G&T roundup

File under: drink, Wellington

The weather and my busy schedule have both made it hard for me to enjoy as many gin and tonics (gins and tonic?) as I intended during September. Of those I did have, most were adequate, though none were really excellent. It's nice to be asked (as I was at Mighty Mighty) which gin I preferred, and more places ought to ask whether the customer wants it short or long. A couple of places (Hope Bros springs to mind) ruined theirs with postmix tonic, and I was reminded that I don't really like gin and tonic when it's poorly made.

Maybe a G&T is a drink that is best enjoyed when you've made it yourself, preferably in the sun, rather than in a bar situation. Even places that seem to make an effort with other drinks will chuck together a slapdash gin & tonic: perhaps it's considered a common mixer rather than a cocktail, and thus not given the time and attention that it deserves. Perhaps the rather poor quality of the limes available at the moment had something to do with as well. It's a pity that my travels last month didn't take me near to Matterhorn, Motel or Hawthorn Lounge, all of which (from memory) take the time to do it properly.

The one interesting variation that I tried was at Boulôt. While their Gemini cocktail (gin, sloe gin, San Pellegrino pompelmo and juniper berries) is quite a long way from a G&T, the essential ingredients of gin, fizzy water and a touch of bitterness are all present. It makes a very pleasant alternative, though I should add a warning: it's pink, bubbly and served in a stemmed glass with straws, so anyone who feels uncomfortable being seen drinking a less-than-masculine cocktail should think twice before ordering.

Anyway, here's hoping that this month brings more than just equinoctial gales, since my choice of drink for October is one I very much associate with the onset of spring.