Best garnishes for gin and tonic

Garnishes have become an essential part of the gin experience. An easy but effective way to elevate the look and taste of your drink whilst taking the extra time to enjoy the craftsmanship of drink making. In this guide, we will explore how different garnishes can transform different types of gins, giving you inspiration on how to impress your guests with the perfect G&T at the next dinner party.

What is a garnish?

In relation to gin, a garnish refers to the fruits, berries, or herbs added to the drink before serving in order to enhance the presentation and the taste of the drink. Garnishes on gin help complement and enhance the gin’s flavours, whilst also adding a level of visual interest to the drink.

Some gin garnishes can be consumed alongside the drink, such as slices of fruit or berries, whilst some herbs and spices are used to flavour the drink but should be discarded after drinking, such as star anise or rosemary.

How does a garnish improve a gin and tonic?

When paired currently, a garnish improves a gin’s flavours, aromas, and presentation. Different gins have different aromas, made up from a variety of different botanicals such as juniper, citrus, and herbs. Finding out the aromas and notes of your gin will help you better understand what garnishes will best compliment your drink.

Sometimes garnishes are used to compliment a gin’s existing flavours, whereas other times garnishes can be added to create contrasting and unique flavourings, so you can create a drink that is unique to your taste.

Garnishes also help improve a drink's visual appeal, adding colour and a sense of craftsmanship to an otherwise plain looking drink. Simply adding some complementary berries or herbs can transform an at-home drink, so you can wow your guests with a professional looking drink that looks like it was made in a high-end cocktail bar.

How garnishes have changed over time

Adding garnish to gin didn’t become popular until the introduction of the spanish gin tonica, where adding chile peppers or olives to a gin and tonic was popular to enhance the flavours. Nowadays, fruity berries or refreshing cucumber are more popular choices for gin garnishing.

Best garnishes for gin and tonic

Garnish	When to use it
Cucumber	Cucumber is perfect for adding a grassy note to your gin, enhancing the overall drink with a sense of freshness.
Lemon	A slice of lemon goes perfectly with a dry gin, enhancing the flavour with a sour twist. Keep in mind that where a slice might overwhelm the flavour of the gin, lemon peel might give you that hint of flavour without pushing it too far.
Lime	Lime is another overwhelming flavour, but is the perfect garnish for a dry gin. Consider a small squeeze to start with, then add more to suit your tastes.
Orange	A twist of orange peel can be the perfect accompaniment to a dry gin, adding a touch of flavour for orange lovers.
Grapefruit	Grapefruit can be exceptionally sour but is a beautiful accompaniment to a dry gin. Be sure to add it incrementally to not overpower the gin.
Juniper Berries	Juniper is a must for dry gin lovers. The delicate flavours it produces are the ideal companion to a dry gin.
Peppercorns	Peppercorns are great for giving your gin a kick! They pair incredibly well with spicy gins, adding a slight twist.
Star Anise	Star anise is one of the most visually appealing garnishes, and is perfect for adding an almost liquorice flavour to your herby gin. Be careful you don’t overpower the gin itself, though!
Strawberry	Strawberries are the perfect way to bring a sense of summer to your G&T. They work particularly well with fruity gins, and you can even eat them afterwards for a post-G&T snack!
Raspberry	Perfect for fruity gins, raspberries make a lovely sweet garnish that gently enhances the flavour.
Rhubarb	Incredibly popular in the world of gins, rhubarb adds a subtle tartness to any pink gins on the menu!
Rosemary	Herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage can add beautiful notes of flavour to herby gins.
Lavender + other edible flowers	Edible flowers like lavender look incredible on a dry gin and perfume the drink to add a unique, subtle flavour.

Best garnishes for dry gins

When garnishing your dry gins, consider adding zesty additions like lemon, lime, or orange. These can add a slight sour twist to the drink which will tickle your taste buds. For those who like an extra bit of sourness, consider adding grapefruit instead, but be careful not to overpower the gin itself!

For dry gins, you should also consider flavours like lavender, or juniper to make the flavour unique.

Tonic Tip: Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic is a great compliment for dry gins.

Best garnishes for savoury or herbal gins

For herbal gins, botanicals such as bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, and sage are great at complementing the gins herbal notes. The greenery of these herbs also brings an earthy refreshing look to the drink. Using multiple herbs at once could overpower your drink, so we suggest sticking to 1 or 2 herbs per drink, and try them all out until you find the one you like the best!

Tonic Tip: Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic is a great compliment for dry gins.

Best garnishes for floral gins

Mint leaves and Rosemary both pair well with floral gins, enhancing the floral notes. Edible flowers are also a great choice. Whilst these don’t usually add any aroma to the drink, they enhance the look of floral gins. Rose petals and carnation petals are great options which will elevate any floral gin drink.

Tonic Tip: Artisan Pink Citrus Tonic is a great compliment for dry gins.

Best garnishes for spicy gins

Cinnamon Sticks, star anise, and fresh peppers are great garnishes for spicy gins. The garnishes add unique aromas to the gin, as well as adding in interesting colour and shape combinations that make for a much more unique looking drink than a typical gin and tonic.

Tonic Tip: London Essence Pink Peppercorn Tonic is a great compliment for spicy gins.

Best garnishes for pink gins

Pink gin pairs well with fresh fruit such as strawberries and blueberries. These fruits should be cut up to release their flavours and help enhance the gin’s fruity aromas.

Tonic Tip: Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water is a great compliment for pink gins.

Best garnishes for citrus gins

To compliment a citrus gin, consider adding slices of wedges of lemon, lime, and orange. For a more unique take on a citrus gin, coriander, basil, and thyme are an interesting but delicious addition.

Tonic Tip: Tonica Italiana is a great compliment for citrus gins.