Making a gin and tonic is a rather simple task, and that’s part of what makes it such a popular cocktail. That simplicity, however, makes it an ideal base for a little dressing up. Below, four ideas to add a little extra flavour to your gin and tonic.

Add fresh fruit and veg

The tried-and-true fruit addition to a gin and tonic is a lime. But why not change it up a little and swap that citrus for another, like grapefruit, orange or a combination of several? Another excellent choice is cucumber. Whatever you choose, try muddling it a little in the bottom of your class before you add ice to bring out the flavour.

Add a tincture

A tincture is a concentrated infusion that can enhance the flavours of a cocktail. Just in time for their sixth birthday, Elephant Gin has released one that will go beautifully with a gin and tonic, and they’re giving away six of them for free when you like their Instagram post below. With blackcurrant and eucalyptus-like flavour, add a few drops to bring out the botanical flavours in your drink.

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IT’S ELEPHANT GIN’S BIRTHDAY! And we celebrate by giving away exclusive goodies. Over the last 6 years, we brought together a big community of people who love gin and those who love elephants. With your help, we have raised over HALF A MILLION EUROS for elephant conservation organisations in Africa. An elephant-sized Thank you to everyone who is part of the Elephant Gin family! To celebrate our 6th birthday, we are giving away 6 exclusive buchu tincture bottles for FREE. A product that is not available for sale outside of the offer. Simply like this post to enter the draw. On top of that, we will add 1 bottle for FREE with every order with a value of £100/100€* or more on our online store. This herbaceous extract is made up of one of Elephant Gin’s African botanicals and offers a delicious blackcurrant and eucalyptus-like flavour – a perfect addition to an Elephant Gin cocktail or a gin & tonic. Add a couple of drops to enhance the botanical profile in Elephant Gin or up to 10 for a more prominent flavour. *Offer is valid 27 September – 26 October. Simply place an order over £100/100€ to receive the gift.

A post shared by Elephant Gin (@elephantgin) on Sep 27, 2019 at 4:36am PDT

Add some fresh herbs

You might think mint is reserved for a mojito, but it also tastes great in a gin and tonic. Again, muddle it at the bottom of your glass before adding the rest of your ingredients. This method also works well with basil and thyme, but if you’re going to go with something more firm like rosemary, just add a sprig of the herb at the end.

Add some spice

There’s already juniper in gin, but you can bring that botanical flavour out by adding fresh juniper berries to your gin and tonic. Coriander seeds are also a great option, as are pink or black peppercorns.

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Written by - Tara MacInnis