Gin & Tonics were made for home bartending. They’re quick to whip up, the specs are entirely subjective, and the ingredients require little, if any, mixing. While delicious, what a G&T succeeds at in ease, it lacks in pizzazz. Other than the namesake ingredients and maybe a citrus wedge, a G&T is a G&T — that’s part of its beauty. But a Gin & Tonic can be so much more.
Gin’s botanical, earthy notes and the zippy, piquant qualities of tonic meld into a solid base ripe for more interesting flavors to come to life. The best part is that a G&T’s simplicity means making it more interesting doesn’t require too much extra heavy lifting. Want a thicker texture and a fruitier taste? Muddle some strawberries at the bottom of the glass. Prefer more floral elements on the palate? Toss in some rose water or dried petals. The variations and add-ins go on, so we looked to pros behind the bar to learn how they zhuzh their G&Ts at home.
As you’ll see below, some recipes only list ingredients without directions because, in most cases, preparing a G&T requires just lightly mixing most of the components together over ice, then topping with tonic. When in doubt, do just that. Here are nine bartenders’ at-home recipes for making G&Ts just a bit more interesting.
Ed. note: Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Gianni Day
Bar Manager, The Alchemist, Washington, D.C.
When I first started drinking cocktails, gin was my least favorite spirit, but my mother loved G&Ts. One day, she introduced me to a new gin she was enjoying, and it was Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice. It was floral, refreshing, and all-around smooth. I decided to add some hibiscus syrup, and the outcome was immaculate. Nowadays, it’s the only Gin & Tonic I drink and it’s perfect for summer gatherings.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce hibiscus syrup
- Tonic water
Emily Taylor
Operations manager, Hunt & Alpine, Portland, Maine
I think the choice of tonic makes the biggest difference in a G&T. I will argue all day that Polar Tonic is superior. I am a huge fan of gin — mostly a Martini gal — but a G&T can’t be beat on a really hot day.
At a wedding 10 years ago, I was handed a Hendricks G&T garnished with pink peppercorn and cucumber, and it quickly became a favorite. At home, I use Martin Miller’s Gin or St. George Terroir Gin and add cracked Szechuan peppercorn — I’m a sucker for that numbing feeling.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin
- 4 ounces tonic
- Garnish: Cucumber spear and 1 teaspoon cracked Szechuan peppercorn
Travis Howse
Bar Manager, Trick Dog, San Francisco
I’m a pretty straightforward Gin & Tonic drinker at home but I definitely have my peculiarities. I like a strong gin, like Fords Officer Reserve, and a lot of tonic, like the Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic. I’m also a big fan of adding fruit slices into the glass, usually grapefruit, orange, lemon, and lime. I don’t want juice or extra syrup because a G&T is such a clean and straightforward drink, and I like that about it.
The real secret to any G&T is the tonic water. If it’s going to be most of your drink, you want it cold, crisp, and just opened. I prefer the 12-ounce bottles or 10-ounce cans of tonic because it works out to be about one container per drink.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Fords Gin Officers’ Reserve
- 10 ounces Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic
- Garnish: 1 half-wheel each of grapefruit and orange, 1 wheel of lemon, and 2 lime wheels
Directions:
- Build ingredients into a 16-ounce glass and add ice until your glass is full.
- Place the fruit slices on the edge of the glass and try to wedge them between glass and ice.
Niko Imbert
Head bartender, senior vice president, hospitality at Bon Vivants, Nassau, Bahamas
The inclusion of elderflower liqueur adds a soft, floral sweetness that complements Hendrick’s cucumber-forward profile, and the black pepper garnish brings a subtle aromatic lift and earthy spice.
Ingredients:
- 1½ ounces Hendrick’s Gin
- ¼ ounce St‑Germain Elderflower Liqueur
- Fever-Tree tonic water to top
- Garnish: Cucumber ribbon, lime wedge, black pepper
Directions:
- Add the gin and St-Germain into a glass and top with Fever-Tree tonic water.
- Garnish with a cucumber ribbon, lime wedge, and pinch of black pepper.
Diego Livera
Head Bartender, Seirēn, NYC
For me, it’s all about the small details. I like to take something familiar like a G&T and just tweak it — maybe a brighter citrus, a house-made cordial, or something a little unexpected and briny to give it more personality. It should still feel easy and approachable, just with a bit more depth and intention behind it.
Ingredients:
- 1½ ounces Four Pillars yuzu gin
- ¼ ounce lemon juice
- 1 ounce cranberry cordial
- Badger Bevs Tonic Water to top
- Garnish: Olive
Directions:
- Build gin, lemon juice, and cranberry cordial in a highball glass.
- Top with tonic water.
- Garnish with an olive.
Toby Maloney
Author, The Classic Cocktail Sessions
The best thing about a G&T is it can be slapdash, thrown-together real quick on the beach and it’s great. Or, it can be fussy and grandiose on the lanai of some fancy, far-flung hotel and it’s also great. The following recipe is for luxurious lanais.
Ingredients:
- 3 inches lemongrass, split
- 1½ ounces Fords Gin or Citadelle Jardin d’Été
- ½ ounce Cocchi Americano
- ¼ ounce lemon juice
- 4 ounces Fever-Tree Lemon Tonic Water
- 2 ounces sparkling water
- Garnish: Mint bouquet
Directions:
- Split the lemongrass and place it in the bottom of a large goblet glass.
- Add the gin, Cocchi Americano, and lemon juice.
- Add one ice cube and stir to chill.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Place a bar spoon into the center of the glass and pour the tonic water and sparkling water down the shaft. Stir very gently.
- Lightly whip the mint bouquet over the glass to release its aromatics, then nestle it into the drink. Add a straw.
Philip Rolfe
Bar director, Extra Dirty Cocktail Club, Boston
The G&T is something I come back to often in the summer, both professionally and at home. It’s a simple format but a great canvas for small, intentional tweaks that can really elevate it. Here’s one I’ve been enjoying lately that leans into peak-season fruit, with a bit of acidity from vinegar to keep things bright and structured: The Strawberry-Balsamic G&T. It balances ripe, summer strawberries with gentle acidity and is built to stay refreshing while adding a bit of depth.
The Jardin d’Été gin brings subtle garden notes that play well with the basil and fruit. Using a shrub adds both brightness and structure without relying on citrus, while the balsamic keeps the sweetness in check. It’s refreshing but a bit more layered than a standard G&T — and the shrub itself keeps well, making it an easy way to carry summer flavors forward.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Citadelle Jardin d’Été Gin
- ¾ ounce strawberry-balsamic-basil shrub*
- 4-5 ounces quality tonic water
- Garnish: Fresh strawberry, basil leaf, cracked black pepper
Directions:
- Add ice to a highball glass and top with gin and shrub. Stir briefly.
- Top with tonic. Give a gentle stir.
- Garnish with a fresh strawberry, a slapped basil leaf, and a light crack of black pepper.
*Philip’s Strawberry-Balsamic-Basil Shrub
Ingredients:
- One part (by weight) fresh basil
- Four parts roughly chopped strawberries
- Four parts white sugar
- Balsamic vinegar to taste
Directions:
- Combine fresh basil, strawberries, and white sugar.
- Let the shrub sit for one to two hours to macerate.
- Add balsamic vinegar to taste (roughly equal to the sugar by weight).
- After another hour, strain.
Ashtyn “Ash” Harris
Bartender, Press Club, Washington, D.C.
A G&T is a great, classic highball, but it can often be too bitter … and it has a little too much sugar for the morning after. As someone who is anti-hangover and loves a refreshing cocktail, I prefer more of a botanical G&T. This herbaceous take is slightly bitter from using a tonic with less quinine and more rosemary and thyme notes. It’s also a little more refreshing since I’m cutting the tonic with soda water. The Chareau aloe liqueur has notes of cucumber, mint, lemon, muskmelon, and aloe, and a dash of celery bitters and saline helps the flavors of the liqueur pop even more. And what’s a G&T without a lime garnish? Cheers to a “Garden G&T,” something easy to sip on during the summer. I think the kids call it “crushable.”
Ingredients:
- 1½ ounces Fords Gin
- ½ ounce Chareau aloe liqueur
- ¼ ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 dash saline
- Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic and soda water to top
- 1 dash celery bitters
- Garnish: Mint sprig and lime wheel
Directions:
- Pour Gin, Chareau, lime juice, and saline over ice into a glass.
- Top with half tonic and half soda until full.
- Stir gently.
- Finish with one dash of celery bitters, a mint sprig, and lime wheel.
Jojo Colonna
Bar director, I Cavallini, Brooklyn
When I’m at home (and anywhere really) making a Gin & Tonic, the most important step is making sure the ingredients are as cold as possible. The gin, ice, and highball glass ideally come right out of the freezer. I prefer a higher-proof gin for a G&T, so I opt for Old Raj Blue Label. It’s a beautiful, lightly aged Scottish gin that has a stiff backbone with its 110 proof yet still has delicate herbal and citrus notes. Once I’ve topped off with tonic and mixed, I like to add a “horse’s neck” grapefruit twist, which extends from the bottom of the glass to the top, with about an inch out of the rim. I find that a nice, oily peel of grapefruit adds an extra citric pop and develops some lovely bitterness that only adds to the drink the longer it steeps in the glass. If you want to get extra fancy, add a half-ounce of some fine French blanc vermouth to take your G&T into a Martini-esque highball.
Ingredients:
- 1½ ounces high-proof gin
- Optional: ½ ounce blanc vermouth
- 4-5 ounces tonic water
- Garnish: Long grapefruit twist
Directions:
- Add spirit(s) to highball glass, add ice, top with tonic, and incorporate with a bar spoon.
- Express grapefruit twist and tuck inside glass.
