An ice-cold G&T is one of our favourite ways to round off the week. Something is satisfying about the clink of ice, the fizz of tonic water and lime wedges on a Friday night. Of course, we love the classic - and you shouldn't mess with a classic. But then we got thinking; could we improve it? Not so much improve, but switch it up a bit, to keep things interesting. Another way to keep things interesting is by trying a different gin every day, these are the best gin advent calendars.
After a little research and a lot of experimentation (selfless, we know), we came up with 5 ways to take your G&T to the next level.
1. Try sloe gin
Swap your usual measure for a shot of sloe gin and top up with tonic and plenty of ice. It makes a sweeter drink in a pretty pink colour,
See the recipe: Make your own with popular sloe gin recipe
2. Add grapefruit
The gin botanicals mean it goes really well with zingy grapefruit so add a twist of fresh grapefruit juice to your glass and finish with a sprig of rosemary for a G&T with a difference.
See the recipe:Pink grapefruit G&T
Psst! Want to get more creative with your drinks? Make your own with our 5 homemade liqueurs that are worth the wait or see all our cocktail recipes.
3. Make it into a dessert
Take G&T to a whole new level with this grown-up take on a zesty lemon tart, made with a slug of gin, tonic water and lightly crushed juniper berries. It's your favourite Friday night drink in a dessert!
See the recipe:Gin and tonic tart
4. Freeze it
You only need 4 ingredients to make these fab summer berry ice lollies made with gin, blueberries, elderflower cordial and sparkling water. Make them ahead and pop them in the freezer, ready to pull out when you need them. Very refreshing on a warm evening or at a summer BBQ.
See the recipe:Cocktail lollies
5. Add tea
Be on-trend and serve a G&Tea at your drinks party, made with gin and green tea syrup. It's better for you, right? Make your own simple green tea syrup and it will keep in the fridge for a month.
Get the recipe:G&Tea cocktail
How do you like yours?
Anna Sbuttoni was the Digital Food Editor for Woman & Home and GoodTo.com for 3 years, during which time she won Best Original Feature Idea (Digital) at the BSME Awards for a blogger challenge called 'How To Feed Your Family For £20 A Week'.
Anna's work for womanandhome.com ranges from seasonal recipes perfect for celebrations like Christmas or Easter, to practical suggestions for everyday life, like 17 essential things everyone should have in their freezer.
She went on to become the Digital Director at The Sunday Times Style and is now the Deputy audience editor at The Times and The Sunday Times.
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