Toast to National Gin and Tonic Day With 5 Creative Riffs on the Classic Cocktail

Originating in the 1800s, the iconic gin and tonic duo first arose when British soldiers in India combined quinine, an incredibly bitter malaria preventative, with gin and sugar to make it more palatable. The resulting concoction has since become one of the most beloved cocktails around the world.

Celebrated on April 9, National Gin and Tonic Day is an excellent excuse to enjoy this iconic cocktail. Although its beginnings are unclear, the boozy holiday is believed to have begun as a way to officially recognize the popularity of the traditional cocktail. The two-ingredient drink is so well-loved that we actually honor it twice a year, as International Gin and Tonic Day takes place on October 19.

In celebration of this delicious holiday, here are five creative (but easy-to-recreate) riffs on a classic gin and tonic.

Need help finding a good tonic water? Check out our roundup of the top tonics to pair with your favorite gin!

Empress & Tonic

Elegant and simple, this bright cocktail takes advantage of a tart grapefruit slice and a color-shifting gin.

• 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin (review here)
• 3 oz Tonic
• Garnish: Grapefruit slice

Build ingredients over ice in a glass of choice and garnish with a thick grapefruit slice.

Empress 1908 is a classically juniper-forward gin with prominent notes of grapefruit, black tea and earthy spices. Thanks to its use of butterfly pea flower, Empress 1908 dazzles with a color-changing effect that takes place when acidic ingredients are introduced. If you don’t have this spirit, swap it for your favorite citrus-forward gin.

Read more about purple, color-changing gin here.

Whale & Tonic

It’s hard to go wrong with fresh mint and zesty lime.

• 2 oz Gray Whale Gin (review here)
• 5 oz Fever-Tree Tonic
• Garnish: Lime wheels and fresh mint

Fill a glass with ice cubes, pour in the gin, then top with Fever-Tree Tonic. Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh mint.

Gray Whale is a gin that gives back! Through the brand’s partnerships with 1% for the Planet and Oceana (the largest organization in the world devoted to ocean conservation), Gray Whale Gin contributes to charity with every bottle sold. Combining sustainably sourced and wild-harvested botanicals, this spirit highlights tasting notes from sea kelp, almonds, mint, Persian lime, fir and juniper.

If you don’t have any Gray Whale Gin within reach, try using your favorite savory or citrusy gin.

Rose G&T

This cocktail is for fans of floral flavors!

• 2 oz Glendalough Rose Gin (review here)
• 3 oz Tonic
• Garnish: Lime wedge and mint sprig

Add gin to an ice-filled glass and top off with tonic water. Garnish with a slice of lime and a fresh sprig of mint.

Glendalough Rose Gin is a uniquely floral-forward spirit that is made with wild roses harvested from the mountains around the Glendalough Distillery. Its color is also all-natural and comes from an additional steep with fragrant rose petals.

If you don’t have this spirit, consider another bottle of rose-forward gin like Atian Rose or Bloom Jasmine & Rose. If you can’t find a rose gin at all, simply select a gin you love and add a small splash of rose water to this cocktail.

Spanish Gin & Tonic

If you haven’t tried elderflower-flavored tonic before, there’s no better time than the present!

• 2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin (review here)
• 4 oz Elderflower tonic
• Garnish: Grapefruit slices, fresh mint and edible flowers

Fill a large goblet or wine glass 3/4 full of ice. Add gin, top with tonic, and stir gently. Garnish with thin grapefruit wheels, fresh mint and edible flowers — or however you like (just make it pretty).

St. George Botanivore Gin is a complex gin with a richly herbal profile complemented by a clever balance of spice and citrus. Just as the name suggests, this spirit is a bounty of botanical flavors and truly encapsulates the contemporary American gin style. If you can’t find this gin, reach for something richly herbal or peppery.

Berry Smash and Tonic

Grab your favorite berries and muddle them up!

• 2 oz Floral gin of choice (recommendations here)
• 3 oz Tonic
• A small handful of fresh berries
• Garnish: Rosemary sprig

Toss your berries of choice into a glass and give them a brief muddle. Add in plenty of ice, your preferred floral gin and top it off with your tonic. Garnish this juicy cocktail with a rosemary sprig that has been clapped quickly between your hands to release its flavor.

Cheers!

Read next:

8 Spring Cocktails to Make if You Love Gin

‘Shaken, Not Stirred’: Why James Bond Is Wrong About How He Drinks a Martini

‘I’ll Just Take This, Please’: King Charles Drinks Gin During Visit to Food Market, Quickly Declines Tonic Water Chaser

Here at Gin Raiders, we do more than write about current events in gin and spirits. We are the only media property reviewing gins and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the gin world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of gin in your morning email, sign up for our Deal of the Day newsletter.