The pre-Christmas spirit can be felt everywhere, and the hustle and bustle of the people around us can be quite contagious. But my motto is: don't let the hustle and bustle at the Christmas markets get you down.

Admittedly, the quality of mulled wine has improved noticeably in recent years. Nevertheless, this warm drink doesn't really get me.

Riesling Instead of Mulled Wine

Instead, I recently enjoyed a glass of Riesling at a Munich Christmas market. But now back to our Christmas gin and tonic!

A few days ago, Marco Manzo from Coca-Cola asked me if we could include a TikTok trend in our cocktail of the month. Without knowing the trend, I spontaneously agreed.

Great Gin Tonic Revolution

A short time later, I was sent the corresponding video and found the idea exciting - not least because the gin tonic took center stage. After all, it was the gin tonic that had a lasting impact on my life, starting with the first gin experience festival at the 25hours Hotel Langstrasse in 2018.

How has gin and tonic evolved over the last two decades to once again become the most popular long drink in many bars around the world?

New Style

The modern gin revolution began with Hendrick's Gin, which pushed the classic juniper flavors into the background and put more accessible notes such as cucumber and rose petals in the foreground.

In the bar you trust: Kinley's range. (Image: The Coca Cola Company)

This new style paved the way for the gin wave that also hit Switzerland in the late 2010s. Gin variants such as Turicum, Deux Frères and Gentleman's Gin are now indispensable. Swiss distillers also contributed to the fact that locally produced gins could be enjoyed.

Scottish Dominance

Among the major brands, classics such as Gordon's, Tanqueray, Beefeater and Bombay continue to lead the rankings. However, Hendrick's is the only new brand to make it into the top 5.

Interestingly, 60 percent of the top 5 gins come from Scotland, making the Scots the largest gin producer in the world.

Especially Good with Kinley

Gin consumption has now stabilized at a high level. While consumers may not always seek new flavors, gin and tonic remains one of the best-selling long drinks - now often enjoyed without excessive «fuss».

However, Christmas is a time for a little sparkle and glitter, which is exactly why we are decorating our cocktail of the month with Kinley Tonic Water from The Coca-Cola Company's portfolio.

How to Make our Eye-Catching Christmas Drink

For our Christmas gin and tonic, we prepare the glass the night before. Some of the ice is frozen directly at the bottom of the glass. We use a large glass for this - in our case, the Riedel gin and tonic glass. This is not only characterized by a generous filling quantity, but also ensures optimal aroma development.

The Christmas tree serves as inspiration: we put 20cl of water, a sprig of a fir branch and some pomegranate seeds together in the glass and freeze it for 24 hours.

Ingredients for the Christmas gin and tonic:

… A few ice cubes (to keep the drink nice and cold)
… 5 cl Gin (ideal: «Applaus Gin» from Stuttgart – a perfect Christmas gin)
… 20 cl Kinley Tonic Water
… Optional: lemon zest for an extra kick of freshness

Our Christmas gin and tonic is ready!

Have fun mixing and tasting it – and of course have a wonderful Christmas!

#Cheers

Peter Jauch is…

… a spirits sommelier with a penchant for top-class cocktails and likes to combine them with the best food.
… author of coffee-table books on GIN & CHAMPAGNER.
… an accomplished spirits and champagne tasting host.
… organizer of an experience festival together with friends.