Gin & Tonic Board

GinSpring/Summer

May 9

As seen on Breakfast Television, this fresh, seasonal board is perfect for entertaining… Think charcuterie board, but for cocktails! Your guests will love creating their own cocktails with beautiful summer fruits & herbs. With just a few ingredients, each of your guests can make a stunning G&T, vodka tonic, vodka sonic, gin & soda or 0% ABV agua fresca.

⁠Prep Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: 1/5

Putting together the board:

We recommend starting with your favourite gin & vodka, then choosing local fresh fruits, herbs and even veggies to pair with the botanicals in your spirits. Our No.11 Gin was designed to pair beautifully with all of these summer flavours, with its fresh, citrus-forward flavours.

Pull together your glassware: double old-fashioned, highball and coupe glasses – for short and potent, tall and refreshing or aromatic cocktails.

Pick your favourite gin & vodka. We used our two freshest and most versatile spirits – Laneway No.11 Gin and Laneway No.12 Vodka – but you can use whatever is in your home bar, and even provide a few options for your guests to choose from.

Stock some sparkling water and tonic. Simple and clean is best, as you don’t want to hide the natural, fresh flavours of your seasonal ingredients.

Make sure you have a large bucket of ice, as layering lots of ice is key to making a great G&T.

Pull together fresh, seasonal fruits, fresh herbs and a selection of spices. Some suggestions: berries, cherries, stone fruit, citrus, melon, cucumber, basil, mint, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, peppercorns, juniper berries, green cardamom. But really this is where you get to have fun and imagine all of the great flavour possibilities.

You can also include some sweetener for those who want it – honey, agave or a home-made simple syrup flavoured with fruits and/or herbs and spices.

Add in some small tongs and swizzle sticks to keep things neat.

Putting together your cocktail

The possibilities are pretty endless – have fun!!

Choose a glass. A coupe is best to concentrate the aromas of a G&T, but you can also create a tall and refreshing drink, or short and potent sipper.

Add your spirit (optional).

Add some simple syrup (optional).

Add 1/3 of your ice.

Layer in your fruits, herbs & spices.

Add next 1/3 of your ice.

More layering of fresh ingredients.

Add last 1/3 or your ice – your glass should look 80-90% full. Don’t worry, there is still room for tonic or soda!

Top with tonic, soda, or half and half for a gin or vodka “sonic”.