Citrus & Thyme Gin

It would probably surprise you that it took me a few years to truly appreciate a proper Gin & Tonic. I started my gin journey with KWV Cruxland Gin and Dry Lemon; yes quite a combination. today i enjoy a good quality gin with the appropriate tonic, not to mention the garnish which enhances the combination; not your average “fruit salad” some may have.

Garnishes are suppose to add to the flavour of the gin; enhancing or complementing the signature botanicals in the gin. Secondly your garnish makes your gin look amazing.

I just got lucky with my unorthodox combination of earthy South African gin and Dry Lemon; the Cruxland Gin boasts notes of fresh juniper and lemon, further enhanced by coriander and spices with an earthy character from the Kalahari truffles. Hence why the dry lemon enhanced the gin and it just worked.

First we need to understand the botanical and type of gin you enjoy:

Use the chart to determine what kind of gin you enjoy, floral, spicy or “clean” (London Dry Gin)?

STYLE / TYPE OF GIN	EXAMPLE OF GIN	SUGGESTED GARNISHES
London Dry Gins	Mother’s Ruin Tanqueray Aviation Gin	Works well with fresh or dehydrated lime, lemons, grapefruit, orange
Citrus Gins	Clemengold Gin Triple Three Citrus Gin Malfi Con Arancia	Works well with fresh Coriander, fresh Basil, fresh thyme, fresh Rosemary, lime
Floral Gins	Musgrave Pink gin Six Dogs Karoo Gin	Works well with cucumber, edible flowers, citrus peel and all berries
Spicy Gins	Pienaar & Son Orient Gin Ginologist Spice Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin	Works well with cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, orange, peppercorns, red and yellow bell peppers
Fynbos Gins	Wilderer Fynbos Gin Geometric Gin	Works with rosemary, rocket, apple, basil, strawberries, grapes
Savoury Gins	Hope on Hopkins Mediterranean Gin	Works with olives, thyme, rosemary, tomato slices, basil

I used the Bloedlemon Handcrafted Gin with Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic. With a slice of fresh orange and a sprig of thyme.

Here’s some pointers to the best Thyme & Citrus gin.

Use fruit which is in season and fresh.
Use fresh sprig of Thyme when decorating.
Cut a slither of the peel of the orange (not the white pith, this is biter and doesn’t taste of orange) and shake your measurement of gin with the citrus to infuse the flavour. Make sure when you cut off the zest, with a peeler, you do it over the glass, the oils that spray off will lightly coat the glass and give the G&T an extra zest.
Open the Tonic as you are about to serve, to prevent it from going flat.
Add lots of ice to the glass, before adding your gin, to chill the glass. This will ensure your glass stays cooler for longer, before the ice cubes start to melt.
Serve immediately when mixed.

Measurements: