Tequila and tonic is a fun spin on the G&T! Swap in tequila for a zingy, bubbly cocktail that everyone will love.

Love tequila and a good G&T? Then here’s your new favorite drink: the Tequila and Tonic! Swap out the gin for tequila, and you’ve got a whole new drink. It’s tart and bubbly, with just the right bite from the tequila. It’s a cousin to Ranch Water and Tequila Soda, but using tonic water instead: which gives it an intriguing sweetness and light bitter note on the finish. Like any good highball cocktail, it’s beyond easy to make. In one minute, you’ve got a refreshing cocktail that everyone loves!

What’s a Tequila and Tonic?

The Tequila and Tonic is a variation on the Gin and Tonic that mixes tequila with tonic water. It’s a highball cocktail, part of a family of drinks that pair liquor with a larger portion of a non-alcoholic mixer. There are several related drinks that mix spirits with tonic water: like the Vodka Tonic or Whiskey Tonic. The advantage of sipping this way? You drink the alcohol slower and it’s more hydrating! The ingredients for a Tequila and Tonic are:

Tequila
Tonic water
Lime wedges

Types of tequila to use

What’s the best type of tequila to use in tequila and tonic? You’ll want to save your top shelf tequila for sipping straight. Any quality of tequila works here: and adding tonic water helps mask lower quality liquor. Here’s what to know about buying tequila:

Rule of thumb: any mid-priced tequila tastes great. Price does indicate quality. Look for 750 ml bottles in the range of $22 to $35.
Tequila reposado is aged, and has notes of oak and vanilla. Tequila blanco is not aged, so the flavor is more straightforward and has that signature tequila burn.
Some good brands of tequila? We recommend Espolon Blanco as an inexpensive tequila blanco, El Tesoro Blanco or Patrón Silver as mid-priced tequila blanco, or Milagro Reposado or Suerte Reposado for tequila reposado.

More about tonic water

Tonic water is a carbonated water that also contains quinine and is lightly sweetened. Its flavor is bubbly, bitter, sweet and sour. Quinine was historically prescribed as a medicine to fight malaria, and mixing it with carbonated water and sugar helped to mask its bitter flavor. It was first sold in the 1850’s. Today, the level of quinine is much lower than historical tonic water and is safe to consume.

What’s the best tonic water brand? There are lots out there! Our favorite brand is Q Tonic: it has great flavor and is sold in small cans, just enough for a few drinks. (PS We also like Q for ginger beer and ginger ale.)

Step it up with clear ice

Want the best looking (and coldest!) Tequila and Tonic? Use clear ice! Clear ice is crystal clear artisan-style ice you can make at home, instead of cloudy like ice from an ice tray. It takes just 24 hours to make, and you can cut it into large organic shapes. Go to How to Make Clear Ice.

Other mixers for tequila

You can use the concept of mixing bubbly mixers with tequila to make drinks outside of the Tequila and Tonic! Here are a few variations on the theme:

Soda water, like in a Tequila Soda or Ranch Water
Ginger ale, like in a Tequila and Ginger Ale
Ginger beer, like in a Mexican Mule
Cola, like a Tequila and Coke

Cousin drinks to the Tequila and Tonic!

The formula of liquor and bubbly mixer is an idea that goes back hundreds of years! This makes liquors lighter and easier to drink. Here are a few more in the highball cocktail family:

Vodka: Vodka Tonic, Vodka and Ginger Ale, Vodka Soda
Gin: Gin Rickey, Gin and Tonic
Whiskey: Whiskey Highball, Whiskey Ginger
Rum: Rum and Ginger Ale, Rum and Tonic
Beer: Shandy
Port: White Port and Tonic
Wine: White Wine Spritzer, Red Wine Spritzer