Cocktail of the week with Fabrizio Musorella

The Perfect Gin & Tonic

G&T is one of those combinations that seem to be made for each other. The clean taste of the gin enhances the aromatic bitterness of the quinine (the principal flavoring of tonic) in a drink that is subtle, refreshing and quintessentially English. G&T owes its existence to the British presence in India, where gin was used as a trading commodity. Quinine, the extract from the bark of the cinchona tree, was first cultivated in India around 1867 and was used to prevent and treat malaria. It was made palatable by adding sugar and diluting the mixture with soda water and lemon juice. It wasn’t long before someone had the bright idea of adding gin to the daily medicinal dose of quinine. Schweppes add the Indian tonic water to its range in the 1870s.

Ingredients
6cl London Dry Gin (kept in the freezer for extra coldness)
12cl Schweppes Indian Tonic Water
Preparation
Pour the gin into a highball filled with ice
Top up with a cold and freshly-opened bottle or can of Tonic Water. Garnish with a slice of lemon if you wish. Stir gently to release the juniper flavor and Salute!!!
For your extra pleasure I suggest taking a fresh lime wedge and squeezing it into the drink. Then wipe it around the rim of the glass and drop it in.

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