Gin & Tonic

Gin & Tonic is one of the hippest drinks at the moment and certainly is well paired with good weather. Here's a definitive guide to making the perfect G&T.

Use a gin of your choice, as everyone has their favourite brand. Also use the finest chilled organic tonic water (our favourite is by FeverTree and using the 200ml bottles means it is always fresh).

You'll need:
Fresh green lime
A sharp knife
Chopping board
Bottle opener
Long spoon

Start by rolling the lime on a chopping board with the palm of your hand. What this does is massage the fruit to get the juices flowing. You'll be able to get a higher yield of juice from each wedge. Now you're ready to cut your lime into wedges. To do this, don't cut it in half from head to tail but through the circumference of the fruit, then, whilst resting the flat area on the board, cut the two halves into four wedges (cut across the segments). You should end up with eight perfectly formed wedges which are juicy and will add aroma and flavour. If you don't happen to use up all your lime wedges in one go, place them in a sealable container and pop them into the freezer. This way they are ready to be used next time as lime flavoured ice cubes.

Next take one of your lime wedges and between thumb and forefinger, squeeze into the bottom of the highball glass, then drop in the wedge. Take your favourite bottle of gin (if you're lucky enough to have a barman's pourer in your bottle then turn it upside down over the glass and count to five. This should give you a double measure 50ml). If you don't have a pourer then you could use the cap. This measures 15 ml - measure out 3 of these add one last splash for good luck.

Next, fill the glass to the top with ice then stir for a few seconds with the long spoon. Open your chilled bottle of tonic water just before you need it so it's lively, then pour 100ml over the ice. Let the bubbles settle then stir for a couple of seconds to mix the drink and create a consistent flavour. If needed, add more ice cubes to bring the water line to around 1 cm from the top of the glass (not more tonic) then add a second lime wedge (not squeezed) perfectly positioned on the top of your drink to add aroma and visual appeal, but little extra flavour. Now sit back, relax and sip away!

Note: You can also mix the flavours up by introducing spices like pink peppercorns, cloves, fruit such as orange or blueberries.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours