Summer Cocktails: An Ode to Gin and Tonic (with Lime)

There are certain non-negotiables in the admittedly small world of our cocktail cabinet. We are not big drinkers, but we do enjoy a well-mixed drink, and the lure of frosty cocktails is very strong in the summer. So we keep a small but thorough liquor cabinet, stocked with the basics. One of these is lime. Because, see, if we were caught without lime, how would we drink our gin and tonics?

Lemons just don't cut it. I'm sorry - but if it doesn't have a lime, it's not a gin and tonic. Perhaps you could label it a lemon gin and tonic and thus distinguish it from the normative, but lime to me is really quite necessary for summer drink consumption.

A gin and tonic (with lime) seems to be the height of summer drinking. Yes, it's ubiquitous, yes, it's even a little boring. But it's so perfect, so sublime - that sweet and fizzy tonic, with the herbal notes of gin (and cucumber, perhaps? We're Hendricks drinkers). And then that sour tang of lime - crisp and refreshing. I'm getting thirsty just writing this.

The gin and tonic is a summer classic and rightly so. Do you drink G&Ts and do you have any non-negotiables related to these oh-so-classic refreshers? What kind of gin do you prefer?

(Images: Flickr member Daveybot and Flickr member lulugaia, both licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Comments (11)

Oh, Faith! You're killing me with that photo. It is perfect - and I even have a stash of organic limes my mother brought from her front yard tree in California last month. But I don't have any tonic. Or gin. And the closest liquor store that would have anything remotely drinkable is about 35 miles away. So I really need to stop staring at that photo. Only I can't. And somehow I just don't think a glass of anything else is going to quench my thirst. Maybe if I got a straw and just sucked while staring at the screen. . . : )

posted by Farmgirl Susan on May 26th 2008 at 12:41pm
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I used to think gin tasted like Pine Sol until I was introduced to the wonder that was G&T. My gin of choice: Tanqueray; although any top-shelf will do. I agree completely that lemon in a G&T is a joke and is usually the dead giveaway that your bartender... sucks.

posted by Amber in Bahston on May 26th 2008 at 2:24pm
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Bluecoat gin and Fever Tree tonic water. Bluecoat is only available in Pennsylvania, I think, so when we're out of state we drink Plymouth. Nothing else is even allowed in our apartment.

posted by hurleya on May 26th 2008 at 3:08pm
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So happy to see this post... my first g&t was like a revelation. I drink Bombay Sapphire-- it's such a pretty bottle to have around the house.

posted by melanie8 on May 26th 2008 at 3:22pm
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No recipe?

posted by quiltmaster on May 26th 2008 at 4:52pm
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I still don't quite understand the gin and tonic. One day I actually pulled some pine needles off of the tree in our yard and tasted them side by side with a friend's g&t, and I just couldn't tell the difference.

posted by emilyb on May 26th 2008 at 5:52pm
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I love gin and tonics. However, I rarely have limes around, so I add a splash of limoncello instead. Delish.

posted by verily on May 26th 2008 at 7:14pm
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Love gin and tonic, but a Gin Ricky is even better--gin, tonic, and an extra shot of lime juice. Yummy.

posted by STH on May 26th 2008 at 7:52pm
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Tanqueray, and always Schweppes for the tonic water. I bought this "Vintage" tonic at Whole Foods once that was so bitter I had to return it!

posted by SisterRae on May 27th 2008 at 3:50am
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Oh, I love gin & tonics. My husband makes them perfectly, and no matter how hard I try I can't match his--and he doesn't even drink them! I am a huge fan of Martin Miller's gin, which is still a bit tough to find in the US. Most bars don't have it, so I order Hendrick's when I'm out. Try Martin Miller's if you find it--it has a nice citrus overtone and it delicious in a g&t.

posted by katef on May 27th 2008 at 4:02am
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Mmmmm... Gin and Tonics taste like summer!

posted by ashleym (aka autzve on flickr) on May 27th 2008 at 6:48am
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