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:
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.
Recipe
Orange Gin and Tonic
Equipment
- jigger
- highball glass
- Hawthorne strainer
- cocktail shaker
- bar spoon
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 2 oz Orange Juice
- 4 oz Tonic Water
- Orange Bitters a few dashes
- Ice
Instructions
- Get all of the items you need to make your drink ready to go.
- Fill up your shaker and highball glass with ice.
- Measure up 2 oz of Gin with the jigger and toss into the highball glass.
- Measure up 2 oz of orange juice with the jigger and toss into the highball glass.
- Measure up 4 oz of Tonic Water with the jigger and toss into the highball glass.note: or, you can skip measuring and just just top the glass off with the tonic water.
- Add a few dashes of orange bitters to the glass.
- Gently dump the contents of the glass into the shaker and then from the shaker back into the glass.
- optional garnish: You can cut a wheel or wedge of orange, cut a notch in the pulp and add it to the rim of the glass.
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
Leave a Reply