BY: JOSHUA GANDEE
Beverage Director, Watershed Kitchen & Bar

When it comes to winter cocktails, cozy doesn’t mean complacent. Colder weather generally calls for hot drinks like the hot toddy, wassail, or mulled wine, which are all great. But sometimes you need something a little...simpler. Look no further than our old friend, the gin and tonic. At its core, it’s two easily sourced ingredients. In this blog, I’d like to deconstruct the G&T a little bit to showcase its versatility, to help illustrate how it is truly always gin and tonic season.

Even if you hold the knife incorrectly, you can’t go wrong with a Four Peel Gin & Tonic

If you’re seeking winter inspiration for your cocktails, look no further than that seasonal tin of cookies sitting on your counter. With those cookies as inspiration, you’ll be able to extract similar flavors and find some fun combos along the way. For me, I love clove and cinnamon for some slightly sweet and savory notes that remind me of sugar or gingerbread cookies. I also like my mom’s thumbprint cookies because she tops them with a jam that she made in the summertime. Finding ways to remind yourself of different moments throughout the year, or a way of making yourself nostalgic for flavors you usually only find in December, is a great way to find your new favorite drink. Cocktails of permanence take you somewhere -- sometimes you begin traveling through time even before you take a sip, because of the fresh aroma.

Think about some of the best gin and tonics you’ve ever had. Some may have been relatively simple to make, and some may have been served (hastily poured?) in a plastic cup, but it’s where you were placed at that time that helped to make the drink special. Think of weddings, birthday parties, homecoming events or any other time you found yourself squeezing a lime wedge above hissing tonic water. Wasn’t it great sharing that moment? Didn’t it make the drink that much sweeter? In this time while we are at home, creating a meaningful gin and tonic is a great way to remind yourself that better times are ahead, and a wonderful way to recall some of your favorite memories.

Having a great gin is a crucial starting point for an exceptional G&T, and with three delicious options from Watershed, you’ve got a jump on versatility. The flagship Four Peel Gin is a great way to introduce flavors of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit into your G&T without going overboard with your juicer. The Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin takes that same citrusy structure and melds flavors of caramel and vanilla through the barrel aging process. For those looking for a more floral and softer expression, the Guild Gin is infused with chamomile flowers, reminiscent of that classic cup of tea. Any of these gins paired with your favorite tonic water or syrup which we touched on before, will make a delicious two-ingredient cocktail.

But, with just a couple of minor tweaks and options below, I present to you some tasty winterized G&Ts inspired by some of my favorite moments. Hopefully, they can become some of your go-to’s as well.

SOLSTICE AND TONIC

1.5oz Four Peel Gin

.25oz Lemon Juice

1 small spoonful jam

4oz Tonic Water

Add Gin, juice, and jam into a mixing tin or a mason jar with a sealable top and shake with ice until well chilled. Strain over new ice in a collins glass and top with tonic water.

Depending on the jam you use, this iteration can invoke any season, whether it is jam made from strawberries you picked in the summer sun, a fig jam you bought for a cheeseboard that you haven’t found a use for since, or blackberry jam that you use on toast in the morning. For this version, I used the strawberry jam my mom made in the summertime that was used to top her thumbprint cookies, but any jam will do.

We carry a jam made with Four Peel Gin in our bottleshop made by our friends at Prospect Jam Co. that is sure to compliment this cocktail. For this particular mix, I also used the citrus tonic from Fevertree, but choose whichever you like to make this cocktail your own.

BLACK WALNUT G&T

1.5oz Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin

.5oz Watershed Nocino

4oz Tonic

Add all ingredients to an old fashioned glass with ice, and gently stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon peel.

The simple addition of Nocino introduces a new world of flavors to the otherwise simple mix. Nocino is a nutty black walnut liqueur that we produce using Ohio black walnuts. To make it, we rest young walnuts in vodka until it achieves a dark black hue, the product of natural chemical reactions and melding ingredients. Later, we add sugar, lemon and orange peels, cinnamon, clove, and vanilla beans. After straining it out, we let the mixture rest in a used bourbon barrel to let the flavors mingle even more. The result is a slightly sweet liqueur that has been described as, “Christmas in a bottle.” Adding a splash with the Bourbon Barrel Four Peel Gin makes for a delightful winter G&T that’s sure to impress.

O HOLY CHAI

2oz Guild Gin

.25oz Lemon Juice

4oz Tonic Water

.5oz Chai Syrup*

*To make chai syrup simply boil 1c water with your preferred chai tea. Let steep the recommended time, then stir in ½ c granulated sugar until dissolved. The syrup will keep 3-4 weeks if refrigerated

Add all ingredients to a collins glass with ice and gently stir to combine. Garnish with one star anise, and a lemon wheel.

This G&T takes notes from the hot toddy to create a warming experience, but through a cool cocktail. The chamomile and chai get along nicely as if they can be found in the same aisle in the grocery store. A touch of lemon juice brings out the juniper in the gin, making for a refreshing sipper that’s perfect for chilly days. For an added layer of flavor, use Fevertree’s aromatic tonic that will introduce further cinnamon and clove flavors to the party.

With more and more types and flavors of tonic becoming available, the G&T possibilities are endless. Feel free to tinker with any of these recipes to make them your own in hopes of finding your perfect mix. These pair well with small gatherings, or over a zoom call with an appropriately chosen virtual background. With a delicious cocktail in hand, it may make looking back on this time a little easier. And remember, if you find yourself recreating these recipes, make sure to tag us so we may share and hopefully inspire someone else’s next great cocktail.

Cheers!