Now that Labor Day has slipped away you certainly don’t want to be caught wearing white, but a crisp summery cocktail is always in style.  This week we’re focusing on a simple classic: the Gin and Tonic.  Sure, you’ve ordered it from the bartender with some well gin and tonic from a soda gun, a mere means to a (drunken) end, but it can be so much more than that.

To be a connoisseur of the drink, first you must realize that gin is a spirit with distinct differences in flavor, and finding your go-to brand is a good place to start.  London Dry gins yield a citrus flavor while Dutch Distilled varieties are made from barley and can tend towards a hint of whisky.  My personal favorite is Hendrick’s with sliced cucumber – it is all the refreshment you need in this humidity.

For great G&T’s in NYC:

Gin Palace – a speakeasy in the Lower East Side, it’s only natural for this spot to specialize in gin drinks – though their product has come far from the bathtub brewing days.   Their G&T is directly on tap for only $7.

The Shanty – this Brooklyn bar is attached to The New York Distilling Company, which makes their own gin (and rye).  Their Tot & Tonic uses their own Navy Strength Gin.

Booker & Dax – David Chang’s amazing house of molecular mixology serves up a G&T that will not disappoint.  Their G&T is back to the basics - gin, sugar, quinine, lime – and it is oh-so-good.

Image: Wrightwood

Leah Alexander