonic cubes. I don’t have any leftover-tonic because i just buy small bottles, but nice tip though!
    Best GT in my opinion is
    4cl Hendrick’s Gin
    1 small Bottle Fentiman’s Tonic
    1 Slice of cucumber or some slices of cucumber skin (natural cucumbers, otherwise it may have a chemical taste)
    1-2 pinches of fresh ground pepper

  35. Thanks for the awesome tips Manny – cheers 🙂

  36. Hendricks is my favorite too. Using Fevertree Indian tonic kicks it up another notch.

  37. If you ever enter the Pacific Northwest, get your hands on a bottle of Aviation gin (https://aviationgin.com/). Made in my little town of Portland, OR. Maybe being from the area I am a bit biased, but this is THE BEST batch distilled gin I’ve ever encountered. No joke. A second close is Dry Fly Gin made in Spokane, WA. (https://www.dryflydistilling.com/gin/)
    Just wanted to share, as I am an avid G&T drinker myself, and thought this article was a lot of fun!
    Do you know much about tonics? I’d sure love to read about different brands, just because I think that can makes a world of difference all on its own.
    Cheers!

  38. Hi Cory sounds great, thanks for letting us know.
    best
    sam

  39. Hi, Love your pictures. This is my favorite drink and always looking to make it even better. You have got it down pat. We freeze some lime slices and use this idea to cut down on a little ice. It works well and love the lime. Going to try cucumber and tonic cubes as well. Thanks again for all the tips.

    Cheers!!

  40. Hi Marie – thanks for the comment and the frozen lime tip. love it!

  41. Just made a perfect G&T. I used fever tree tonic key limes and baby cucumbers! So deelish on this snowy afternoon in DC as I dream about summer!!

  42. Awesome Candy. I have also been buying Fever Tree tonic lately as we can buy it in South Africa now. Really stunning. I also thnk G & T’s are fabulous all year round.

    sam

  43. Girl…you had me at hello! No seriously…I must commend you on sharing what I already know. Hendricks is the answer. Oh…what’s the question? Thee best in the world is right. Love??

  44. Hey Luz, indeed. I love the stuff. made a new cocktail with it going up soon.

  45. I love Gin and nothing beats a cold G&T on a hot summer’s day imo. I’ve played around with flavors and such and found that my fav is with fresh grapefruit juice and cucumber.

  46. I love grabefruit Rebecca so must try this next time. In my opinion it needs citrus.

  47. Try to use Thomas Henry Tonic waters like the Elderflower!

  48. Marvelous! What a delightful post. Many thanks from the untamed, rugged wilds of Western Australia? cheers dears

  49. Thanks Grant

  50. Hi all Hendrick’s Gin adepts,
    early Summer this year we were in Porto and discovered a quality restaurant that had a very good score on their reviews list: a satisfied client wrote that they knew well how a Hendrick’s gin has to be served ! And… the only way to discover that was to drink it as an apero! It was served indeed with a lot of skill and love by the weighter at our tabel with a long cocktail spoon! A slice of cucumber was in the big glas and I remember , although I’m not sure, that there was also added some…..pepper! Now months later ( having switchen to Hendrick’s gin as apero) I scanned The internet but can’t find traces or confirmation of my strong believe that it was pepper. Can anyone help me?

  51. Pictures are amazing. Cocktail sounds delicious too!

  52. Sam, I highly agree with your statement that there is nothing worse than a Flat G&T!
    Can’t wait to try cucumber. Luckily I have one in my refrigerator just waiting!

  53. Thank you, great article, this is the gold standard recipe for gin and tonic

  55. Hey Sam. Great pics! G&T, simple but so delicious. Hendricks will be on the next shopping list. Curious, but have you ever tried a couple of mint leaves along with the lime?
    cj

  56. Awesome cj, I have tried mint but not mint and lime. I feel it needs to citrus, but will give it a go.

  57. To Patrick, yes, black pepper!! We were in Spain recently and were introduced to Hendricks with cucumber and black pepper, served in a “goldfish bowl” type glass full of ice. I think they may have used sparkling water rather than tonic as it didn’t taste sweet. Absolutely delicious! “Normal” g&t seems so boring now!

  58. HI Jane – wow I live the addition of black pepper, and I too have had a G & T served in a big fish bowl type glass. I must try with soda, but also love the less sweet tonics we can get now.

  59. https://www.facebook.com/earthhouse.capetown says:

    hendricks with cucumber is best

  60. I just saw this on Pinterest and glad I did! I LOVE gin & tonics. (Hendrick’s is my go to or Tanqueray Rangpur is a close second.) I’ll have to try the tonic ice cubes along with the art of how to pour. Thanks for sharing!

  61. Thanks Annie

  62. Missing very important info ————— ratio

  63. Hi Alex – I think quantity is as per own taste, single or double tot. I like my gin a little thin with loads of tonic and ice.

  64. add a slice of cucumber to your gin and tonic, it taste so good!

  65. Can I also suggest …the Vietnamese variation if adding a sprig or two of coriander

  66. Stephen that sounds too delicious too.

  67. This is such a delicious blog….

  68. That’s very similar to what I’d do except if I have time I’ll chill the glass, and rim the glass with the lime or lemon first, gives an extra kick with every sip. I’m also partial to a cucumber garnish.

  69. HI, yes squeezing lime on hte rim does add major value and I have been doing that lately. I love the added citrus boost it giove the drink.

  72. Great comments…there is a real problem about getting good tonic in this land (Australia)

  73. Hey,

    I was recently in the Swiss air senator lounge in Zurich and the bartender made a Gin & Tonic with Hendricks, Cucumber & cracked black pepper and it was awesome!! i starter searching to see if anybody else came across a similar glad to have found this post

  74. Hi Finkel, I love the idea of black pepper and will give that a try next time too.

  75. Am all for adding herbs and spices so cracked pepper is good….because I have lots of nasturtiums I often plunder them for gin drinks (both leaves and flowers have a real peppery taste). But my bestest insanity is to use a french/spring onion as a garnish and a straw…….Just love it….but then maybe I drink too much gin!

  76. Ha ha Stephen that garnish is definitely quite far out but thanks for sharing it here. The most important thing is that you love it and rules are there to be broken. Cheers!

  77. emaliah82 says:

    Luv luv luv your tips and tricks! I now make the best G&T 🙂 Whole Foods 365 tonic water is delish! It is sweetened with cane sugar vs HFCS. Makes a huge difference in taste!

  78. Awesome Emaliah, I will try that when Im next in your neck of the woods. Sam

  79. I am a Hendrick’s Gin fan and have been for years but I will not make a gin and tonic with it. It is best sipped on ice or in a very dry martini. One part dry vermouth 8 parts gin

  80. Love the 8 parts gin David 🙂 and I’m also a fan of the martini (vigorously shaken)

  81. Justin Low says:

    hi sam i love these pictures!! i was actually wondering what tonic water do you prefer or love to use with hendricks gin? i currently use Schweppes but thats cos its the most widely available.

    also do you think hendricks gin would make a good martini or should i use something like beefeater gin?

    thank you

  82. HI Justin, Lately I’m using Fever Tree although I love that Schweppes is by far the fizziest. I love a fizzy texture with my G & T but it is quite sweet. It’s also the most ‘neutral’ in taste. A lot of the fancy tonics these days have so much flavour they can overshadow the gin. Gin is such a personal thing, I think you can make a martini out of anyone that you prefer. Things have really opened up in the world of drinks making and gin in particular. The rules should be made up by you and your personal preference.

  83. Justin Low says:

    thank you sam!!! ya lately i’ve been using fever tree with hendricks because its been recommend to me by so many bartenders but i have to try Schweppes too to see which one i like better. i usually use a 1:2 ratio of gin to tonic and its perfect

  84. Hey! Loving your posts. What are the measurements?

  85. HI Alexa, really however strong you want to make it, there are no rules.

  86. viviwnfdiarycom says:

    We like Hendricks as well. Once we did our cocktail with butterfly pea tea. Here is our recipe if you are interested.

    Great work!

  87. Thanks for your recipe – Butterfly pea tea is something i had never heard of 🙂

  88. Said some years ago that fresh spring onions work really well with G&T!!!
    Rather like organic straws.

  89. How interesting Mary – I am shook re the spring onions

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