Gin Ice Cube Trays

Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that gets its signature flavour from juniper berries. It is made by distilling malt or grain and then combined with juniper berries for taste.

The name comes from genièvre, French for the juniper berry, altered by the Dutch to genever and shortened by the English to gin.

The history of gin
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor to alleviate kidney ailments and gout. It was made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands and its origins can be traced back to the 13th century. 

Originally gin was made by distilling malt wine. The flavour wasn’t particularly palatable, so it was softed with herbs and spices. Juniper berries were added for flabour as well as their supposed medicinal properties.

Gin was a popular drink with English soldiers who discovered it while fighting in Antwerp, assistist the Dutch against the Spanish in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. They had a nip of genever before battle, due to it’s calming properties’. It’s claimed this is where the expression ‘Dutch courage’ came from.

English distillers began making their own genever and shortened the name to gin. It grew in popularity when restrictions were imposed on importing French brandy to England.

Today gin is produced in a number of different styles using a variety of botanicals and fruit to give distinctive flavours. Gin is commonly mixed with tonic water. The G&T has endured for more than150 years  as one of the most popular cocktails in the world. 

How to make a classic gin and tonic
We think a G &T is one of the best mixed drinks ever invented. The key is to balance the bitterness of tonic against the gin; so one doesn’t overpower the other. 

Ingredients

50ml of your favourite gin
120ml of your favourite tonic

 We like our gin in a high ball glass.
Add a DrinksPlinks G to the glass, then pour in the gin and finish with the tonic.  The classic garnish is a wheel of lime, but try a few different garnishes and see what you like. Cucumber is very refreshing, or a spring of rosemary and a slice of fresh orange is an excellent combination. 

A note about glasses 
There are a variety of glasses used for a G&T and it all depends on your preference as to which one you choose:

• A high ball glass gives you plenty of room for tonic, several cubes of ice as well as a garnish
• A low ball glass intensifies the flavour of the gin, because there’s less room for tonic
• A gin balloon or copa glass looks like a wine glass, but is more bulbous. It’s ideal for a G&T because it traps the aromas of the gin with the smaller opening, but the big bowl allows for plenty of ice and lime to enhance the flavor.