As the clocks turn back and winter snaps at our heels, I am declaring the end of gin-and-tonic season. The summery G&T somehow loses its clink-clink-fizz perfection as an after-work sharpener and just seems to rub our noses in the dank gloom ahead. Instead, it’s time to turn our attention to gin-based drinks that act more like a tartan blanket than a zippy refresher, and that can be knocked up within moments of the key hitting the lock. If you can pick up the wherewithal on the way home, so much the better.
Spiced gins set a fitting tone to the season. Ophir (£22 Morrisons, Tesco; 40% abv) has warm spices and a peppery kick, while Jinzu (£30.95 Amazon; 41.3% abv) leans more towards Japanese flavours. Both make an easy segue from a G&T, mixed in the same way, but using ginger ale instead of tonic – a G&G, if you will. Fever Tree is my ginger ale of choice, but Canada Dry does very well, too. A slice of lime would particularly suit, but lemon wouldn’t ruin your evening entirely.
A good dry martini is always sure to warm the vitals, but can be punishing on both liver and pocket – 1:1 martinis (equal measures of vermouth and gin) are all the rage in Mixologyland right now, in keeping with the trend for lower-alcohol drinks. Berry Bros & Rudd’s No. 3 London Gin (£28 Sainsbury’s, a bit more at bbr.com and independents; 46% abv) mixed with Noilly Prat, the quintessential extra-dry vermouth, hits a Bond-esque bullseye; Bathtub Old Tom Gin (£30 Marks & Spencer; 42.4% abv) has a hint of sweetness that also works well (Majestic has the Bathtub Ordinary at £33). Do away with bartenders’ flummery, though: just mix gin and vermouth in a wine bottle at breakfast time, put it in the freezer, along with a stemmed glass, and when you’ve shrugged off your coat at the end of the day, it’ll be perfect (and, once mixed, it’ll keep for weeks). It doesn’t even need an olive, though one wouldn’t go amiss.
For many, though, the negroni is the cocktail non plus ultra. Flame red, with a bittersweet sharpness that takes the edges off even the most jagged of days and warms the darkest, chilliest of souls, it is especially pleasing at this time of year. There is good reason the classic mix – equal measures of Beefeater Gin (around £15, widely available; 40% abv), Campari and Martini Rosso – remains the recipe of choice for negroni aficionados. Some things are best left as they are, so get a tumbler, fill it with ice, pour in each hooch and add a twist of orange.
• Kate Hawkings is co-owner of Bellita in Bristol. Fiona Beckett is away.
