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Get The Best Out Of International Gin & Tonic Day On 19 October With York Gin

(Pic credit: Matthew Kitchen Photography.)/

To celebrate Gin & Tonic Day we asked 0ne of York Gin’s directors, Emma Godivala, to list five things to help gin lovers get the most out of the day.

(L-R) York Gin’s Harri Marshall and Alexandra Mather (Pic credit: Matthew Kitchen Photography.)

It’s inspired by an old American lady whose family sneaked a G&T into hospital for her - and hid it in plain sight in her tea cup.

Gin lover Mary Edith Kayburn died aged 95 on 19 October in 2010, and her friends established the day in her memory.

Here are five things you should remember to do to make the most of the day:

Freeze large ice cubes. They melt more slowly than small ice cubes - so your G&T isn’t diluted too quickly.
Remember not to drown your G&T with too much tonic. You can add more, but once it’s poured you can’t take it out!
If you’re drinking a premium gin, don’t spoil it with cheap tonic. You really can destroy a G&T with a poor choice of tonic.
Garnish or don’t garnish - it’s entirely up to you. If you do garnish, best avoid the limp pickled lemon people used in the 1970s. A fresh slice of lemon, lime or grapefruit is popular and can add a zing to your drink.
Don’t worry about the glass you use. The copa (balloon) glasses that have become popular recently are great fun - and apparently help to release the odours of the gin. But hi-ball or Collins glasses are perfectly fine. And, if you only have a tumbler or wine glass, or even a jam jar, let’s not get hung up. As long as you have great gin, a good tonic and ice, you’re home and dry (gin).

Emma's even made a video: