WHEN GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF THE BEST
Everything you need to know to prepare your Gin
SHOULD I ONLY USE A BALLOON GLASS?
If you have one at hand, yes, but you can also use a large and wide tumbler or a wine glass with good capacity, or even a water glass.
For a good Gin and Tonic, you should only have two fundamental concerns:
- Capacity – never less than half a liter and a wide mouth so that when drinking, the nose is not left out, thus losing a large part of the aroma bouquet.
- Plastic cup – it is definitely not the best solution, but if there is no glass available and the cup is large and wide-mouthed, take a chance. If all the other elements are of quality, your Gin may not be perfect, but it will certainly be good.
SHOULD I USE SO MANY UTENSILS?
You must have the measuring jigger. Everything else, the bar spoon, zester, and strainer, is optional. Even the measuring jigger can be dispensed with, but it is essential to understand the amount of Gin you are serving because, after all, in cocktails and Gin and Tonic, everything is about proportion. The zester, bar spoon, and strainer can be replaced with other more common utensils in our kitchens.
The zester can be replaced by a potato peeler or a simple knife. The bar spoon, so useful for chilling the glass, can be substituted with any other spoon, as long as it has some height to facilitate the service. Finally, the strainer, which is nothing more than a utensil to retain ice cubes in the glass while pouring out excess water. Use a knife or a spoon, or at the very least, use your hand, but don’t skip this step. After all, you only want ice inside the glass and water outside of it.
IS THE STRICT MEASURE 1 PART GIN TO 4 PARTS TONIC?
It’s the golden rule and usually yields good results, but it should be looked at without fundamentalism, serving only as a guide. If you like a drink with more alcohol content, increase the amount of Gin. If you prefer milder Gin, reduce the dose. The Gin is for you. Drink it as you like it best.
SHOULD I ONLY BUY SUPERMARKET ICE?
Maybe. The important thing is its size, the larger, the better, and it should be made from demineralized water. In the glass, the amount of ice is also important and should always be generous, in an outlook of unity is strength. It is also important that the ice does not have holes, as they increase the contact surface with the drink. The quality of water also influences the quality of ice. Over-mineralized waters, like tap water at home, have impurities that impart taste to the drink and also make freezing difficult and, on the contrary, facilitate its dilution. If you don’t have optimal conditions, focus on the essentials: large blocks, cut from frozen water in a plastic bottle, for example.
