Skip to main content

I’m putting kiwifruit in my Gin & Tonic and you should too

It's sharp, it's tangy, and it adds a delicious note to your G&T

Spanish gin tonic
Jez Timms/Unsplash

For a simple drink, the gin & tonic allows endless variations. Of course you can change out the gin and tonic water you’re using, but something I’ve been playing with recently is garnishes. It’s easy to overlook a garnish as just a bit of pretty thrown in at the end of making a drink, but in fact they can significantly affect the taste and scent of your drink, and they can elevate it to something really special.

Ninety percent of G&Ts you’ll have served to you in a bar with come with a slice of either lemon or lime. And those are fine — they are classics for a reason. But my new favorite garnish is something quite unexpected: slices of kiwifruit.

Recommended Videos

Kiwi has a similar sharp tang to citrus, but it also has a plump, juiciness that adds more roundness to the flavor — almost like cucumber. That makes it the ideal partner for gins which are citrusy or more on the savory end. Plus kiwifruit has crunchy little seeds for an interesting textural variation. I like to use gold kiwis, as you can slice these whole and eat the skins, but if all you can find is green kiwis then those work fine as well. Just remember to peel them before slicing.

I’ve been adding thinly sliced wheels of kiwi to a G&T made with Fords Gin, which is a classic London Dry style gin that has plenty of citrus peel flavor but also a nice savory, spicy note from coriander seed and cassia bark. I like the combination of the zingy kiwi and the fragrant gin, finished up with my go-to tonic water, the pleasingly bitter Fever Tree Indian. It makes for a G&T which is still light and refreshing, but has a depth of tart and spicy flavors which make it something special.

Next time you’re making a G&T, don’t just grab for the lemon. Have a hunt around in your fruit bowl and see what else you can find for a garnish.

Georgina Torbet
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
How I upgraded my De’Longhi Rivelia to make incredible cold espresso drinks
How to unlock six new cold foam recipes
De'Longhi Rivelia

I first started using the De'Longhi Rivelia espresso machine, the brand's newest fully automatic, innovative, and touchscreen espresso maker for home use. I was instantly impressed with how easy this espresso maker was to use and how quickly it made it possible to prepare all my favorite espresso-based beverages.

Ironically, I was so caught up in learning how to use the machine to make hot coffee drinks that I forgot it could also make cold coffee drinks. Once I upgraded with the De'Longhi LatteCrema Cool kit, I unlocked a whole new world of possibilities for cold coffee drinks, from an iced white flat to an iced cappuccino. This tiny upgrade changed the game, solidifying just how much I love this espresso machine.
De'Longhi Rivelia LatteCrema Cool

Read more
Can you put vanilla extract in coffee? Here’s why it’s a game-changer
Is vanilla extract or vanilla syrup a better choice?
vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is an ingredient that immediately makes me think of baking -- from vanilla pudding to a simple vanilla birthday cake. Until recently, the thought of adding vanilla extract to coffee hadn't occurred to me. Of course, I've enjoyed a cup of vanilla-flavored coffee many times and used various vanilla coffee syrups. In my coffee research, I recently discovered that adding vanilla extract to instant coffee can enhance its flavor.

While this is true for instant coffee, I wondered how vanilla extract would taste when added to traditional drip coffee drinks. So, can you put vanilla extract in coffee? Here's what to know about using this baking ingredient as a way to upgrade your coffee bar.

Read more
Death & Co.’s Naked and Famous is the cocktail you’ll crave all summer
How to make a modern classic
Naked and Famous cocktail.

What makes the grade as a best summer cocktail contender? We have a few favorites, sure, but to predict this summer's runaway drink, we asked the pros at Death & Co. Unsurprisingly, they offered a tantalizing recipe.

Meet the Naked and Famous, a cocktail that's gone on to become a modern classic since it was first drawn up more than a dozen years ago. It pulls on all the right strings, from agave spirits to spritz culture and the traditionalism of Chartreuse. It's going to be your go-to this summer.

Read more