CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL G&T; DAY WITH THE TIMELESS & HUMBLE GIN & TONIC

It’s Gin ‘O’ Clock with Tanqueray London Dry and Meghna Balaji, Brand Ambassador at Diageo India

The word “Gin” today conjures up romantic notions of craft revival clubbed with botanicals blends. With the ongoing gin revolution, gin experimentation has been on a rise.

A wide range of botanicals across gin styles bring in a fresh approach to the category, proving once and for all that there is a gin out there for everyone. Whether in a composed cocktail or a highball, gin has won our hearts over, as the complexity of this liquid really does transform other flavours.

Keeping that mind, the ‘Gin Renaissance’ is incomplete without this ubiquitous colonial tipple, The Classic Gin & Tonic. This combination moves the growth needle at pace and is the perfect entry for new drinkers. For those that enjoy a simple highball, the Gin & Tonic allows you to really customise a gin style with tonic or mixer, based on personal flavour preference.

All you need is three ingredients to make it perfect. And easy as it may seem, it is the true test of a bartender’s attention to detail.

This International G&T Day, Diageo India is helping you do exactly what a ginthusiast should do.

Make a Gin & Tonic!

Diageo Brand Ambassador Meghna Balaji lists down ways in which you can celebrate the occasion from the comfort of your home.

TANQUERAY & TONIC FOR A BRUNCH

Let’s begin with a T&T cocktail perfectly suited for an elegant indoor brunch, that you can sip alongside a refreshing Smoked Chicken and Citrus Salad. Here’s what you will need -

Tanqueray & Tonic

A gorgeous gin, we chose 50ml of Tanqueray London Dry: the gold standard of perfectly balanced gins with only four botanicals playing on your palate. Juniper for the ubiquitous gin flavour, coriander for a touch of heat, liquorice for sweetness and finally angelica root, as a binder to the flavours.
150ml of the best tonic you can lay your hands on, we chose Fever Tree: the best-tasting mixers to complement the world's finest spirits.

Flavours of your choice Add the gin, tonic water and ice to a Copa glass, stir well and add the flavours of your choice.

Pro Tip: Freeze beautiful edible flowers, thin slices of citrus, the tiniest sprigs of herbs in ice moulds. Fill your ice tray with ice 1/4th through the way, drop in one garnish per tray. Freeze overnight. The next day, pull the trays out, top with water and freeze again. Flowers & Herbs are lighter than water and discolour when they meet air. Freezing them in shallow water ensures they are covered as water expands when it forms ice.

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless chicken breasts
• 2 Oranges segments
• 3-4 sliced lime segments
• 2 tablespoons Garlic chopped
• Salt to taste
• Crushed black peppercorns to taste
• 2 teaspoons Red chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons + ¼ cup Olive oil as required
• 1 teaspoon Mustard paste
• 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 18-20 Fresh arugula leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons Feta cheese
• Fresh coriander sprigs for garnishing

Method:

• Heat a piece of coal on direct flame and place in a small steel bowl.
• In a bowl, add the chicken breasts, garlic, salt, crushed peppercorns, chilli flakes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, mustard paste and mix well.
• Place the steel bowl on one side of the bowl and pour1 tablespoon olive oil on the coal to create smoke. Cover the entire bowl immediately with aluminum foil and keep for 3-4 minutes.
• For the dressing, mix maple syrup vinaigrette, lemon juice, salt and crushed peppercorns in another bowl and whisk. Add ¼ cup olive oil gradually and whisk well.
• Heat an electric griller and grease with some olive oil. Place the marinated chicken breasts on it and grill from all sides basting with some olive oil till golden and cooked. Transfer onto a plate.
• Place a few arugula leaves on one side of a serving platter. Place few lime slices, orange segments, pine nuts and feta cheese on top.
• Place grilled chicken breasts on the other side. Drizzle some dressing, sprinkle some crushed peppercorns and sprinkle a few coriander sprigs on top of the fruit mixture.
• Serve immediately

TANQUERAY & TONIC FOR A SUNDOWNER

Whenever you are making a tall drink that contains carbonation of some sort, always ensure that 1 part of your spirit goes with 3 parts of your mixer. Do ensure that both of them chilled to the T and poured over copious amounts of ice. This is imperative as it retains the carbonation and allows the flavors to slowly develop on your palate. 

Here’s a T&T recipe for all those indoor rooftop evenings.

• In a beautiful Copa glass, pour in 60ml of Tanqueray London Dry Gin (Gin can be chilled actually and it would be advisable to do so in hot climates)
• Top it up with ice until ice peaks through the glass
• Pour in 180ml of cold tonic water, you will notice the ice starts to melt right away
• Top with more ice to keep the carbonation strong and to reduce the melt
• Dress with a Grapefruit wedge, the ideal garnish for the T&T
• A dash of bitters is an additional step for the bougie
• Pro Tip: Level up your garnish by optingfor unique combinations and smoking techniques such as - Split Chilli + Jasmine Buds, Sweet Lime Peel + Kaffir Lime Leaf Ribbons, Charred Pineapple + Smoked Rosemary all of which are easily available and smashingly delicious.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY