Crisp, cool and refreshing with a snap of citrus, flavored with herbs and spices from exotic lands, and with a reported medicinal benefit, the Gin and Tonic is my summer cocktail hour standby. When the forecast is hazy, hot and humid, I think of a tall ice-filled glass beaded with condensation, its crystal clear contents spiked with a bright green lime, while tiny bubbles gather on the sides.

Gin has been around for a long time – at least since the mid 17th century. Today’s gin hails from England, but is a descendant of Dutch Genever, a malt based gin style still made today (Bols Genever). Eighteenth century British soldiers defending Antwerp in the Eighty Years War had a tot of Genever before battle to get up their “Dutch Courage.” Cheap gin, protected by import tariffs, was readily available in England, leading to widespread drunkenness and sickness, adding phrases like “gin mill,” “gin joint,” and “gin soaked,” to the English language.

Gin is a neutral (flavorless) distilled spirit flavored with a mix of herbs, spices and flavorings called botanicals, principally juniper, either by infusion or distillation. London or Dry gin is the dominate style, distilled with the botanicals for maximum flavor. Lesser gins are made by infusion – soaking the botanicals in the spirit – not distilling. Each gin distiller has a proprietary, closely-guarded secret recipe.

Juniper usually predominates. Other typical botanicals include: Lemon or bitter orange peel, anise, angelica root and seed, orris root, licorice root, cinnamon, almond, cubeb, savory, lime peel, grapefruit peel, dragon eye, saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise, nutmeg, cassia bark and more. (Many of these ingredients are new to me). In some sense, gin can be called the first flavored vodka.

One Brand, many offerings

One Brand, many offerings

For years a few major brands like Beefeater, Tanqueray, and Bombay (all London Dry gins) set the standard for gin. Each has a slightly different mix of flavors, but all lead off with juniper. The major labels have all extended their brands by creating upscale bottlings like Beefeater 24, Tanqueray Sterling and Bombay Sapphire. Tanqueray is the gin most linked to tonic in my mind, perhaps for the ease and alliteration of saying, “Tanqueray & Tonic, please”.

These days craft distillers are putting their own stamp on gin with creative re-imagining of the blend and ratio of the flavors. Juniper is still there, but sometimes tamped down to let the other botanicals sing out. Keep an eye out for these modern day gins. St George Spirits in California has three distinctive and original gins: Terroir; Botanivore; and Dry Rye. Cucumber and rose accented Hendrick’s Gin comes from Scotland in a distinctive apothecary bottle. Half Moon Orchard Gin, distilled by Tuthilltown Spirits in the Hudson Valley, emphasizes citrus and spice rather than juniper.

Three craft gins from St. George

Three craft gins from St. George

At the World of Beverage, they have a good selection of favorites from England and new styles from across the US. Customers don’t seem too adventurous though, preferring to stick with their usual brand. WoB carries a couple brands just to please some regular customers. Ask, though, and they’ll tell you about some of the newer gins and make recommendations.

Tonic is the other half of this couple, married to gin since the days of the British colonial empire. Quinine, the principal flavor ingredient in tonic, was found to be effective in preventing malaria, the scourge of the British living in the tropics. The strongly bitter quinine, made from the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree (fever tree), was mixed with sugar and soda to make it more palatable. The British couldn’t resist mixing in some of their beloved gin as well.

Artisinal Tonics - CopySchweppes and Canada Dry are the most well known and popular brands of tonic water, but like all things today, small artisanal producers are stepping in to make more authentic, distinctive and flavorful tonics. These are usually not so sugary, using natural sweeteners along with genuine quinine flavor. Fever Tree from England gets their natural quinine from the Congo region in Africa and compliments it with eight botanicals like bitter orange and marigold. Brooklyn based Q Tonic sources their quinine from Peru and sweetens it with organic Mexican agave syrup. The Fever Tree is a grown up version of the popular brands, mildly sweet with a classic tonic flavor. For a more pronounced bitter quinine flavor, try the Q. Both are available at Total Wine and World of Beverage. While not inexpensive, they’re a way to get a unique G & T at modest additional cost.

Add a lime wedge to the magical chime of ice in a glass, and you’re ready to go. It’s easy and rewarding. I like to squeeze the lime in over the ice first so the gin washes over the wedge, soaking up the flavor. Top off with tonic, give it a swirl and you’re all set. Vary the proportion of gin to tonic depending on your flavor preference and how much you want to accomplish after the cocktail hour. I feel a little cooler just thinking about it.