Is there anything more refreshing than a good G&T? Some people love their gin and tonic plain whilst others love to reach for the flavoured gins, exotic flavoured tonics, and botanical garnishes to jazz it up. And yet more still love to try out gin cocktails. No matter how you like your gin, we have some summer gin recipes you’ll want to try.
What are the flavours of gin available?
Gin is a spirit made by taking a neutral alcohol (made from a natural product such as wheat, barley, potatoes or grapes) and distilling it with juniper berries and other botanicals to give it its signature taste. All gins by law must contain juniper and juniper must be the predominant flavour (or it can’t be classed as gin). There must be 37.5% of pure alcohol in the total volume.
When it comes to flavoured gin, gin liqueurs, and sloe gin, they are different from traditional gin. Flavoured gin comes in a multitude of options to suit every taste and you can find good quality gin at various price points to suit your budget. Here are a few flavours available.
- Popular Gordon‘s gin comes in Pink Gin, Tropical Passionfruit, Sloe Gin, Sicilian Lemon, Elderflower, Morello Cherry, and others.
- Bloom London‘s gin flavours come in Passionfruit and Vanilla Blossom, Raspberry and Rose, Jasmine and Rose, and others.
- Tanqueray‘s gins come in Blackcurrant Royale Gin, Flor de Sevilla, Rangpur, and others.
- Whitley Neill‘s gins come in Pineapple, Peach, Mango and Lime, and others.
- Bombay Sapphire‘s flavours come in Citron Pressé, Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin, and others.
- Tarquin‘s gin flavours come in Rhubarb and Raspberry, Pink Grapefruit and Elderflower, and others.
- Copper In the Clouds has some exotic flavours like Lychee and Raspberry, Mango and Black Pepper, Flowerbomb and others.
- Slingsby‘s gin flavours come in Gooseberry, Marmalade, Rhubarb, Blackberry, and others.
- Koppaberg, a brand typically associated with cider, has even gotten in on the gin action with flavours such as Strawberry and Lime, Passionfruit and Orange, Passionfruit, and others.
- CBA‘s gins include Californian Valencian Orange and Marrakech gin.
- The Illusionist Gin makes all sorts of flavours including salted maple fudge, lemon drizzle gin liqueur, and strawberry and vanilla gin – and the good news is you can pick it up at your local Aldi.
- The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee also has its own colour-changing gin in a rhubarb and ginger flavour.
- Pickering’s gin company sells unique flavours like Pecan Pie, Chocolate Orange, Later than Eight (peppermint and chocolate), and others.
- Wildcat has gin flavours such as Bramble (blackberries and juniper) and Limelight (lime).
This list is by no means comprehensive. There are all sorts of gin companies on the market – go to the gin section of your supermarket to see just how many – and other companies such as Gin Tin have flavours like passionfruit, mango, and elderflower. Hooch gin sells a raspberry and lemon gin. Edinburgh Gin sells a lemon and jasmine gin. Finder’s gin has a Fruits of the Forest and Two Bird’s has a watermelon gin – and then there are spiced gins like Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin and more daring flavours like Bredog’s Lonewolf Gin in Cactus and Lime (but you can also get a more conventional cloudy lemon).
What are popular tonic flavours?
Just as there are a great many gin varieties, there are lots of tonic varieties too from the classic tonic to those with flavouring agents like juniper, lemongrass, elderflower, cucumber, lemon, grapefruit, or ginger – all to go with the type of gin you prefer. There are also varieties like Mediterranean tonic water versus the classic Indian tonics, which have a bitter quinine kick with a touch of sweetness.
You can find lighter tonics, some with more spice, more fruit, some that are drier, and so forth, even all the way to tonics with rosemary and olive or pomelo and pink pepper, all to suit your specific palette. And if you want something light enough so that you can get the full taste of a fine gin, there’s distillers tonic available too.
What garnishes go with gin?
The right garnish should harmonise with your gin and tonic and accentuate the flavours already there or they should balance the gin by adding something that’s not in the gin. Plus, garnishes just look pretty!
There are many garnish options such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, juniper berries, peppercorns, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, lavender, and edible flowers – or a combination. Some more exotic garnishes may include a cinnamon stick, basil, vanilla pods, apple, and frozen peaches.
Easy summer gin recipes
Here are some classic G&T combinations. Click on the name to get to the recipe.
- Lemon and basil G&T
- Cinnamon and orange G&T
- Apple and thyme G&T
- Cucumber and Szechuan pepper G&T
- Dried pear and mint G&T
- Mediterranean tonic and rosemary G&T
- Grapefruit and tarragon G&T
- Dried orange and rosemary G&T
- Cherry blossom tonic G&T
- Strawberry and balsamic G&T
Here are some easy gin cocktails.
- Blueberry lemonade gin cocktail (basil simple syrup, blueberries, club soda, lemon juice)
- Berry mint gin smash (mint simple syrup, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, soda water)
- Gin gimlet (lime juice, simple syrup, lime garnish)
- New York sour (American Fruits sour cherry cordial, Combier, lemon juice, club soda, lemon twist garnish)
- Classic gin martini (dry vermouth, bitters, lemon twist)
- Cranberry gin fizz (frozen cranberries, simple syrup, soda water, orange garnish)
- El Chapo (strawberry-infused Aperol, Stiegl-Radler grapefruit beer, strawberry garnish)
- Tom Collins (dry gin, lemon juice, simple syrup)
- Gin Rickey (lime, club soda)
- Singapore sling (Benedictine, Grand Marnier, cherry liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, bitters, club soda with cherry and orange garnishes)
The takeaways
How do you like your gin? Do you like a classic G&T, something more adventurous, your own invention, a gin cocktail, or something else? Let us know on Tria Beauty UK’s social media.