For many years, my go-to drink was gin and soda, mostly because I love gin, and didn’t know any better. I specifically asked for soda over tonic since I despised the taste of the generic bubbly variety. I remember the day I stumbled upon Jack Rudy Cocktail Co’s small batch tonic at a small shop in Brooklyn and it totally changed my impression of tonic.
At that point only a small handful of bartenders were mixing up their own old fashioned tonics in house, offering up a decidedly unsweetened alternative to the grocery story usual. Fast forward to today and small batch tonic is pretty commonly available, with new varieties popping up as fast as a new bitters blend!
I wanted to shine a light on one of my favourite brands, Jack Rudy Cocktail Co, which you can find at BYOB in Toronto. First off, I must admit, my bar wouldn’t be complete without it. Not only to offer up to those who drink G&T’s regularly at parties, but also for use in craft cocktails, mostly of the Collins style.
Not only is the shelf life longer for this more viscous tonic, but we believe it truly encases the flavour profile of any cocktail, no matter how simple.
If you’ve yet to experiment with small batch tonics at home, we highly recommend heading to Jack Rudy’s recipe page to learn more about it!
Cheers to G&T’s!
