Italian Gin & Tonic
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!
Servings: 1 cocktail
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.