Cynar & Tonic

A surprisingly delicious two-ingredient cocktail.

Jun 05, 2024

In last week’s newsletter, I alluded to the idea of the “Something & Tonic.”

Tonic, of course, goes famously well with gin. But it plays nicely with a variety of other bottles as well, including some you might not expect — like Cynar. (Say it with me now: Put Cynar in everything!)

There’s no trick to this drink, no fancy technique or structural hack. I use the same 10:3 ratio as I employ for a Gin & Tonic, and I’m even less fussy about the preparation.

If you want to dress it up, garnish the drink with a lemon wedge, then squeeze a little bit of citrus juice into the mix to brighten it up. (This works a lot like the small hit of lemon juice in the Cynar-forward Bitter Guiseppe.)

Pour the tonic first and the Cynar second, on top. This allows the Cynar to float down through the drink rather than resting at the bottom.

But really — it’s just Cynar and tonic, two great tastes that go surprisingly well together. The bittersweet, slightly vegetal Cynar rounds out the barky, bitter zip of tonic. And because Cynar is much lower in alcohol than gin, it’s low-ABV as well.

If you don’t have Cynar, you can try another bitter liqueur, like Campari, which gives the drink an orange-y, fruit-basket vibe. But I prefer the almost candy-like notes of Cynar, the way the tonic mellows the flavors and accentuates its herbal sweetness.

It’s strange, yes, but unexpectedly summery — an easy, warm-weather, patio-friendly cocktail for when you want something a little off the beaten path.