Herbal Gin and Tonic With Tarragon and Lavender

The gin and tonic is everyone’s go to low-calorie cocktail. This herbal gin and tonic is made with tarragon simple syrup and finished with a few drops of lavender bitters. It’s the perfect use for fresh tarragon.

One Does Not Simply Make An Herbal Gin And Tonic

Actually, Boromir, one does and one can. So, put that in your Hobbit pipe and smoke it, Steward-Prince of Gondor. Also, What’s the deal with Sean Bean going out like a chump in almost every role he’s in? Seriously, leave a comment and tell me a movie or TV show in which Sean Bean [spoiler alert] does not get filled with arrows like in Lord of The Rings, decapitated like in Game Of Thrones, or shot in the face by partner Christian Bale in Equilibrium (for those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s a weird Matrix era dystopia that’s kind of like the giver with guns and kung-fu).

Anyway we were talking about herbal gin and tonic right? So, a gin and tonic is made up of two things, gin and tonic (duh). Garnish that beverage with a wedge of lime and you got yourself a cocktail. But, how do you make a good one? You could argue over ratios of gin to tonic but what really makes a good gin and tonic is good gin and good tonic.

Who Makes The Best Tonic For A Gin And Tonic?

Fever Tree. Hands down. They make some high quality mixers and they’re not paying me to say this. It works especially well in this tarragon gin and tonic due to it’s floral forward flavor and subtle anise notes. Now, taste is objective and if you have one you prefer feel free to leave it in the comments.

What’s The Best Gin Brand For An Herbal Gin and Tonic?

I feel like I’m walking into a minefield with this but for this particular cocktail I used a floral gin. Brands to look for when your shopping are are Hendricks, Botanist Islay Dry Gin, and Spring 44 Mountain Gin. Just remember for this herbal gin and tonic, you need a good floral gin.

How Do You Make Tarragon Simple Syrup?

This is basically a tarragon flavored gin and tonic. Tarragon gives the drink a nice anise (aka black licorice) flavor. But, how do we add that flavor? With tarragon simple syrup of course! Back to my Lord of the Rings reference which I seem to have diverted from (I HAD A POINT!), making tarragon simple syrup is simply simple! Boil half a cup of water, add half a cup of sugar and dissolve. Add a cup of tarragon leaves and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 20 minutes and it’s done. That’s it. Just let it cool to room temperature and seal it in a clean jar or bottle. The syrup will last 2 weeks in the fridge, if you don’t use it first.

How Do I Make An Herbal Gin And Tonic?!

OK. I can tell you’re getting impatient. Sheeeeesh. Fill a highball glass with ice and run a lime wedge around the edge of the glass. I make it sound more complicated than it is, but, to do this just cut a slit in a lime wedge like you were going to garnish the glass, place it on the rim of the glass and run it around the glass. Doing this adds a lot of flavor to drink by making lime juice the first thing you experience when sipping. Squeeze the lime into the glass and toss the whole thing in. Add 1/2 ounce of tarragon simple syrup and 2 ounces of whichever floral gin you may choose. Give it a stir. This first stir allows the non carbonated flavors to blend. Add 2 ounces of tonic water, top with seltzer, and 3 dashes of lavender bitters.

WHOA WHOA WHOA! What Are They?! And Where Do I Get Lavender Bitters?!

Threw you a curve ball didn’t I? I really love Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters for a good floral cocktail. This is from their own site:

[blockquote_sty ver=”1″ border_size=”4px” color=”#0F0F0F”]Bright, sweet, yet remarkably well rounded, we captured spring in a bottle, allowing you to place the soul of the lavender flower in a glass.[/blockquote_sty]

Granted that is their advertising I’m quoting but it does is an excellent way to add floral flavor to an herbal gin and tonic.

So you’ve built your cocktail. The last step is to give it one quick stir and garnish with a whole lot of gorgeous, aromatic tarragon. The only thing that’s left to do is enjoy! Cheers!

• Jigger
• Floral Gin Such as Hendricks, Botanist Islay Gin, Spring 44 Mountain Gin
• Fever Tree Tonic
• Seltzer (I have Sodastream)
• High Ball Glass

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