What My Dad’s Gin and Tonic Obsession Taught Me About Life
While my dad’s G&T preferences are pretty straightforward, those of our friends and family ebb and flow. He accommodates them all. [...] Read More... The post What My Dad’s Gin and Tonic Obsession Taught Me About Life appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
I come from a chaotic, boisterous Hispanic household. Every Sunday, for as long as I can remember, my extended family gathers to eat, drink and celebrate the end of the week. Sometimes we eat takeout, sometimes my parents cook crispy barbecue chicken on the grill, but no matter the food, my dad is making the drinks.
The sound of clinking glasses and light reggaeton wafting in from the kitchen speaker lets everyone in the house know that it’s time to unwind. Sure, there’s beer and soda, but once the gin and glasses are on the kitchen counter, there’s nothing else the adults want to sip on. My dad calls them “happy drinks.”
“G&T’s start while we’re cooking,” he says. I can still picture my mom laughing with my dad as he prepares her “happy drink” at the makeshift cocktail station. She likes hers with a splash of elderflower liqueur, so my dad serves her drink with a mini fork for stirring.
At face value, a gin and tonic may seem like a simple cocktail—the two ingredients are in the name, after all—but I’ve learned it’s one of the easiest to get wrong. I’ve watched my dad meticulously perfect his happy drinks, customizing them for each member of my family.
Growing up in Puerto Rico to Cuban and Spanish parents, my dad developed a flair for hosting and, of course, for drinking. “Just like when I make cortaditos for everyone, making my gin and tonics is about getting together, sitting down and sharing,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever prepared a gin and tonic by myself. It’s always for me and somebody else.”
In Search of the Perfect G&T
Over his lifetime he’s sampled hundreds of gins, some from Japan with eucalyptus notes to citrus-forward power players like Bombay Sapphire, but there are two specific bottles that are always stocked in my parents’ house: Sipsmith’s London Dry Gin, his default for a classic base, and Nordés, a special occasion gin made from the leftover skins of Galician grapes.
He’s also tried dozens of different tonics, concluding that neither the premium Fever Tree flavored tonics nor the citrusy Fentimans tonic bottles match the clean, crisp flavor of Schweppes. It’s no coincidence that it’s the tonic of choice in his ancestral Spain, where gin and tonics are served at quaint neighborhood bars at the same volume as beer. He discovered this affinity for Schweppes and Nordés while traveling the country with my mom and brought the combination back home to his kitchen counter cocktail bar.
While my dad’s own drink preferences are pretty straightforward, those of our friends and family ebb and flow. He accommodates them all.
Some like it sweeter, some like it stronger, some don’t like gin and tonics at all… but my dad is committed to his craft. He’ll make trial drinks—a little less gin, maybe a splash of juice—to perfect each personalized happy drink, checking in with everyone throughout the night in case anyone needs a refill.
He’s shown me what it means to be a good host. Usually, it’s being the last to sit at the table and the first to start picking up plates and glasses.
To Each Their Own (Gin)
My parents’ liquor cabinet is stocked with multiple types of gin, each tied to a loved one’s preferences. My aunt, for example, prefers Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger Gin. She takes the drink strong, just like my dad, but prefers her chosen gin’s zingy, floral notes. Even though my dad doesn’t care for it, he keeps it stocked for her.
For my dad’s best friend from college, Omar, and his family, he keeps a bottle of Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla gin, which has bright, zesty flavors evoking the juicy oranges of Sevilla, Spain—Omar’s favorite. While my dad may send back a G&T with too much tonic and not enough gin when out at a bar, he’ll gladly buy and sip on this orange essence-spiked gin to enjoy with his friends. His G&Ts adapt to whoever is sitting at the dining table.
My mom’s happy drink gets a splash of elderflower liqueur. She likes her drinks lighter, and this floral splash of sweetness was my dad’s solution. Now that I’m an adult, I ask my dad to make it like this for me, too.
The Secret to ‘Happy Drink’
Owning fancy gins, stocking premium tonics or having the best G&T glasses at home is of little importance to the “happy drink” ritual. It’s about sharing gin and tonics or, more importantly, a moment at a common table with loved ones, each drink thoughtfully customized to everyone’s preferences. It’s the kind of love and intentionality that my father has taught me since I was a kid.
There are a few unspoken rules for the ideal happy drink. A tiny, light squeeze of lime is non-negotiable. The cup must be completely clean and rid of any scents of soap or fragrance.
Crucially, spring water ice is key for best flavor.
“More than half of a gin and tonic is dependent on the flavor of the tonic and the ice,” my dad says. “If the tonic is bad, or the ice is made of bad quality water, it won’t be good.” He’s never been one for fancy garnishes, but lately, he’s been topping his happy drinks off with dehydrated blood oranges. He serves everyone’s drink in a sturdy, double Old-Fashioned glass.
José-Style ‘Happy Drink’ Gin and Tonic
Ingredients
Lime wedges
Spring water ice
Gin of choice: Sipsmith
Tonic of choice: Schweppes
Optional: Elderflower liqueur
Directions
1. Squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into glass. If you want it sweeter, add a splash of elderflower liqueur.
2. Fill the glass almost to the top with spring water ice.
3. Pour gin until glass is ⅓ full
4. Finish with tonic until glass is full.
5. Top with a dehydrated blood orange or enjoy plain. Make sure to stir well.
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In the shop
Hyde Unbreakable Old Fashioned Glass
In Stock | $36
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