Everything You Need to Know About the Gin & Tonic
The Gin and Tonic is one of the most enduring two-ingredient serves in cocktail history, tracing its origins to the 19th-century British East India Company. British soldiers stationed in India were rationed quinine to prevent and treat malaria. To make the intensely bitter medicinal powder palatable, they dissolved it in water with sugar and soda, effectively creating early tonic water. Before long, troops began combining their medicinal draft with their daily ration of gin and a wedge of native lime, turning a tropical health prophylactic into an iconic highball staple. When imported back to Europe, the highball evolved from a colonial utility drink into a global bar mainstay. By keeping the serve bone-dry, effervescent, and sharp, the simple combination highlights the botanical depth of juniper-forward spirits while offering unmatched refreshing qualities on hot summer days.
