OUR RECOMMENDED SERVES
Here at Stockport Gin, we don't have what some call 'Perfect Serves' for our gins, as lots of people have their own preference on how to serve their gin. So, what we created is our 'Recommended Serve' for each gin - it is the we we enjoy our gins but only a recommendation - not an instruction. People should be able to enjoy their gin the way they like to and not in a specific way they are told to.
TOP TIP - don't let anyone, ever, tell you how you HAVE to drink your gin!
When it comes to serving gins, there are so many things to think about... What glass is best to use for gin? What mixer works best with gin? How much ice should I use in my gin? What should I garnish my gin with?
Below are our recommendations on how to serve our gins that should hopefully answer all of these questions, but feel free to send us any other suggestions and we'll add them to this page for others to use!
WHAT TYPE OF GLASS IS BEST TO SERVE GIN IN?
When it comes to glassware, there are so many to choose from when it comes to how best to serve your gin!
Copa Glasses, or Balloon Glasses as they are also known, have become the go to glass in recent years when it comes to serving gins. They are a large bowl shaped glass with a long stem. The bowl is supposed to highten the aroma from your drink and in turn enhance the flavour of it. The idea is that also by holding the glass by the stem, the heat from your hand doesn't melt the ice, meaning your drink dilutes less.
Highball glasses are also traditionally used for serving gins in. These tall thin glasses are also incredibly versatile as they are also ofthn used for gin cocktails.
Other forms of glassware include tumblers and longdrink glasses but essentially, it all comes down to personal preference.
Here at Stockport Gin, our preference has always been to have our gin in a highball glass.
HOW MUCH ICE SHOULD I PUT IN MY GIN?
This is one area where we always give a definitive answer. The more ice the better!
On Distillery Tours and other events, we often have a very similar conversations with people that go like this...
"Just one cube of ice in my gin please."
"No problem, but do you mind me asking why you only prefer one cube and not more?"
"I don't like too much ice as it will dilute my drink more..."
That's where the lesson begins!
Nobody wants a dilted drink, we know that as well as anyone! But, did you know that by adding just 1 or 2 cubes of ice to your gin, it dilutes your drink MORE than if you put as much ice as possble in?! Let us explain...
Think of those cold winter months when it snows. The first thing the kids want to do at our house is build a snowman. Great fun until their hands are numb and they are moaning they are too cold and Paul has to finish building it alone. Anyway, back to the facts! When the weather warms and the snow begins to melt, what is the last thing to melt? The Snowman! Why?! Because the mass of ice together, keeps itself colder for longer and so takes more time to melt down.
Now, apply that logic to your drink. The more ice you add, it means it keeps itself colder for longer, meaning it melts slower and so dilutes your drink much less too. Which is why we always say, the more ice in your gin the better!
WHAT MIXER SHOULD I USE?
Once again, this is all down to personal preference.
For us, we always choose an Indian Tonic water. The classic way to enjoy the perfect G&T. It allows all of the flavour in your drink to come from the gin, so you can really appreciate exactly how the gin tastes.
However, Indian Tonic is not for everyone. Tonic water contains an ingredient called Quinine, which is incredibly bitter, which is the reason so many people don't enjoy tonic in the same way we do. That's fine! There are many other options out there...
Skinny Tonic, or Light Tonic, tends to be a lighter tonic made with less sugar and quinine so it is a great alternative to Indian Tonic, particularly for those wanting to reduce their sugar intake.
You can get a range of flavoured tonic waters that can be used to make a good G&T. These are poplar with those who don't enjoy a classic tonic. What we do always say though is that a lot of the flavoured tonics are so full of flavour, it will nearly always overpower the flavour of your gin, so you will predominantly taste the tonic rather than the botanical flavour of the gin.
Lemonade is a hugely popular mixer with gin for some. Again, a great alternative for those who prefer something different to tonic and something a little sweeter.
Ginger Ale is another popular mixer for gins, particularly spiced gins.
Other mixers people have used over the years include gin and bitter lemon, gin and orange or, sometimes, just gin with no mixer!
We draw the line at Coke though, you cannot enjoy gin with Coke!
WHAT MIXER BRAND IS BEST?
Again, entirely personal preference. All we say is that the premium brands who make better qulaity mixers with natural ingredients tend to be much better qualiy than say Supermarket own brands or some of the mass produced artificial mixers.
WHAT IS THE PERFECT RATIO OF GIN AND MIXER WHEN MAKING A GIN?
For us, the perfect ratio for our gin and tonic is 1 parts gin to 3 parts tonic.
This equates to 50ml of gin served with 150ml of tonic (or your preferred mixer!).
50ml is a double measure and not everyone prefers this, so it is another aspect of your gin that comes down to personal preference.
WHAT GARNISH SHOULD I USE?
Our top top when it comes to selecting a garnish is to use one that complements the gin you are drinking. This will help enhance the flavour of that gin. Choose a garnish that matches one of the botanicals that has been used to create the gin, ideally the most predominant one.
Some will suggest using a contrasting garnish to create a different flavout profile but, especially for our gins, we find this never works particularly well.
WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED SERVES FOR ALL OF YOUR GINS?
Thanks for asking! Just click the gin you want to know about below and it'll take you to the page that will provide you with all the answers you need!
DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY COCKTAILS FOR YOUR GINS?
Oh yes! We love a Gin and Tonic but we also love cocktails. Click the link below to find out what our favourites are and how to make them!
