As we get into warmer weather, I’ll be featuring more and more seasonally appropriate cocktails, including all manner of tall, icy tonic drinks. Let’s do a level-set on this category, shall we?

No doubt, everyone who loves cocktails of any type knows the classic recipe for a gin and tonic: A couple ounces of your favorite gin and some tonic water, poured over ice with a wedge or two of lime squeezed and dropped into the glass.

But it’s boring. BOOOOOO-RIIIIINNNNG!!!

The Libation Lounge’s Ten Commandments of Tonic Cocktails:

1. It’s a “tall drink,” so use appropriate glassware – For gin-and-tonics, I prefer large-bowled wine glass (usually stemless, but not always), a Collins or highball glass, or even just a water glass. But no rocks glasses allowed; that’s what lousy bars do.
2. Don’t cheap out on the ingredients. Use good gin (whatever that means for you) and premium, freshly-opened tonic water. As Fever-Tree likes to say, tonic is most of this drink, so use good stuff. As I like to say, all tonic waters are not equal. My go-to is either Fever-Tree or Q.
3. Buy small (5-7 oz) bottles or cans of tonic water, not pints or quarts. There’s a reason the premium tonics come in small containers: Tonic flattens quickly—hence, “freshly-opened” above. That quart of Schweppes may satisfy you this afternoon, but it’ll disappoint you tomorrow, and by next week it’ll be nothing more than awful water.
4. Keep a supply of tonic in the fridge. Warm tonic water melts ice and dilutes the drink. Read that *ruins* the drink. Who wants that???
5. Use fresh ice. Ice that’s been aging for weeks in your freezer has partially evaporated, leaving behind a higher concentration of impurities, and it has picked up odors and flavors of whatever else you’re keeping in there. Gross. For best results, use fresh clear ice. (Of course, this rule should apply to all cocktails.)
6. Use fresh fruit, freshly sliced, and squeeze it to get that luscious juice. Don’t slice it today and use it tomorrow; it dries quickly.
7. Think beyond the lime. Use other citrus, other fruits, lots of herbs, and even spices. This can be so much delicious fun!
8. Add the gin “in the middle.” To better integrate the gin with the tonic, first fill your glass with ice, then pour in some of the tonic, pause to add all of the gin and whatever fruits, herbs, or spices you’re including, then top off the drink with more tonic. Stir only once, gently.
9. Omitting the booze is acceptable. In fact, that’s been my party strategy for years. Enjoy a couple with the gin (or, sigh, vodka if you must), but also feel free to stay sober by omitting it for part of your event. Besides, you have all of those other delicious things in your glass now.
10. Thou shalt never shake a tonic drink. You knew that already, of course, but I really wanted a tenth commandment because I’m religious that way.

Now that we have the rules straight, here’s a great recipe to kick things off.

CUCUMBER & TONIC
2-3 oz Gin of choice
5-7 oz Tonic water of choice
Fresh lime
Fresh cucumber (preferably seedless English cucumber)
Fresh mint
Celery bitters (optional)

Cut two thin slices of lime and place in the bottom of your glass along with a sprig of mint. Muddle them lightly to release juices and aromas.

Peel 4-6 inches of the cucumber and discard the peels. Then peel off 4-5 strips of the cucumber meat. Place a couple of strips in the bottom of the glass. Fill the glass half full of ice, add the other cucumber strips, then finish filling the glass with ice. If using celery bitters, shake 2-3 drops onto the ice before adding the liquids.

Add a couple ounces of tonic water, then the gin, then top off the drink with more tonic water and stir once, gently.

Is it Gin O’Clock yet?