The boy and his poison: The GC&T

I love those occasions when an unexpected but simple twist on a familiar favourite results in something incredible. I found myself doing a bit of impromptu hosting on Saturday with the unannounced arrival of my brother and an entourage of people expecting to have a 'night out'. As you can imagine, the last thing I expected was to come home at some point Sunday-morning enthusing about a tiny twist on the classic G&T. Seeking stomach lining we piled into a burger joint where the waitress managed to convince us that they'd found the best gin and tonic recipe in London. Sceptical (in part due to being surrounded by the sibling's testosterone fuelled man-party) I ordered a round.

I'd like to claim that the next four rounds I ordered were also due to scepticism but, with apologies to my liver, it was because they were some of the finest gin and tonics I've had this year. Like The London Gin Club, the bar staff at Honest Burger have concluded that gin and tonic needn't be just a dull staple and by accentuating their chosen gin with a complementary flavour they've elevated a simple drink into to an altogether more smile-inducing affair. With a base of Hendrick's, the glass was lined with fresh strips of hand-peeled cucumber, exposing a greater surface area of the cucumber to infuse even more fresh flavour into the drink. Use the recipe below for a starter and, once you've been bowled over by adding flavour to your G&T, try out some of the other suggested flavour pairings below. Better still, share the ones that work for you. I'd be particularly interested if someone can pair something with Tesco's Value Gin, other than regret and memory loss.

You'll need:

• Cucumber
• 50ml Hendrick's gin
• Ice
• Fever Tree tonic

Make it

• Slice your cucumber into thirds lengthways
• Using a peeler slowly slice wafer thin strips out of the cucumber portions
• Line a small tumbler with the strips covering the glass
• Drop in a handful of crushed ice followed by the gin and top up with tonic
• Drop a straw in and let it steep for a minute or so

Other flavour pairings to try (courtesy of the London Gin Club):

• Tanqueray with orange and watercress
• Tanqueray Rangpur with olive and basil (make sure the olives are in brine)
• Gilpins with lemon and sage
• Sacred with grapefruit and rosemary
• Bloom with strawberry