Jenever Tonic Cocktail Recipe
Dutch jenever with bitter lemon soda — maltier and rounder than a gin tonic, and older than gin itself.
- Category: Popular
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 11%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Jenever50 ml (1.7 oz)
- Bitter lemon soda140 ml (4.7 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice10 ml (0.3 oz)
How to Make It
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour in the jenever and lemon juice.
- Top with bitter lemon soda and stir once.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Garnish
Lemon wheel
What it tastes like
It has a bitter backbone, it has a green, botanical backdrop, it is carbonated and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
The Story
Jenever is the spirit gin descends from; English soldiers in the Low Countries took the habit home and shortened both the name and the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Jenever Tonic mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a highball glass.
- How strong is a Jenever Tonic?
- Roughly 11% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a Jenever Tonic be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Jenever Tonic hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.