Gin and tonics are among the most idiotproof cocktails around, but try these tips from Zachary de Git, Spirit Advisor of EC Proof Flat, to turn yours from great to wow.
- Citrus zests are popular garnishes for cocktails because of their citrus oils. When shopping for fruits, pick the ones that are firm, even a little underripe.
- Be gentle when peeling citrus fruits for zest, so that you don’t end up with too much of the bitter white pith. But you can always use a paring knife to scrape out any remaining pith.
- If you’re making your punchbowl ahead, keep the mixture chilled in the fridge, and add ice and tonic only when you’re ready to serve.
- If possible, opt for larger ice cubes so that the punchbowl does not get diluted too quickly.
Start the slideshow for our G&T punchbowl recipes, and to watch Zac take you through the steps of making a Declaration Punch.
Recipe by Zachary de Git, Spirits Advisor of EC Proof Flat
Serves 15
INGREDIENTS
For the punch:
250ml black tea (brew 20g black tea with 300ml and steep for 6min)
200ml lemon juice
50ml St Germaine Elderflower Liqueur*
600ml Ford’s Gin*
15ml angostura bitters*
For the oleo sacharin:
150g castor sugar
Zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange
To serve:
A bucket of ice
600ml East Imperial Burma Tonic
2 oranges, sliced into wheels and seeds removed
*Available from The Proof Flat by EC Proof, 43A Hong Kong Street, tel: 8228-0113, ecproof.com. Open Mon to Sat, 11am-7pm.
DIRECTIONS
- To make the oleo sacharin, place the castor sugar in a ziplock bag, then squeeze each citrus zest over the sugar to release the oils. Add the zest, combine well, then compact the mixture in the ziplock. Press out as much air as possible from the ziplock bag before sealing. Set aside overnight.
- Strain the black tea and combine the tea liquid with the oleo sacharin.
- Transfer the mixture into the punchbowl. Pour in the rest of the punch ingredients. Mix well, and keep chilled in the fridge.
- To serve, top up the punchbowl with ice. Add tonic, stir well, then garnish with the orange wheels.
Check out Zac’s cocktails at Crackerjack, 43 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 8121-1462.
Recipe by the Nutmeg & Clove team
Serves 12 to 15
INGREDIENTS
For the punch:
150ml lychee syrup*
50ml passionfruit syrup*
100ml fresh lemon juice
450ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin
To serve:
A bucket of ice
350ml tonic water
100ml Singha soda water
1 cup lychee pearls* (optional)
*Available at Phoon Huat outlets, including 171 Bencoolen Street, tel: 6338-1143.
DIRECTIONS
- Add the fruit syrups and lemon juice into a large punchbowl.
- Add the gin. Stir well.
- When you’re ready to serve, add the ice cubes, stir well, then top off with tonic and soda water. Garnish with lychee pearls.
Check out Nutmeg & Clove’s cocktails at 10 Ann Siang Hill, tel: 9389-9301.
Recipe by Symphony Loo, bar manager at Neon Pigeon & Fat Prince
Serves 15
For the punch:
375ml lemon juice
150ml simple syrup (make simple syrup by combining sugar and warm water on a 1:1 ratio)
450ml strawberry puree
To serve:
A bucket of ice
4 strawberries, thinly sliced
4 lemons, thinly sliced into wheels and seeds removed
15 strips lemon zest
300ml East Imperial Tonic
For the cinnamon gin:
1 stick cinnamon
450ml Beefeater Gin
DIRECTIONS
- To make the cinnamon gin, infuse gin with a cinnamon stick for at least 24 hours. Strain before using.
- In a punchbowl, combine all the punch ingredients.
- Fill up with ice, and stir for 30s.
- Ladle the punch (without any ice) into champagne glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of strawberry, 2 lemon wheels, and a lemon zest. Top up with tonic.
Check out Symphony’s cocktails at Neon Pigeon, 1 Keong Saik Road, tel: 6222-3623; and at Fat Prince, #01-01, 48 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6221-3683.
Recipe by Symphony Loo, bar manager at Neon Pigeon & Fat Prince
Serves 15
INGREDIENTS
For the punch:
450ml Beefeater Gin (Cold Storage)
225ml Hakushika Taru Sake (Fair Price)
150ml lemon juice
300ml white peach puree (blitz canned peaches with the canning liquid into a smooth puree, and chill for at least 6 hours)
To serve:
A bucket of ice
300ml East Imperial Tonic
30 basil leaves
*Beefeater Gin and Hakushika Taru Sake are available at Cold Storage and Fairprice supermarkets respectively.
DIRECTIONS
- In a punchbowl, combine all the ingredients except the tonic and ice.
- To serve, fill up high ball glasses with ice and ladle in the punch. Stir for 30s.
- Garnish each glass with 2 basil leaves, then top up with tonic.
Check out Symphony’s cocktails at Neon Pigeon, 1 Keong Saik Road, tel: 6222-3623; and at Fat Prince, #01-01, 48 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6221-3683.
Recipe by Peter Chua and Zachary de Git, head barmen of Crackerjack
Serves 15
For the punch:
230ml hot peppermint tea
600ml St George Botanivore Gin*
150ml Cocchi Americano*
200ml lime juice
For the oleo sacharin:
150g castor sugar
Zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange
For the watermelon juice:
650g watermelon
300g castor sugar
To serve:
A bucket of ice
600ml East Imperial Burma Tonic*
5 sprigs mint
1 lemon, sliced into wheels and seeds removed
1 lime, sliced into wheels and seeds removed
*Cocchi Americano is a wine-based aperitif from Italy’s Asti province. Available from The Proof Flat by EC Proof, 43A Hong Kong Street, tel: 8228-0113. Open Mon to Sat, 11am-7pm.
DIRECTIONS
- To make the oleo sacharin, place the castor sugar in a ziplock bag, then squeeze each citrus zest over the sugar to release the oils. Add the zest, combine well, then compact the mixture in the ziplock. Press out as much air as possible from the ziplock bag before sealing. Set aside overnight.
- To make the watermelon juice, blitz the watermelon in a blender, then use a fine sieve to strain out the pulp. Stir in 300g castor sugar until dissolved. Set aside 200ml of this syrup for the cocktail.
- Combine the oleo saccharin with the hot peppermint tea until all the sugar has dissolved.
- In the punchbowl, combine the rest of the punch ingredients. Mix well, and keep chilled in the fridge.
- To serve, fill up the punchbowl with ice, then top with tonic. Garnish with mint sprigs and citrus wheels.
Check out Peter and Zac’s cocktails at Crackerjack, 43 Tanjong Pagar Road, tel: 8121-1462.