Orange Gin and Tonic: twist on a classic

If you’re looking to spice up an old classic cocktail, try this orange gin and tonic. This drink is just as good as the tried and true original but with an extra sweet and tangy citrus burst.

What is an Orange Gin and Tonic?

An orange gin and tonic is a combination of gin, tonic water, orange bitters and orange juice. It has the botanical gin flavor and the bitter bite of tonic water but both of those are smoothed out with the sweet tang of orange juice. It is a refreshing twist on the classic gin and tonic.

Gin is a clear liquor made from juniper berries. It is a complex tasting liquor full of botanical, spice and herb flavors. Some of the high notes tend to be a pine-like flavor with hints of spice and citrus.

Tonic water is a carbonated water that has a bitter and subtle citrus taste to it The bitter and citrus taste comes from quinine which is added to the carbonated water.

Orange juice of course stacks another citrus flavor into this drink. It has a sweet yet slightly tart and tangy flavor. The best type of orange juice to use for this cocktail is fresh and pulp free. Orange juice with pulp in it will make a grittier textured drink.

Orange bitters are a type of bitter that is flavored with orange peel and cardamom to name a few spices. Bitters themselves are basically flavor infused alcohol. They’re oftentimes used in combination with gin to help pull out the flavors in the gin.

Occasions for this drink

With it’s refreshing and sweet taste in addition to the ease with which it’s made this drink is perfect for many occasions such as:

• summer barbecues
• pool parties
• afternoon drinks
• casual get togethers

Variations for this drink

Although the ingredients and instructions below make for a super delicious cocktail, there are a few variations you can use to try out on this drink.

• Use orange gin. There are some flavored gins available. One of which is orange gin. If you really want to crank up the citrus flavor in this drink try out a flavored orange gin.
• Skip the bitters. While the bitters really help to emphasize some of the flavors in this drink they are not essential to the drink. So whether you don’t have them or don’t like them you can certainly leave them out.
• Crank up the spice. Use some spice garnishes in order to enhance the spice profile of the gin. Cinnamon, anise and rosemary are all good choices.

If you like gin and tonic flavors, you might also like gin and tonic pops.

How to make this drink:

Only needing four easy and simple ingredients this drink can be whipped up in 5 minutes or less. Simply toss your ingredients together and give them a stir.

Equipment:

• highball glass
• jigger
• cocktail shaker
• Hawthorne strainer
• bar spoon

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Gin
• 4 oz Tonic
• 2 oz Orange Juice
• a few dashes of orange bitters if desired
• Ice

Instructions:

Step one

Gather up everything you need for the drink including your jigger, cocktail shaker, orange bitters, tonic water, orange juice, gin, ice and highball glass.

Step two

Fill your highball glass to the top with ice.

Step three

Use your jigger to measure out 2 oz of gin. Then, pour your gin into your highball glass with the ice.

Step four

Use your jigger to measure out 2 oz of orange juice. Then, pour the orange juice into your highball glass with the gin and ice.

Step Five

Use your jigger to measure out 4 oz of tonic water. Then, for the tonic water into your highball glass with your gin, orange juice and ice.

If you don’t want to measure your tonic water, you can skip the jigger and simply top the glass off with tonic water.

Step Six

Take your orange bitters and add a few dashes to the top of your glass.

Step Seven

To make sure everything is mixed well you have two options.

The first option is to simply toss the ingredients from your glass into your shaker. And then from your shaker back into your glass. If you use this option do make sure to do so gently so that your tonic water doesn’t fizz too much.

The second option is to use a bar spoon. Simply take your bar spoon, place it in the glass and give a few careful swirls.