Strawberry Gin & Tonic Recipe

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/13/23
Strawberry Gin & Tonic Recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

A simple variation of the popular gin and tonic, this recipe brings the sweet taste of fresh strawberries into the mix. It's a beautiful and simple drink to enjoy during the summer when the berries are in season.

The strawberry flavor is added via strawberry syrup. While you can buy it, homemade strawberry syrup is a quick and easy project. That recipe requires just a few fresh strawberries, so it is a perfect use for those last few berries that linger in the refrigerator. The syrup takes just a couple of hours to make and most of that is cooling time. If you prepare it in the morning, you'll be ready to enjoy a cocktail in the warm afternoon sun.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin

  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1/2 ounce strawberry syrup

  • 1 dash orange bitters

  • 4 to 5 ounces tonic water, to taste

  • Strawberry, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Strawberry Gin & Tonic Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a highball glass filled with ice, pour gin, lime juice, strawberry syrup, and orange bitters.

    ice, gin, lime juice, strawberry syrup, and orange bitters in a glass

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Stir well.

    stir cocktail in the glass

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Slowly fill with tonic water.

    tonic added to the cocktail mixture in the glass

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

    Strawberry Gin & Tonic in a glass

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Tips

  • While you could use almost any gin in this recipe, you might enjoy it best with those that do not have a juniper-heavy profile. Hendrick's, G'Vine, and Aviation are among the top choices because of their lighter, unique flavors that pair perfectly with the sweet strawberries.
  • Fresh lime juice is highly recommended. The average lime yields enough juice, so you can simply squeeze half a lime into the glass. When limes are small, squeeze the entire lime.
  • If you prefer to buy, a number of companies make strawberry syrup. DaVinci, Monin, and Torani are some of the best-known brands and are relatively easy to find.
  • When pouring the tonic, go slow! It's already very fizzy soda water and it foams up quickly when it touches certain fruits, including strawberries. Your glass will overflow if you're not careful.

Recipe Variations

  • Switch out the syrup with any other fruit-flavored syrup to create your own custom spin on the gin and tonic.
  • Pour vodka if you prefer for a fruity twist on the vodka tonic.
  • As an alternative to the syrup, muddle a few strawberries in the bottom of your glass, then add the gin, tonic, and bitters. This will create a drier drink sweetened only by the strawberries.
  • You can also make a strawberry infusion with your favorite gin and skip the syrup. It requires about 1 1/2 cups of sliced strawberries for one bottle of gin and will take between five days and two weeks to reach the desired flavor.

How Strong Is a Strawberry Gin and Tonic?

The strawberry gin and tonic is a delightfully gentle cocktail. Its alcohol content falls right in line with other soda highballs, around 8 percent ABV (16 proof). It's right in between the strength of beer and wine, only this drink is far more interesting.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
214 Calories
0g Fat
30g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 214
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 20mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 47mg 235%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 129mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)