This Yuzu Gin & Tonic Packs a Spicy Punch

The Wild Gin & Tonic is a spicy riff on a Gin & Tonic cocktail that combines gin infused with toasted Szechuan peppercorns with yuzu juice, orange bitters, and tonic water flavored with elderflower. This spicy and citrusy cocktail is served in a highball glass and garnished with lemon and lime slices. 

While a traditional Gin & Tonic is made with just two ingredients — gin and tonic water — this version adds a few aromatic ingredients to create a more complex flavor profile. Developed by Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy, the Wild Gin & Tonic leans on Szechuan peppercorns to impart spicy notes to an infused gin. Since the peppercorns have plenty of numbing heat thanks to a compound they contain called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, the gin only needs to infuse for 30 minutes to take on spicy notes. 

Once the peppercorns are strained out, the infused gin is combined with floral and citrusy yuzu juice and orange bitters, and then topped with elderflower tonic water. The result is a dynamic gin and tonic with citrus, floral, and spice notes that keep you coming back for more. 

Why the Wild Gin and Tonic works

The beauty of a G&T is in its simplicity: Herbaceous gin is cut with bittersweet tonic water to yield a balanced highball cocktail. This version, though, adds a few choice ingredients to create a more dynamic drink. Toasting the Szechuan peppercorns helps release the fragrant, slightly floral aromas present in the peppercorns and helps temper any bitter notes. 

While a squeeze of lemon or lime is a gin and tonic go-to, this recipe calls for yuzu juice for its more gentle tart notes and lightly floral flavor profile. Orange bitters add another layer of citrusy complexity, and an elderflower-flavored tonic water amplifies the drink’s freshness.

This recipe was developed by Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy; the text was written by Lucy Simon.