Gin and Tonic Drink

Start by chilling the glass. If you are using highball glasses or large gin glasses, place them in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes or fill them briefly with ice and cold water for 5 minutes, then pour out the water. A chilled glass helps keep the drink cold for longer.

Prepare the ingredients and tools: a bottle of gin, a bottle of well-chilled tonic, a bowl of ice, a cutting board, a sharp knife for the lime, a bar jigger or a 50 ml measuring cup, 4 highball glasses, and 4 small spoons or stirrers.

Cut the lime: wash the lime under running water, dry it. Place it on a cutting board and cut it into four wedges or slice it into thin half-moons depending on your decorative preference. For 4 drinks, 4 wedges will be enough (1 wedge per glass). If you want to add a bit of juice, squeeze one wedge gently over a measuring cup.

Fill each of the 4 glasses with ice cubes to about 3/4 of the height of the glass. Do not pack the ice too tightly - the cubes should have spaces between them so that the tonic can fizz freely.

For each glass, measure out a portion of gin: for 4 servings, pour a total of 200 ml of gin, which is 50 ml for each glass. The easiest way is to use a jigger (50 ml) or measure 50 g of gin on a scale. Slowly pour the gin over the ice cubes so that the alcohol does not immediately mix with the ice.

Add tonic to each glass: for 4 servings, pour a total of 600 ml of tonic, which is 150 ml into each glass. Open the bottle of tonic just before pouring (to keep the fizz), and tilt the glass slightly, pouring the tonic slowly along the spoon or the side of the glass to minimize the loss of bubbles and avoid excessive frothing.

Gently stir the drink 2–4 turns with a teaspoon or stirrer, just to combine the gin and tonic. Do not stir too vigorously — intense stirring increases dilution from the melting ice and will reduce the fizz of the tonic. Add a quarter of a lime to each drink and optionally cucumber slices and a sprig of rosemary, lightly crushed between your fingers (to release the aroma) and placed as a garnish.

Serve the drinks immediately after preparation, while the tonic is still highly carbonated. Place each drink on a coaster/bar mat, provide a small spoon for stirring for guests, and optionally serve additional lime wedges on the side.