Zero-Proof Gin and Tonic

Before you start

A gin and tonic is mostly tonic water, so the alcohol-free version can be very close to the real thing. The spirit's job is to bring juniper, citrus peel and spice; a good non-alcoholic gin alternative carries those botanicals, while the tonic supplies bitterness, sweetness and bubbles. What goes missing is the warmth and weight of alcohol, which is why a slightly stronger pour of the botanical base helps.

Use a ratio of about 1:2.5 rather than the usual 1:3, a drier tonic, and a glass packed with cold, hard ice. Choose the garnish to match the botanicals: lime or grapefruit for citrus-led alternatives, cucumber for green and floral ones, and rosemary or a strip of orange for spicier styles.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) non-alcoholic gin alternative
• 150 ml (5 oz) tonic water — chilled; light or dry styles keep it crisp
• 1 lime wedge or grapefruit slice — for garnish
• 1 sprig rosemary or a few cucumber ribbons — optional, to match the botanicals

Method

1. Fill the glass to the brim with large, dry ice cubes. More ice means slower melting, which matters even more when there is no alcohol to carry flavor.
2. Pour the gin alternative over the ice and stir for 5 seconds to chill it before the tonic goes in.
3. Open a fresh bottle of tonic and pour it slowly down a bar spoon or the inside of the glass to keep the bubbles tight.
4. Lift once with the bar spoon from the bottom to blend. Avoid stirring in circles, which knocks out carbonation.
5. Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink and drop it in, or slide the grapefruit slice or cucumber ribbons down the side. Add the herb sprig last and serve.

Tips for success

• Small bottles of tonic stay fizzier than a big bottle opened several times. Use a fresh one for each round if you can.
• Taste the gin alternative neat. If it tastes faint, increase it to 75 ml; if it tastes sharp and woody, stay at 45 ml.
• A pinch of salt dissolved in the drink, or a salt-rimmed glass edge, can give a fuller mouthfeel without alcohol.

Substitutions

Non-alcoholic gin alternative

Steep 1 tsp crushed juniper, a strip of lemon peel and 3 cardamom pods in 100 ml hot water for 6 minutes, strain and chill. Use 60 ml. It is lighter and more tea-like.

Tonic water

An elderflower tonic makes a sweeter, floral drink. Soda water plus 2 dashes of non-alcoholic bitters makes a much drier, less bitter highball.

Lime garnish

Pink grapefruit pairs well with citrus-forward alternatives; a few juniper berries and a strip of orange suit spicy ones.

Variations

Pink G&T

Use pink grapefruit tonic and a few frozen raspberries in place of ice cubes on top.

Spanish-style copa

Serve in a large balloon glass with a cinnamon stick, a strip of orange peel and three juniper berries.

Troubleshooting

It tastes like plain tonic water

The ratio is too long or the alternative is delicate. Use 75 ml of the base, 150 ml tonic, and squeeze the citrus rather than just floating it.

It goes flat fast

Use cold tonic from a freshly opened bottle and pour it gently. Room-temperature tonic foams up and loses gas on the ice.

It tastes bitter and thin

Some zero-proof spirits are bitter when diluted. Switch to a lighter tonic or add 5 ml simple syrup to give the drink some body.

Storage

Serve immediately. Keep opened non-alcoholic spirits in the refrigerator and use within the time given on the label, as many spoil sooner than regular spirits. Recap tonic tightly and refrigerate.

Safety notes

Beverages labeled non-alcoholic in the U.S. can contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume. Tonic water contains quinine and added sugar; check labels for anyone who needs to avoid either.