Franklin & Sons is the tonic you have been searching for
Jun 11, 2018
The world’s best gins deserve mixers of equal calibre – and the Franklin & Sons Indian Tonic in your June Gin of the Month box certainly answers the call. Find out what sets this tonic apart, and why it’s just one of the ways that this brilliant British brand can make every gin on your shelf shine.
Come summertime, the crisp refreshment of a gin and tonic can be hard for anyone to resist.
But, for true gin lovers, this deceptively simple mixed drink can be so much more than a relaxing end to a long week. In the right hands – and with the right tonic – the G&T becomes a blank canvas, every element working in harmony to elevate the complex botanical blends and subtle differences in flavour and mouthfeel that a craft gin lover’s collection has to offer.
But, when you’re taking your gin collection through its paces, you have to be sure that your mixers are as masterful as your spirits. That’s where Franklin & Sons comes in.
When you’re making a classic gin and tonic, there are two key considerations for your mixer: natural flavour and carbonation.
As Tim Garratt, spirits manager of Franklin & Sons, explains: “The reason why people use Franklin and Sons Natural Indian Tonic is in the name: all of our ingredients are 100% natural. We use spring water from Staffordshire, which with its high mineral content we believe helps bring out the botanical notes found in gin. Our natural cinchona bark extract comes from Ecuador, and we use natural British sugar beet as our sweetener.”
Gin lovers rely on their mixers to elevate, not mask, the rich botanical blends of our favourite gins. Much of a tonic’s ability to do just that comes down to flavour, which didn’t escape the Franklin & Sons team when they were balancing citrus and quinine in the Natural Indian Tonic in your June Gin of the Month box.
“You have a subtle citrus note coming through,” Tim says, “that isn’t sharp in any form, and a slight sweetness balances the quinine out in a way that’s just lovely. Especially if you’re using a juniper-forward gin, this tonic has the perfect amount of citrus.”
He continues: “We combine our rich, natural flavours with a lot of carbonation, to make sure that the bubbles really lift the gin – or any spirit that you’re making a drink with. We also use stainless steel crowns, to make sure that there’s no loss in carbonation until you open your mixer.”
This endless attention to the bubbles in your bottle are actually a fundamental part of crafting the perfect mixed drink. It’s carbonation we have to thank for lifting the aromas of your gin – and, unless carbonation is perfectly calibrated, your G&T can easily go flat after the addition of ice.
But classic tonic isn’t the only mixer that Franklin & Sons are on a mission to perfect.
For those who crave something entirely new to try with their old favourites, Franklin & Sons has spent the same time and energy on a wildly inventive range of premium flavoured mixers and soft drinks. And, since this is the month of gin, you already have the perfect excuse to try them all with a measure or two!
“People are so wide-ranging now in the flavours and styles of gins that they’re drinking,” Tim says. “Not just classic styles, but flavoured gins – really getting behind the variety of what’s available.”
From Cloudy Apple and Yorkshire Rhubarb with cinnamon, to Valencian Orange & Pink Grapefruit with Lemongrass, Franklin & Sons Soft Drinks always have something to surprise and delight – and may even help you convert G&T-hating friends into craft gin connoisseurs.
“There are people out there who think they don’t like gin, but actually they don’t like gin and tonic,” Tim smiles. “We’re trying to open them up to new avenues!”
Find out where to get your fix of Franklin & Sons here.
