I didn’t take very much time with the name of this drink. Everything else I spent a while seriously considering.

This is an award losing cocktail. That said, the thing about playing with drinks and learning what certain ingredients taste like prohibits you from actually “losing” a competition.

The Botanist recently ran an online competition asking about your Botanist & Tonic. This was what I came up with. The Tomr’s Tonic and Cocchi Americano don’t get in the way of the Botanist, and because the mango isn’t muddled or pureed or even at the top of the glass, the fruitiness is subdued. The rose thyme works with the floral components of the gin.

Mangonic is a really bad name though.

1.5oz Botanist Gin
.5oz Cocchi Americano
.5ox Tomr’s Tonic
3 2 inch mango slices
Sprig of Rose Thyme
Soda

Contrary to what I tell everyone that I teach about drinks, in this case, ice in your Collins glass first. 2 cubes. Then a slice of mango. Another cube, another slic of mango, another cube, another slice of mango, then another cube to reach to top of the glass. In order, pour the gin, then the Cocchi Americano, then the tonic, then the soda. Clap your hands on the rose thyme and drop it on top.

Josh Lindley

Co-Creator at Bartender Atlas

Josh Lindley has been bartending in Toronto since 2007. In that time he has watched the city grow from drinking slushee Cosmopolitans into crisp creations made from locally grown ingredients. He still likes beer though. Before working for Hendrick's Gin as a Brand Ambassador he was bar manager at Campagnolo and a hired gun at Bar Isabel. He has contributed to many magazines, tv shows and newspapers with his recipes and opinions. Currently pouring at Chantecler, he enjoys being an ambassador to Toronto and talking about horror movies and music.