Blue Gin and Tonic

The Blue Gin and Tonic is a simple, refreshing and delicious gin cocktail! This twist on a classic G&T has just three ingredients, and the blue color is so festive! It's the perfect easy drink for summer.

The Blue Gin and Tonic is great for summer parties, or just kicking back on a hot afternoon. In the US, the blue color is perfect for patriotic holidays, too, from Memorial Day to the 4th of July!

Looking for more refreshing and easy gin cocktails? Try out the Empress Gin and Tonic, or the tart and delicious Elderflower Gin and Tonic. Or, the light and refreshing Cucumber Gin Spritzer is always a hit.

If you're in the mood for blue, try out the striking Blue Gin Sour, or the blue-green colored Mermaid Water rum cocktail. Or, try this layered Red, White and Blue cocktail for Independence Day!

Ingredients

Here are the things you'll need to make a Blue G&T:

• Gin - a London dry gin is perfect here.
• Blue Curaçao liqueur - you can use any brand, but if you want the original, Bols Blue Curaçao was the first to make it.
• Tonic water - I used Fever Tree tonic water.
• Optional garnishes - I used a fresh strawberry, a lemon slice and a fresh mint sprig.

Substitutions

Here are some ways you can substitute the ingredients in this cocktail:

• Gin - if you're out of gin, try this drink with vodka or tequila blanco.
• Blue Curaçao - this ingredient basically makes the drink, but if you don't have it, you can use a different orange liqueur like Cointreau or Triple Sec. Try adding some blue spirulina powder to make the drink naturally blue!
• Tonic - if you don't like tonic water, try using a plain seltzer or lemon seltzer instead. You can also use a few dashes of lemon bitters to give the drink a little more flavor.

Variations

Here are some variations on this recipe:

• Keto Friendly - to make this into a keto-friendly drink, you can use a sugar free Blue Curaçao syrup in place of the liqueur. Also, swap out the tonic for plain seltzer, or you can try a sugar free tonic water.
• Non-Alcoholic - if you're avoiding alcohol, just use a gin substitute, like Monday Zero Alcohol Gin. Sub in a Blue Curaçao syrup for the liqueur.
• Frozen Blue G&T - to make this drink a little bit differently, try freezing some tonic water in ice cube trays. Add the gin, blue liqueur and tonic cubes to a blender, and pulse until smooth (you may need to add a little extra tonic if there is not enough liquid to blend).

Glassware & Bar Tools

The best cocktail glass for this drink is either a tall highball glass, or a large stemmed wine glass (aka a Copa Glass or a G&T glass). Since it's served over a lot of ice, the glass should be able to hold anywhere from 15 to 17 ounces (~440-500 ml).

For bar tools, you'll really just need a jigger to measure out your ingredients, plus a cocktail pick for the strawberry.

If you're making the lemon garnish, a knife and cutting board will come in handy too!

Instructions

Start out by prepping your garnishes. I used a lemon slice, a fresh strawberry and a sprig of fresh mint.

For the strawberry, I recommend adding it to a cocktail pick so it doesn't sink down into the glass. I also cut some slices in the strawberry to make it fan out, but that's optional.

When you're ready, fill your cocktail glass with ice.

Add the lemon slice to the side of the glass, between the ice and the glass itself.

Then, pour in the gin.

Add in the tonic water, and then pour the Blue Curaçao on top.

Because the liqueur has a lot of sugar, it will slowly sink and spread through the cocktail on its own. But, you can give it a gentle stir if you want.

Add the strawberry and fresh mint to the top of the drink, and serve!

Hint: To keep the drink colder for longer, try chilling all of your ingredients in the fridge for about 30 minutes beforehand.

Top Tip - party planning

The Blue G&T is such a great and versatile cocktail for parties! Since it only has three ingredients, you can make them on demand.

If you want to make things even easier, pre-mix the gin with the Curaçao liqueur and keep it in a bottle or pitcher over ice. You can prep a bunch of garnishes beforehand, buy a bag of ice and tonic water, and you're good to go!