I have had the pleasure of attending a few tasting meetings with Alexandre Gabriel, the owner of Cognac Ferrand. Not only have I learned a great deal about their cognac production, but I have also learned about and tasted their other artisanal spirits, including Citadelle Gin.
Now bear with me for a moment, because I was actually inspired to write about G&T's because of all the hubub around the upcoming Queen's Jubilee, which made me think of London Dry gins. Citadelle is legally a London Dry style gin (don't let the fact that it's French fool you), but it is produced through a somewhat unique process, using a pot still with an open flame. The open flame method is rarely used, as most distillers use steam to heat their stills. The open flame heat, along with the careful blending of nineteen botanicals, gives Citadelle a complex character, with juniper and floral notes playing well together with anise, citrus, and others that are harder to discern, but round out the overall flavor.
Gabriel discusses how Americans haven't truly embraced the beauty of a gin and tonic as the Spanish have — we throw a couple of ounces of gin into a highball glass with ice and a stream of tonic from a soda gun, toss in a lime wedge and call it a drink. The Spanish, in contrast, serve their G&T's in a wide-bowl burgundy goblet and pay close attention to the gin, the tonic, and the garnish. Even Schweppes, the beverage behemoth, has released a smaller-batch tonic to match consumer demand for higher-quality mixers.
So here's the idea — pick your favorite gin, but experiment, as they all won't taste the same with tonic. Make two exactly the same way to get a sense of how different gins impact the drink. Buy some good tonic — Q Tonic or Fever Tree are widely available. Pick a garnish outside the ordinary — sure you can use a lime, lemon, or a twist, but perhaps you want to highlight the other botanicals used in your gin. For example, Gabriel suggests a star anise for Citadelle — it highlights the anise in the gin and is pretty as well.
a Good Gin & Tonic (based on Alexandre Gabriel's recipe)
1 ounce gin (I've been using Citadelle lately, but feel free to experiment)
4 ounces high quality tonic (Q Tonic or Fever Tree)
Build your drink in a large goblet over ice, stir and garnish with a citrus twist, a star anise, a cinnamon stick — learn what botanicals are used in your gin and pick accordingly. Sip (no straw, please) and enjoy.