5 New Gin and Tonics for Spring

The beauty of a gin and tonic is that it’s simple. Gin, tonic, squeeze of lime over ice. That’s it. Anyone can do it. But just because it’s a simple cocktail doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shake things up every once in a while. Gin + Collins, a cocktail bar in Miami’s AC Hotel, has reimagined the classic gin and tonic by pairing different gins with different tonics. Head bartender Nikos Mantzaridis tested a bunch of different combos to find the matches that brought out the unique flavor of each gin, then took the cocktails to the next level with ingredients like ginger syrup or basil. We have the full recipes below, but even if you don’t have some of the more esoteric ingredients on hand, you can take a page from Mantzaridis’ creations and start pairing gins with well-crafted tonics. Play matchmaker and see if you can give your standard spring drink a new level of flavor.

The Detox

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Photo credit: Gin + Collins

Pairs Hendricks Gin with Low Calorie Indian Tonic

Ingredients
1.5 oz. Hendricks Gin
.5 oz. FOS Mastiha Greek Liqueur
.5 oz. fennel syrup
.75 oz. lime
1.5 oz. Fever-Tree Naturally Light Indian Tonic
2 cucumbers
Garnish: cucumber peel

Directions: Muddle two cucumbers and add Hendricks Gin, FOS Mastiha Greek Liqueur, fennel syrup, lime into shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a snifter filled with fresh ice. Add tonic and garnish with cucumber peel.