Make Yourself a Gin and Tonic Bar at Your Next Party
What’s better than serving gin and tonic at a party? There’s a whole gin and tonic bar , that’s what. A few weeks ago, I was at an event for the Beefeater in San Francisco. They had your traditional bar with a bartender mixing trendy cocktails. There was also a DIY Gin & Tonic bar. You can simply ask the bartender for a glass of ice and gin, and then use the set of tonic waters and accessories on the table to make your own. The idea was so funny that I started using it whenever I had friends … and it was a great success.
There is something funny about making your own drinks, at least in my opinion. We all want to pretend to be cocktail masters, but truth be told, most of us have little understanding of what we are doing. The gin and tonic bar is a rather low-key attempt at an open bar. Even for those who have never had G&T before, it’s hard to screw up. For the most part, you can put whatever you want in the bar and (almost) any concoction your guests come in will be drinkable.
As someone who always becomes the default bartender in my group of friends, I really liked that I was not in charge of drinks at least once, and everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy experimenting on their own.
Here’s what you need to create your own:
- Buy a few bottles of gin. Different gins will taste differently. You can have fun experimenting with different options. Some of my favorites are Botanist, Aviator, and Bulldog.
- Purchase several options for tonic water. Like gin, tonic will give your G&T a varied flavor. I love Fever Tree’s tonic water. Other good options include Q and Fentimans. If you are adventurous, you can also do it yourself.
- Chop fruits and vegetables and place them on a plate. In general, grapefruit, cucumbers, limes, and oranges go well with gin and tonic. I’ve seen people eat bolder fruits like strawberries, watermelon, peaches, and blueberries. Take at least three or four choices from your local grocery store and slice them up on a guest plate.
- Suggest some spices. I really enjoy mixing some basil in the bottom of the glass and pairing it with grapefruit for G&T. Fresh basil and rosemary can be great options to have on hand. Cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, juniper berries, and cardamom can also be a hit. Think about which scents you like about G&T, and then pick things that will enhance them. You can arrange them in containers or in small bowls.
Set everything on a side table (I use a long, short bookshelf near the dining table). You will want to lay out everything I listed above, and then also place a few (small) glasses and a bucket of ice on the table (as well as something to scoop it out). Small glasses are the key to success here. This means your guests can make a few drinks throughout the night without anyone getting carried away and using half a bottle of gin to do something terrible.
For guests who don’t know what they are doing, I would suggest starting with a basic 1: 1 recipe (one ounce of gin for every ounce of tonic, easy enough for the eyes) and then advising them to pick just one or two ingredients from the table. to strengthen it. Light drinkers can double the amount of the tonic. It is VERY hard to go wrong just by adding a few fruits (although I’m sure someone can do that). Seasonings should be used sparingly, but can be difficult to spoil if you limit your choice to just a small amount of one.
As the night progresses, you’ll be amazed at what amazing creations your guests are creating, and they will definitely talk a lot more about it than if you worked all night on their drinks.