One particular topic has been under discussion this week, concerning one of the most vital commodities one requires on a daily basis, and has attributes which are dreamed and crafted in paradise, and consumed on our humble earth!
You will know, of course, that it is Tonic Water - as if it could be anything else, like manna from heaven, the elixir of life itself, the blessin...(Get on with it - Ed), and a serious question arose from a conversation with Daughter the other day!
Gin and tonic is a staple in these parts! We have a myriad of grocers which sell countless brands of gin, and the profession of designing and producing this spirit is becoming a burgeoning and bustling trade! We are lucky around here, that we have companies who actually make the stuff, and we spent a very happy day at one of their talks, which also entailed coming away with countless bottles, sample tasters and several of their own brand glasses!
But one anomaly remains - does one keep one's tonic in the fridge?
So this is the quandary! It's been bugging us for weeks, and we still haven't concluded the answer!
Daughter has always maintained that several cubes of ice, a dash of lemon or lime - or a slice of cucumber, and at least a double measure of gin (50ml), with a triple amount of tonic, (150ml), creates the perfect mix, and that is why one buys these little cans of Schweppes, which have to be full-fat!
But does one keep the tonic in the fridge, or outside somewhere like the garage or the shed? They easily fit in the egg rack of any fridge door, so the problem could be solved that way! I'm very keen on tonic with orange squash as a refreshing rehydrator for breakfast, so I always have a litre in the fridge door! I never bother to measure it out in my special glass, which takes exactly 330ml full to the brim, so never work out how much I need of each part of the cocktail, but the query remains, is a G&T better for a near freezing tonic or not?
I really don't know, so answers below please, and maybe Daughter and I can then discuss the issues again on Sunday evening, at 6.00pm!
Gin? I've always regarded it as the nearest thing to drinking Brylcreem!
ReplyDeleteKeep the tonic in a cool pantry and mix with fruit juice as required. Very refreshing on a warm day, but don't bother with the gin.
ReplyDeleteI agree with AKH about the fruit juice - a recent discovery for us (in one of those ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ situations when you discover you’ve run out of almost everything but two cans of tonic and a dubious bottle of ouzo you brought back from Corfu in 1989) - but I’d put the tonic in the fridge when it’s with gin and keep the ice to a minimum.
ReplyDeleteI’ve gone off Schweppes, though, since they caved in over the sugar tax and added saccharine even to the full-fat stuff.
I'll have you know, TheJ, that a small cocktail bar off the Kings Road once sold a Brylcreem Surprise!
ReplyDeleteThree shots of gin, two of Carnation Milk, and one of Brylcreem!
By Gad, it made your hair stand on end!
That sounds like a plan, AK...
ReplyDeletePop Larkin, (Darling Buds), once asked Ma to keep the peach juice from a tin of fruit, to 'go with a drop of gin later'!
I didn't know about Schweppes doing that, Mac, so will investigate!
ReplyDeleteMy doctor told me that the quinine in tonic water helps to stop night cramps, which are a bane with these old legs!
Even after eleven G&Ts, they still wrench up around 2.00am...
I've started cutting lemons and limes into quarters, and putting them in the freezer. They keep the ginun and tonic cool without being watered down by ice cubes.
ReplyDeletePensrivat