Recipes Drinks Cocktails Spanish Gin and Tonic 1.0 (1) 1 Review For a Spanish twist on a classic gin and tonic, go heavy on the premium tonic water. By Marti Buckley Marti Buckley Marti Buckley is an award-winning author, trained chef, and industry expert on Spanish and Basque cuisine, specializing in food, vermouth, wine, and European travel. She lives in San Sebastián, Spain and has been writing for more than 15 years.Expertise: Spain, France, Basque country, vermouth, pastry.Experience: Marti Buckley is an American writer and chef from Alabama who has resided in northern Spain since 2010. Her definitive book on Basque cuisine, Basque Country, earned her a prestigious IACP Cookbook Award in the 2019 International category, as well as Best Publication from the Basque Gastronomy Academy. She appears regularly on both Spanish and American television and radio programs, and her work has been featured in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, and Wine Enthusiast, among others. Marti is co-founder of the International Society for the Preservation & Enjoyment of Vermouth. Her second cookbook, on pintxos, is slated to hit shelves in 2023. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 11, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter In Spain, making a proper gin and tonic is an art form, with entire bars devoted to the drink. Sure, the ingredients might look the same — gin, tonic, ice — but the magic is in the details, from the proportions (tonic-heavy) to the glass (think fishbowl). Ingredients 1 ¾ ounces gin (such as Tanqueray) 1 bottle premium tonic water, chilled (such as Fever Tree) 1 green lemon or lime Juniper berries for garnish (optional) Directions Add large pieces of ice to a glass until it's about two-thirds full. With a long-handled spoon, move the ice in circles, vigorously, for about 10 seconds to cool down the glass. Using a cocktail strainer, drain any water that has melted and top off the glass with more ice. Pour the gin over the ice to chill before adding the tonic. Pour the tonic over the ice very slowly. Insert a long-handled spoon to the bottom of the glass and gently give a half stir. Hold the green lemon over the glass, and with the large hole of a citrus zester, remove one strip of peel and allow it to fall into the glass. Repeat twice more to allow the citrus's essential oils to mist the drink—whether the last two peels fall in the drink is up to you. Add a few juniper berries for aesthetic effect, if desired, and serve. Note: Green lemon is preferred for its unique and highly aromatic oils. It is simply lemon that has been picked before fully ripening. If possible, splurge on large, industrially frozen ice, which melts slowly and won't taste like a freezer. Rate it Print