Regardless of where you live, you’re probably a little bit excited about the start of spring. Winter is dark, cold, and filled with seemingly sunless days. Spring is all about rejuvenation, rebirth, and growth. To celebrate everything warmer that spring weather brings, the time is right to highlight the best spring cocktail of all time: the classic gin and tonic.
At its essence, the G&T is a highball cocktail made simply with gin and tonic water, with the ratio depending on your affinity for either ingredient. It’s most often one part gin to three parts tonic water.
While many drinkers opt to add a twist of lime to bring everything together, the Spanish Gin Tonic is served in a large wine or balloon glass and features garnishes like juniper berries, cucumber slices, herbs, berries, and citrus wheels, among many more potential ingredients.
Regardless of what type of gin and tonic you prefer, the main ingredient that can make or break your drink is the gin. While you can’t go wrong with a classic London dry gin, there are also artisanal gins guaranteed to elevate your cocktail to new levels. Below, you’ll find a selection of the very best gins for your spring G&Ts.
Photo via Diageo
Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin
You can’t go wrong with classic Tanqueray London Dry Gin, but if you really want to level up your G&T, you’ll opt for the brand’s Rangpur Gin. You can’t overstate the flavor lime adds to the classic drink. Not only does this gin have the flavor of rangpur limes (a hybrid between the mandarin orange and the citron), it also has ginger and bay leaves. The result is bright citrus, herbal tea, and gentle spice that pair perfectly with the other classic flavors. What could be better on a warm spring day?
Photo via Maison Ferrand
Citadelle Jardin D'Ete Gin
If your idea of a great gin and tonic means leaning more into floral, fragrant, fruity spring aromas and flavors, Citadelle Jardin D’Ete Gin is for you. On top of Citadelle Gin’s original nineteen herbs, botanicals, and fruits, this flavorful release also features orange peel, whole lemons, yuzu zest, and melon Charentais. The result is a memorable, mixable gin bursting with notes of piney juniper, fresh citrus, light floral notes, and pleasant peppery spice. This is the kind of complex spirit that will shine in a G&T, and countless more gin-based cocktails.
Photo via Rémy Cointreau
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Islay is an island of the Inner Hebrides, off the coast of Scotland. It’s best known for its peated single malt Scotch whiskies, but it’s also the home of the enormously popular Botanist Islay Dry Gin. Made at the renowned Bruichladdich Distillery, this popular gin is flavored with 22 herbs and hand-picked botanicals on the island, including juniper, coriander, cinnamon bark, chamomile, creeping thistle, and lemon balm. It’s a balanced, flavorful gin that works perfectly as the base for a classic gin and tonic. It’s the kind of thing you’ll want to always have on hand on your home bar cart.
Photo via St. George Spirits
St. George Terroir Gin
If you’ve never tried St. George Terroir Gin, now is the time to pick up a bottle. Perfect for all classic gin-based cocktails, especially the gin and tonic, it’s infused with flavors like juniper berries, ginger, dill seed, star anise, cinnamon, cilantro, and bergamot. There’s a reason the brand calls it “a forest in your glass.” The pine, spices, and herbal flavors make for a unique and memorable tasting experience. This is a must-have for die-hard G&T fans.
Photo via William Grant & Sons
Hendrick’s Gin
If you only buy one of these classic mixing gins, make it Hendrick’s. This wildly popular spirit is a blend of eleven herbs and botanicals, most notably cucumber and rose. You won’t find a mixing gin with a fresher, more flavorful palate. Notes of pine, cucumber, rose, and gentle spices play perfectly with the effervescent tonic and lime. Hendrick’s should already be a staple of your home bar. If it isn’t, you should buy a bottle or two today.
Photo via Pernod Ricard
Beefeater London Dry Gin
You might not think Beefeater London Dry Gin is a flashy choice—and, honestly, it isn’t. It’s on this list because it’s a solid, versatile London dry gin that works perfectly in a gin and tonic. That’s thanks to the infusion of flavors like juniper, orris root, almond, angelica root, lemon peel, angelica seed, coriander seed, Seville orange peel and licorice. It’s fresh, dry, memorable, and always there. There’s a reason this award-winning gin has been in production since 1876.
