The world of tonics has boomed over the last few years. We’ve seen the cocktail world go from a few key players to hundreds of craft newcomers, all vying for space on the supermarket shelves. With such a diverse range to choose from it’s hard to know what’s the best match for your gin. We’ve picked some of our favourites that we think pair perfectly with Fifty Pounds:

Fentiman’s Valencian Orange Tonic Water

Poachers Irish Tonic

Fevertree Mediterranean Tonic

London Essence Pomelo and Pink Pepper

Double Dutch Cucumber and Watermelon

 

Summer is the perfect time for cocktails. We’re off work, the holidays are stretching out in front of us, and we can finally relax with something long and cool.

These gin cocktails make the perfect summer serve – whether you’re at home, by the pool or picnicking in the park – they’ll leave you feeling refreshed in more ways than one!

Cheers!

 

 

Tom Collins

A Tom Collins is one of the classic long gin cocktails but there’s a lot of controversy around its origins, with numerous people laying claim to the invention. Apparently, the earliest record for Tom Collins was written by Jerry Thomas, the father of American mixology, in 1876.

Ingredients

2oz gin

¾ oz simple syrup

¾ oz lemon juice

Soda water

Steps

1. Fill a Collins glass with ice and keep it in the freezer.
2. Pour in gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
3. Add ice and shake until well-chilled.
4. Strain into the chilled Collins glass.

 

 

Negroni Swizzle

‘Swizzling’ is a way to chill the drinks by twirling a swizzle stick between your palms. Try this swizzled cocktail overflowing with ice to cool you off this summer.

Ingredients

1 oz gin

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz soda water

Steps

1. Fill a highball glass with crushed ice.
2. Add gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
3. Swizzle with a bar spoon until your glass frosts up.
4. Add the soda water.
5. Garnish with a piece of orange or twist.

 

 

Takumi’s Aviation

The Aviation is usually purple, made with Creme de Violette. However, when Takumi Watanabe, a Japanese bartender at The Sailing Bar, did not have the Creme de Violette on hand, he made do by using Parfait D’Amour which gives it a distinctive blue colour.

Ingredients

½ oz gin

½ oz maraschino liqueur

1 bar spoon parfait d’amour

⅓ oz fresh lemon juice

Steps

1. Combine all the ingredients into your cocktail shaker
2. Shake with ice
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
4. Garnish with a twist of lemon

 

 

Cucumber and Gin Cocktail

This cocktail is a riff on the cucumber cooler, but takes it to the next level by using cucumber juice instead of the diced cucumber. The result is a refreshing green cocktail – the Incredible Hulk in a glass!

Ingredients

1 unpeeled cucumber

1 lime, cut into quarters.

2 oz gin

3 oz cucumber juice

1 tsp sugar

Mint leaves

Soda water

Ice

Steps

1. Cut up the cucumber and pulse in a food processor.
2. Strain using a cheesecloth or coffee filter.
3. Fill a tumbler with ice.
4. Using a peeler, cut a long strip of cucumber and arrange it to the side of the tumbler.
5. Muddle half a lime, 2 mint leaves, and 1 tsp sugar
6. Add the gin and cucumber juice into the muddling glass.
7. Add ice and shake vigorously.
8. Drop 2 quarter slices of the lime into the tumbler.
9. Strain the cocktail mixture into the tumbler.
10. Top with soda water

 

 

 

Gin Gin Mule

A modern classic, the gin-gin mule was created by Audrey Saunders of New York City’s Pegu Club. While it’s often thought of as a Moscow Mule with gin, it also has a bit of mojito influence. Either way, you look at it, it’s incredibly easy to make and a fabulous drink you’re sure to love.

As the name indicates, there are two «gins» in this recipe. The first is gin—as in the botanical liquor we know and love for everything from the martini to the gin and tonic. The second is ginger beer, that snappy soda that makes the Moscow mule a truly great drink. When you muddle in a little lime, syrup, and mint, the drink’s flavour has a refreshing contrast.

Ingredients

8 mint leaves

3/4 oz lime juice (fresh)

1 oz simple syrup

1 1/2 oz gin

4 to 5 oz ginger beer (enough to fill)

Garnish: mint sprig

Steps

1. In a cocktail shaker, add the mint leaves, lime juice, and simple syrup. Muddle well to release the essence of the herbs.
2. Add gin and fill the shaker with ice
3. Shake well
4. Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice
5. Top up with ginger beer
6. Add a sprig of mint to garnish

 

Singapore Sling

A holiday classic, everything about a Singapore Sling screams lounging on a beach or propping up a pool-side bar. It’s also one of those cocktails that bartenders like to put their own twist on, so you’ll see variations everywhere you go. If you want to make this version even more special, you can use Cointreau instead of triple sec.

Ingredients

2 oz gin

½ oz triple sec

¾ oz Cherry Heering liqueur

½ oz Benedictine DOM Liqueur

½ oz lime juice

½ oz grenadine

3 oz pineapple juice

2 dash Angostura bitters

Cherry, pineapple wedge and cocktail umbrella for garnish

Steps

1. Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
2. Strain into a tall glass full of ice.
3. Garnish with a cherry and a pineapple wedge skewered together with a cocktail umbrella

 

Recipes provided by Advanced Mixology

Isn’t it funny how so many of us use the New Year as the impetus to start a new healthier life – and then wake up feeling terrible, with the mother of all hangovers?

The answer is, of course, to drink in moderation but we also know the temptations of New Year’s Eve. We’re also not going to claim that anything involving drinking is going to be a healthy option but there are a few tricks that can reduce that thumping head, nausea and feeling of dehydration and, perhaps, the calorie intake.

As it happens, gin isn’t terribly calorific – a good 50ml measure will only add around 120 calories to your daily intake. So keep an eye on your tonic water’s sugary additives – or switch to slimline – and you’re already making steps in the right direction.  Learn more about the latest trends in Tonics or visit our Gin Cocktail section for more Ginspiration.

Also, check your juices. Juice drinks have added sugar, freshly squeezed juices – while still containing natural sugars that you have to be aware of – are a little better for you, bringing fibre and vitamins to the party. Dilute with soda water and you’ll get flavour, fizz and a little hydration too.

If you’re in a cocktail-making mood, consider replacing simple syrup with a mix of two parts good honey to three parts warm water. That could, at least, up your antioxidant levels.

Oh, and if you decide to “tie one on”, try switching every third drink for a glass of water… You can thank us on January 1.

Staying healthy doesn’t have to be a compromise on taste either, as these cocktail suggestions might prove…

Gin Gimlet

It’s one of our favourites and a genuine classic. This version removes the cordial and ups the Vitamin C.

Ingredients:

50mls Fifty Pounds Gin

The juice of two limes

Simple honey syrup to taste

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a glass with ice. Add simple syrup to taste – optional, of course. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Gin Thoreau

One advantage of Christmas is it’s one time of the year you might have cranberries in the house. They’re packed with Vitamin C, aside from their other health benefits.

Ingredients:

50g of cranberries – or cranberries and other berries, if you prefer

200mls Fifty Pounds Gin

50mls water

250mls cranberry juice

Juice of one lime

Lemon or orange slices

Simple honey syrup to taste

Method:

Muddle the berries, in whatever combination you’ve chosen – for the record, blueberries work very well with cranberries. Add the gin, stir thoroughly and leave for a few minutes.

In the meantime, bring the water, cranberry and lime juice to a gentle boil, then add to the muddled berries and gin. Taste, adding simple honey syrup if required. Pour into two mugs, garnish with orange or lemon slices.

 

Cucumber Gin Lemonade

Cucumber and lemon? Why this is virtually a salad. Cough. No, no it’s not, obviously, but you know what we mean.

Ingredients:

75mls fresh lemon juice

75mls fresh cucumber juice

50mls Fifty Pounds Gin

Simple honey syrup to taste

Club soda.

Method:

Peel and blitz half a cucumber in a blender, strain 75mls into a glass. Add the lemon juice and gin and stir. Taste, and add simple honey syrup if required. Add ice, and lengthen with club soda. Oh, and a cucumber slice makes it all look rather pretty too.

Mar-Tea-Ni

Yeah, we’re better at drinks than we are puns. As tempting as it would be to drink gin all the time, even we can’t do that. Tea is a popular choice at Fifty Pounds Towers, particularly the lighter, healthier varieties such as The Rare Tea Company’s Silver Tip White Tea. Happily, it also goes rather well with gin…

Ingredients:

50mls brewed tea – we used Rare Tea Company’s Silver Tip white tea, but a good jasmine or other such light tea is also delicious. (If freshly made, chill in the freezer for a few minutes to cool)

50mls of chilled Fifty Pounds Gin

15mls of dry vermouth

Olive brine to taste

Green olives

Method:

Add the tea, gin and vermouth into a large glass. Add ice and stir vigorously, until it’s super chilled. Add olive brine to taste. Strain into a chilled martini glass, add olives.