“Gin and tonic is a must,” says Niko Romito, chef of the three-star Michelin-rated restaurant Reale in Abruzzo – who also happened to guest edit the November issue of our Italian print edition. Just in time for the cold months, two exceptional Italian mixologists share gin and tonic recipes complete with a spiced seasonal flair.
Max Santangelo’s “Autumn Tonic”
Max Santangelo, Romito's lifelong friend, owns a namesake bar in Castel di Sangro in Abruzzo. His recipe plays on the scent of grapes coupled with classic autumn spices, and he recommends a gin made from the repeated distillation of ugni blanc/trebbiano must and an infusion of vine flowers.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 oz. G'Vine Floraison Gin
1724 Tonic Water
2 grapes
1 lime peel
Ginger
Juniper
Green cardamom
Whole peppercorns
Ice
Method:
Combine 1 piece of ginger, 1 juniper berry, 1 cardamom pod, and 1 peppercorn in a tumbler, and shake gently. Add the gin and let it steep for a couple of hours. Strain the gin into a new tumbler with ice and fill with tonic water. Decorate with freshly pressed lime peel and a couple of halved grapes.
Alessandro Melis' “The Cinnamon Tonic”
Alessandro Melis, a mixologist consultant and co-founder of Nonsolocoktails, a bartender training school in Milan, suggests two variations on the classic gin and tonic. One is simple, replacing the classic lemon peel with fragrant bergamot and garnishing the drink with pomegranate seeds, while the second recipe is a bit more elaborate.
Serves 1
Ingredients:
2 oz. Canaïma Gin
East Imperial Tonic Water, or any tonic scented with oak extract
2 whole star anise cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange peel
Ice
Method:
In a tumbler, pound ½ cinnamon stick and 1 star anise clove, add the gin, and stir. Let the gin infuse for 30 minutes then filter through a fine strainer directly into another tumbler with ice.
Fill with the tonic water (scented with oak extract) and complete with the fresh orange. Gently twist the peel, pass it over the edge of the glass and drop it into the drink. Garnish with the remaining cinnamon stick piece and star anise clove.