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    Home » Recipes » Cocktails and Drinks

    Gin and Tonic with Lemon

    Published: Aug 21, 2023 by Nora · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.
    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.
    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.

    If you prefer lemons to limes, get ready to fall in love with this gin and tonic recipe! It's wonderfully sweet and crisp, making it the perfect pairing for a warm summer evening. 

    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    While the gin and tonic with lime is admittedly iconic for a good reason, there's a special place in my heart for gin and tonic with lemon. It was actually the very first cocktail I learned to craft in bartending school, and I've come to deeply appreciate it's the simplicity and versatility of this cocktail.

    As someone who loves to shower my friends and family with hospitality, I love that this cocktail recipe has much room for customization to fit my guests' needs or even the occasion's theme. There are many different options for gin and tonic out there and countless combinations. 

    Plus, they're also super quick and easy to whip together, allowing me to spend less time behind the bar and more time enjoying the company of my loved ones! 

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍹 Step-by-Step
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍋 Variations
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🌡 Storage
    • 💭 Top tip
    • 🙋🏻 FAQ
    • OTHER RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 🤎 You might also like
    • ⛑️ Food Safety
    • 💬 Comments

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Ice Cubes – Filled to the brim of your glass
    • Gin of Your Choice
    • Lemon Juice
    • Granulated Sugar
    • Tonic
    • Lemon and Drinking Straw for Garnish

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    🍹 Step-by-Step

    Add lemon juice to your shaker.
    Lemon juice
    Add granulated sugar to your shaker.
    Sugar
    Add gin to your shaker.
    Gin
    Add ice cubes to your shaker.
    Ice cubes
    Mix well with your shaker.
    Shake well
    Pour the drink into the chilled glas.
    Pour over ice-filled glass.
    Top your cocktail off with tonic water.
    Top off with tonic.
    Garnish with a lemon wedge.
    Add lemon wedge.

    🔪 Instructions

    As far as cocktails go, this one's pretty simple and easy to whip together!

    Squeeze half of your lemon. You'll be adding in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 ½ oz gin, and some ice into a cocktail shaker.

    Go ahead and close your shaker and be sure to mix well. Personally, I like to do this while singing the chorus of "Conga" by Gloria Estaban and the Miami Sound Machine. The rhythm and timing work out really nicely!

    Fill your high ball or balloon glass to the brim with ice. 

    Once everything's been mixed well, pour the mix over your ice-filled highball or balloon glass. If you happen to be using a Boston shaker, strain the mix through a julep strainer.

    You'll fill the remaining space in your glass with tonic. A typical highball glass holds 1 cup to 1 ½ cups, so there'll definitely be room left over for the tonic after you pour.

    Finally, all that's left to do is garnish with a lemon wedge and a fun, reusable drinking straw!

    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.

    🍋 Variations

    If you're looking for a little more sweetness to cut down the tartness of the fresh lemon, I recommend adding an extra dash of granulated sugar to your cocktail. 

    The classic gin and tonic has endless varieties because of the available gin and tonic varieties. (For in-depth reading, check out our Gin&Tonic Guide!)

    🍽 Equipment

    • Jigger
    • Cocktail Shaker
    • Lemon Squeezer
    • Julep Strainer (If you are using a Boston Shaker)
    • Highball Glass or Balloon Glass (Chilled)

    🌡 Storage

    For many reasons, this cocktail should be enjoyed right away. One of the biggest reasons is that tonic water will eventually go flat – ruining the fresh, crisp taste that gin and tonics are so famously known for.

    💭 Top tip

    When preparing your gin and tonic cocktails, it's important that you hold your highball glasses from the bottom and avoid touching the rim. By doing this, you help keep your chilled glass nice and cool – which makes the cocktail taste that much better!

    Are you already wondering, "How do I chill a cocktail glass properly?" The most efficient way to get a perfectly chilled glass is to put them in the freezer beforehand. I usually like to give it at least a half hour, but if you're like me and plan to have friends and family over for backyard grilling and dinner parties this summer, you could also throw your glasses in the night before.

    If you don't have that kind of freezer space or that kind of time between refills for your guests, another method you could adopt is fulling each cocktail glass with ice cubes while you prepare the cucumber slices and fresh lime wedges. Once it comes time to start lining your glasses with cucumber slices again, you can dump out the ice and start pouring the cocktail.

    To protect our environment, one final tip is that I highly encourage you to avoid using disposable straws whenever possible, opt to use either metal or paper straws, or simply forgo them altogether.

    🙋🏻 FAQ

    Is lemon better than lime for gin and tonic?

    That really all comes down to personal preference! Personally, I prefer a lemon gin and tonic to a gin and tonic with lime, but there are plenty of people out there who'd find that statement sacrilegious! If you're unsure which you like better, craft both at home and have a tasting party!

    Why do you put lime in gin and tonic?

    The iconic addition of lime was first added to quinine (a prophylactic against malaria) in the 19th Century to help make the drink more palatable. Somewhere along the way, they started adding gin to the mix, and the cocktail has since become wildly popular! 
    If you want to know more about the fascinating history behind gin and tonic, check out our in-depth gin and tonic guide!

    What is quinine tonic and gin?

    Quinine is prophylactic against malaria that was mixed into a carbonated beverage. In fact, all tonics have some quinine in them. The lime was first added to tonic to help make the bitter taste a little more palatable. 

    How do you drink a gin and tonic?

    Ideally, with a twist! I love this lemon gin and tonic recipe, but this cucumber gin and tonic recipe is also pretty darn tasty! 

    OTHER RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY

    • Strawberry Spritz Cocktail
    • Refreshing Lavender Daiquiri
    • Cucumber Gin and Tonic
    • Homemade Vodka Sidecar
    • Lovely Lavender Spritz Cocktail
    • Vanilla Vodka and Tonic

    If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. This would be awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don't miss it.

    📖 Recipe

    Gorgeous glass filled with a refreshing lemon gin and tonic. Placed on blue wooden ground.

    Refreshing Lemon Gin and Tonic

    Nora
    Looking to add a burst of citrus to your gin and tonic? Try this recipe that combines the classic flavors of gin and tonic with the refreshing taste of lemon.
    5 from 51 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Cocktails, Drinks
    Cuisine British
    Servings 1 Serving
    Calories 214 kcal

    Equipment

    • Jigger
    • Cocktail shaker
    • Lemon squeezer
    • Julep strainer if you are using a Boston shaker
    • Highball Glass or balloon glass

    Ingredients
     
     

    • Cubed Ice
    • 1 ½ oz Your favorite gin
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
    • 1 cup Tonic to fill up the glass
    • Lemon wedge and drinking straw for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Squeeze half a lemon and add 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar, and 1 ½ oz Your favorite gin to your shaker filled with ice cubes.
      1 ½ oz Your favorite gin, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
    • Close the shaker and shake well.
    • Fill the glass with Cubed Ice
      Cubed Ice
    • Then pour the mix directly into the cocktail glass filled with ice cubes. If using a Boston shaker, strain the mix through a julep strainer.
    • Fill up with 1 cup Tonic (one high ball glass holds 240 ml (1 cup) to 350 ml(1 ½ cups)).
      1 cup Tonic
    • Lemon wedge and drinking straw for garnish
      Lemon wedge and drinking straw for garnish
    Never miss a recipe!Sign up and let me spoil you weekly with a delicious homemade recipe!
    Keyword gin and tonic, gin and tonic lemon, lemon gin and tonic
    Like this recipe?Mention @combinegoodflavors or tag #combinegoodflavors!
    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Enjoy creating delicious food all year round! Truffles, eggnog, chocolates, Christmas cookies, cakes, boozy drinks, and divine Austrian delicacies!

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    ⛑️ Food Safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

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    1. Natalie

      August 23, 2023 at 12:14 am

      5 stars
      I don’t usually like gin and tonic but I loved this one ! My husband is a fan so I gave it a try. Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
      • Nora

        September 16, 2023 at 8:41 am

        Thank you so much, Natalie! I am happy you gave it a try 🙂

        Reply
    2. Andréa Janssen

      August 23, 2023 at 12:21 am

      5 stars
      Who doesn't like a delicious cocktail on a sunny day? And this gin and tonic was perfect! Thank you for the easy recipe.

      Reply
      • Nora

        September 16, 2023 at 8:41 am

        Thank you, Andréa! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Padma

      August 23, 2023 at 1:06 am

      Ah! This was so good! It has been quite warm and this refreshed drink made my day!

      Reply
      • Nora

        September 16, 2023 at 8:42 am

        Awesome! Thank you, Padma!

        Reply
    4. Megane

      August 23, 2023 at 1:33 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! A favorite drink for me. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Nora

        September 15, 2023 at 11:32 pm

        Thank you, Megane! I am happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Jerika

      August 24, 2023 at 9:33 pm

      I love it how this gin and tonic with lemon perfectly complements each other.:) So cool too that you can customized this cocktail recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Nora

        September 15, 2023 at 11:31 pm

        Thank you, Jerika! I am so happy you liked this cocktail!

        Reply

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    Hi, it's me, Nora! I love good food, especially when it's homemade. I am a home chef with a passion for baking and mixing drinks.

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