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

Made with sweet Valencian oranges and infused with lemongrass, this is a well-rounded tonic with a touch of quinine that works brilliantly with the citrussy notes of Fifty Pounds. A great, fruity summer tonic.

Luscombe Grapefruit Tonic Water

Made with natural Devon spring water, with gentle citrus and a touch of quinine, this is a delicate tonic perfect for drawing out the subtle, juniper-forward flavours of your Fifty Pounds.

Poachers Irish Tonic

Low in sugar and with extract of Irish rosemary, this is great for people wanting a tasty tonic while watching their waistline. The lower sugar also means you get to experience more of the gin’s flavour profile so it;’s also perfect for purists. A very light bubble and a cleap, crisp taste.

Fevertree Mediterranean Tonic

The daddy of the new craft tonics, sales of Fevertree have soared over the last few years, and with good reason. The Mediterranean tonic has reduced levels of quinine compared to their regular product, and with the addition of lemon and thyme, this is a fresh, herbaceous tonic, perfect for enjoying with a glass in your hand and a sea breeze in your hair.

London Essence Pomelo and Pink Pepper

Citrussy pomelo notes, pink peppercorns for spice and a touch of quinine make this a fabulous accompaniment to enliven citrus gins like Fifty Pounds. A beautiful pale pink, it also makes for one of the prettiest pours out there.

Double Dutch Cucumber and Watermelon

Cumber is a classic flavour profile for gin but the addition of watermelon gives this an additional depth. Summery with a slightly sweet aroma and a fresh, cool scent, this tonic comes to life with a sprig of mint and a measure of Fifty Pounds.

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

When reading a cocktail recipe, it often suggests a style of glassware used for that drink.  There are certain unwritten rules within the World of Mixology, and every Cocktail recipe made, is designed for a specific Cocktail glass, to get the “correct experience” and fully take advantage of the creation in hand.

Why is this even important you might ask?  With this guide you will hopefully see why it indeed is important.

SHOP YOUR OWN GLASSWARE

I love to shop and find new glassware – the more vintage the better. Don’t be afraid to buy it second-hand; this is often where all the gems are located.

The first tip – Don’t buy very thin glasses – these will most likely break at one time or another, while hand washing them, and you will instantly regret losing one of your favourite glasses this way.

After washing your priceless glassware, dry them immediately to avoid water spots – sipping from a crystal clear glass is part of the Cocktail Experience.

THE ESSENTIAL GLASSWARES

The Martini Glass

This conical shaped glass is often used for serving Martinis – so this glass is simply referred to as a “Martini Glass”, but the correct term is actually a “Cocktail glass”.

Use this glass for any kind of Martini variation (like my favourite one; Espresso Martini) or any short drink. The drinks enjoyed with this kind of glass is often “served up” (without ice). I do however enjoy a large block of clear ice in mine – to keep it chilled for longer, and for its beauty.

The Coupe Glass

This broad-bowled shaped glass is often used for the same purpose as a Martini glass and is often seen to even replace the Martini glass.

Use this glass for cocktails that are served “up” (no ice), like the Manhattan (Bourbon/Rye, Sweet vermouth, bitters) or Gimlet (Gin, Lime juice and Simple syrup). I often serve my cocktails made in a Coupe glass, with a large block of ice. I do this because I enjoy that the drink is nicely chilled from start until the end.  By using a large block of ice, it won’t dilute the drink too much either.

The Old Fashioned Glass.

This short tumbler of a glass is often used for serving short mixed drinks or straight pour of liquor served over a large block of ice.

Often referred to as a “lowball” or “Rocks Glass”, this is one of my absolute favourite glasses (partly because one of my favourite cocktails, The Old Fashioned, is made using a glass of this type.

My favourite Old Fashioned variation contains Rum, Maple Syrup, Chocolate bitters and a dehydrated orange wheel – stirred with great patience and to perfection.

The Highball Glass

This tall glass, shaped like a chimney, is often used for serving mixed drinks filled with plenty of quality ice.

The recipes are often built directly in the glass itself, by pouring the ingredients directly over the ice finished by a wee stir.

The most classic cocktail using this type of glass is for sure the “Screwdriver” (Vodka, orange juice and plenty of ice) or the Legendary “Gin & Tonic”.

When ready for it, I recommend you try serving a “Dark & Stormy” (Dark rum, lime juice, topped with lime wedges and ginger beer) or the “Cuba Libre” (Rum, lime juice, topped with lime wedges and cola).

The Copa Glass

Typically shaped like a balloon and sits on a stem almost like a red wine glass, this type of glass is perfectly suited for sipping a Gin & Tonic.

Nick and Nora Glass

The Margarita Glass

This bowl-shaped glass is often used for serving margaritas, either on the rocks or frozen.  These glasses often have a wide rim, making it easy to add sugar and/or salt.

Want to share with good friends? Don’t worry, these type of glasses can easily be found in really large sizes, containing up to 60oz/180cl of liquid.

My all-time favourite Margarita must be the “Strawberry Margarita”; Light rum, Triple sec, lime juice, sugar and plenty of strawberries, blended with ice.

The Champagne Glass

This tall, thin glass, is often used for serving Cocktails containing Champagne.  This type of glass is designed, on purpose, to keep the Champagne’s bubbles in the glass longer.

My favourite Champagne Cocktail must be the “French 75”; Gin, Lemon juice, Simple Sugar Syrup, topped with Champagne (or prosecco), and garnished with a lemon peel.

THE NEXT STEP

Now that you got the Basic’s all done, why not take it a wee step further?

The Tiki mug

These kitschy ceramic mugs, often formed as various animals or Polynesian Gods invites you to create funky-fresh cocktails. 

I recommend that you try the “Grog” (Dark rum, lime juice, Demerara syrup and water, filled with plenty of ice, garnished with plenty of flowers and fresh citrus fruits).

The copper mug

These metallic mugs will keep your cocktails super cold and chilled (or so myth has it), and is a pleasant sight for sure.

The mug quickly takes on the Cocktails icy temperature, therefore turning the whole mug into a super icy and frosty vessel.

Don’t deny yourself a nice and fresh “Moscow Mule” (Vodka, Lime juice, topped with ginger beer, garnished with lime wedges and fresh lemon thyme).

The punch bowl

Not really a “glass” as one knows it, but rather a bowl perfect for serving many guests at a time, and can be made ready before the guests arrive, making it very practical as well as festive.

I definitely recommend the always crowd-pleasing “Fish House Punch” (Dark rum, Cognac, Peach Brandy, Black Tea, Lemon juice, Simple syrup, Fresh lemon wheels and plenty of ice).

IN SUMMARY

With these types of glasses stocked in your own very Home Bar, you are all set to enter the wonderful World of Mixology. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment, and don’t be afraid to “break the rules” – only through “Trial & Error” can you really perfect your own Cocktail Creations.

Author: Morten Krag, @thecocktail.blog