Blue Gin and Tonic Cocktail

Get ready to fall in love with our Blue Gin and Tonic Cocktail! This spectacular drink combines the crisp, refreshing taste of a classic gin and tonic with a vibrant blue color and a hint of citrus from blue curacao.

Perfect for any occasion, this cocktail is sure to become a staple in your home bar.

Table of Contents

• 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
• 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
• 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
• 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
• 🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
• 🍴 Must have tools: essential equipment
• 🥫 Leftover love: how to store or prep ahead
• Marye's tip o' the day
• 💭 Insider tips: things to know
• 🍸 What's the best tonic for gin & tonic cocktails?
• 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
• 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
• 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
• 📖 Recipe
• Blue Gin & Tonic
• 💬 Comments

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

• So pretty. This cocktail is not only gorgeous but also incredibly refreshing. The addition of blue curacao adds a delightful citrus twist to the traditional gin and tonic.
• Summer parties. I love this recipe for summer parties, brunches, or as a pre-dinner drink but its cool color shouts icy winter party, too.
• Best tonic. Wow your guests with this deliciously refreshing cocktail and learn how to choose the best tonic water!

🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

1. Berry Twist: Add some fresh berries to the glass for a fruity twist.
2. Herbal Infusion: Muddle fresh herbs like basil or mint in the glass before adding the other ingredients for a refreshing herbal note. Be aware that this will likely change the blue color.
3. Cucumber Cooler: Add thin slices of cucumber to the glass for a crisp, cooling drink.
4. Blueberry: Garnish with a slice of lemon and some blueberries to pair with more herbaceous gins.
5. More citrus: Supplement the lime wedge with bitter orange slices for a different variety of citrus notes.
6. More blue: Add a drop more of blue food coloring to enhance the curacao color. Or, use red food coloring to mix with the blue and make a purple drink for a floral gin!
7. No tonic: Use club soda, soda water, or lemon/lime soda in a pinch if you don't have tonic water.

🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.

1. Add your favorite kind of gin to a highball glass.
2. Pour in some blue curacao.
3. Add a squeeze of lime.
4. Top with as much tonic water as you prefer.

🍴 Must have tools: essential equipment

• highball glass
• jigger or measuring tool
• stirring spoon
• citrus squeezer

🥫 Leftover love: how to store or prep ahead

However, you can make a pitcher of the gin, curacao, lime, and garnish a few hours ahead of time. Refrigerate until serving.

Then, simply pour in an ice-filled glass, top with tonic water, and garnish to serve.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

1. Use a high-quality tonic water for the best flavor.
2. Adjust the amount of blue curacao to your taste; a little goes a long way.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge or twist for a professional touch.
4. When mixing your G&T, use a long, thin bar spoon to gently lift from the bottom up. This way, you preserve the carbonation and keep all of those fizzy little bubbles intact!
5. Fresh limes have the brightest, best flavor. So, for the perfect gin and tonic, pick a firm, heavier lime.
6. There are lots of different types of gin, but if you're standing in the neverending liquor section at your local grocery store, don't fear! A good indicator of taste is price, so don't necessarily grab the cheapest one. Feel free to splurge a little.
7. Some experts say that Bombay Sapphire is the best gin for a G&T because it has some unique aromatic botanicals that make it stand out from other London dry gins. At the end of the day though, it all comes down to personal preference!
8. Pop your bottle of gin in the freezer to give it a slushy texture. The water content will start to freeze, but alcohol doesn't, creating a yummy, cooling summer beverage.
9. The ratio of gin to tonic varies depending on what you like, but most prefer to aim for anywhere in between 1 part gin to 2 parts tonic, or, for a slightly stronger drink, 3 parts gin to 5 parts tonic.

🍸 What's the best tonic for gin & tonic cocktails?

When choosing the best tonic to pair with your gin, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Tonic Syrups

First, tonic syrups are not the same as tonic water.

Tonic syrups are actually flavored concentrates that you mix with sparkling water to make tonic water.

I don't love using them because they add another ingredient and step to the recipe.

I'm all for the easy here, y'all!

Flavored tonic waters

Then, there are flavored tonic waters.

You may have heard of elderflower tonic water to pair with herbal gins or even pre-flavored lemon tonic.

While these are okay options, they can sometimes overpower the authentic flavor of the gin. (And, if you splurged on good gin, why cover up its beautiful tasting notes?)

Best tonic waters

Overall, in my opinion, the best all-around option is either Fentiman's tonic water or Fever Tree's classic tonic water. Sometimes, I use their elderflower tonic, which is delicate and doesn't overpower the gin.

My family and friends prefer it to the highly competitive Q tonic brand, though all three tonics boast of using only the highest quality quinine.

The flavors of Fentiman's and Fever Tree's tonic waters are fresh and fruity. These excellent tonic waters are a perfect balance—not at all overpowering—to the gin.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

1. Another sweet and fun blue drink, Sex in the Driveway uses vodka, peach, and club soda—plus, you can make a big pitcher, too!
2. Everybody loves the bubbles in this Fizzy St Germain Cocktail, complete with tangy flavors of ginger and Luxardo.

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

The classic gin and tonic cocktail is an iconic summer refresher. For the summer holidays add some color with blue curacao.

At its most basic it's a highball cocktail that's made with gin and tonic water over ice. The usual garnish is a slice of lime but other garnishes such as lemon or orange are also common.

It was introduced in the 1700s by the army of the British East India Company to help combat malaria in India and other tropical regions.

Since quinine was used to prevent and treat malaria it was added to gin to help dilute the bitter taste of the quinine.

 It's no longer a medicinal necessity so the amount of gin can vary according to taste - most often  a ratio of 1:1 and 1:3 to tonic water.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published March 27, 2017. Last updated June 23, 2024 for editorial improvements.