How to Make an Italian Gin & Tonic

“Gimme a gin & tonic, but, like…make it fancy”. This Italian gin & tonic is the perfect marriage of the refreshing simplicity of a G&T, but with an extra complexity that brings it into true cocktail territory.

And while it’s definitely going into my year-round easy drink rotation, it also seemed like the perfect drink to take us into 2026…

What is an Italian gin & tonic?

From what I can tell, it’s a somewhat loose designation that means we’re bringing in some of the traditional flavors of an Italian aperitivo…typically this is something more complex and incorporating bitter or herbal notes such as Aperol or Campari (or possibly even a vermouth), and usually some aromatics or herbals (rosemary, citrus, etc. are popular).

But you can do what you’d like with those parameters. I don’t like super bitter drinks, so for me balance was paramount. I’ll explain my approach in a sec.

Here’s my perfect Italian gin & tonic combination…

We’ll start with a good gin, something leaning more toward Italian botanicals (think citruses, herbals such as rosemary, etc…don’t go juniper-heavy).
I used Aperol as my bitter element, as I prefer it to Campari (which heads toward negroni territory)
We’ll balance out that bitter with some tart, sweet, and spice…I love a tart cherry juice paired with a spiced simple syrup.
Top with tonic for another hit of bitterness (more of a tangy bitter) and fizz.
Garnish with a lemon twist, and make sure to rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass before garnishing, to really give that citrus aromatic!

I’m in love with the gorgeous jewel-toned color, and it’s such an easy sipper.

I guarantee you that even someone who thinks they don’t like gin will love this drink, and it’s easy enough to throw together that you can still make these for a crowd!

Other simple cocktails you’ll love:

Pin for later!

Italian Gin & Tonic

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

This Italian gin & tonic is a perfect twist on the classic cocktail, bringing in the bitter notes of Aperol and a hit of spiced simple syrup with tart juice to "fancy it up" a bit. This is a more complex version, something that feels like a proper cocktail but still just as refreshing!

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces of good gin (see notes)
1 ounce of Aperol
3/4 ounce of tart cherry juice (or cranberry or pomegranate)
1/2 ounce of cinnamon simple syrup
Tonic water (GOOD, something like Q or Fevertree)
Lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

In a glass filled with ice, add the gin, Aperol, juice, and simple syrup.
Stir together, then top with tonic water as desired (about 2 ounces for me).
Garnish with a lemon twist---for a bonus hit of flavor, rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass before garnishing. I love lemon here, but orange works well too.

Notes

For the gin, you want something a bit more Italian style...something with citrus/herbal notes, not heavy juniper; I use Fords, which is a London Dry but has lovely notes of grapefruit and jasmine among other things. You can also lean really into herbals here if you prefer, so more like notes of rosemary (like a Gin Mare) with rosemary garnish.