The VinePair Podcast: The Gin & Tonic Is a Dead End

When asked to think of a Gin & Tonic, what comes to mind? Is it the well drink you order at a dive bar accompanied by a browning lime? Or is it an elevated cocktail you’d expect to see on a refined cocktail bar’s list of classics? Probably the former. So why is it that people are trying to make the latter happen?

There have been rumblings in the industry lately that the Gin & Tonic is going to be the Next Big Thing, despite the fact that the G&T’s popularity among American consumers has been at a relatively constant low murmur for the past several years. Perhaps this is a perfect example of the trade seeing a trend in other parts of the world and assuming it can be popular elsewhere. After all, the cocktail is popular in Europe, so why wouldn’t it be popular here?

Today on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach talk about why, despite its ubiquity and success in Europe, the Gin & Tonic will never be a drink that works in American cocktail bars or for premium gins. But first, an update from Adam on the breaking news that Mexican federal authorities have raided the home of Tequila Matchmaker’s founders, Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin. Tune in for more.

Zach is reading: New USDA Regulations Are Sparking Chaos for Small Organic Wine Importers
Adam is reading: As New York Bars Homogenize, Singapore Leans Into Clear-Cut Concepts and AB InBev Loses Appeal In Legal Battle With Constellation Over the Definition of Beer
Joanna is reading: How More Diverse Wine Experiences Are Bringing Travelers Back to Tasting Rooms