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Drink This Now: The Gin & Tonic at South Park’s Fernside
One of the best things about living in San Diego is the weather. I know, I know--this is hardly a revelation. But beyond being able to practice year-round outdoor sports, wear open-toed shoes in January, and even enjoy the occasional winter beach day, it also means that San Diegans are free to drink cocktails that anywhere else would be deemed strictly seasonal.
Enter Fernside’s Gin & Tonic. The new all day and night South Park eatery has become a de-facto hang out for bar and restaurant industry professionals, and their version of this classic cocktail is made with Beefeater gin, Elderflower, Becherovka, tonic water and “fancy garnish”.
Having personally downed at least 15 of these gin & tonics since Fernside’s September opening, I can reliably report that said garnish includes a few lively sprigs of rosemary, two slices of lime, and dried juniper berries.
If all this to-do sounds excessive for what is known as a well drink in many bars, then consider this your introduction into the sophisticated world of Spanish gin and tonics, which are affectionately dubbed “gintonics” on the other side of the pond.
The tipple has been ragingly popular on the Iberian peninsula for over a decade now, inspiring bars called “gintonerias” that are dedicated specifically to the drink, with menus dozens of drinks deep that pair different gins with different tonics and garnishes according to the flavor profiles of each. The drink is also almost exclusively consumed later in the evening--a sort of post-dinner, pre-party kind of libation.
Back home in laid-back San Diego, bars are allowed to be a bit more flexible with the rules. For me, the ideal gin and tonic situation includes an outdoor patio and a waning sun, preferably with shared snacks and good company--something that reminds me of many an afternoon spent lazing away in Barcelona.
“I really wanted to make sure we did a super simple version of this cocktail, but paid homage to the G&T bars in Spain and also in a way that would bring the non-gin and tonic drinker to try it,” Fernside bar manager and co-owner, Christian Siglin explained.
At Fernside the drink is hatched ahead of time and served on draft. Crucially and charmingly, the bar serves it in a long-stemmed, large glass goblet, known in Spain as a “copa de balon” (balloon glass), which Spanish bartenders say allows aromatics to be harnessed while allowing for plenty of ice to keep the drink cold.
I like the kick from the Berechkova, which adds ginger, cinnamon and clove flavors while simultaneously notching up the booze. Siglin noted he’s aware that lots of drinkers have had bad experience with gin, so he added Elderflower liqueur to lighten it up.
“It’s such a staple drink,” Siglin told me from behind the bar, adding that it its simplicity means it has a place on any cocktail list. Not long after opening Fernside, he messaged me to say that he had, a few Spanish-style drinks on the menu that he thought I would like, knowing that I used to live in Spain. He was right.
I’ve been back almost a dozen times since, and each time I find my self ordering at least one of the simple, classic gin and tonics. Thanks to in part my own nostalgia and in part to Fernside’s spot-on interpretation, the Fernside G&T has effectively become my favorite cocktail in San Diego.
Visit Fernside for a Spanish-Style Gin & Tonic
Fernside
1946 Fern Street, South Park, San Diego
Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 11am-2am; Sunday to Wednesday, 11am-midnight
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