Gin · Explainer
How much gin goes in a gin and tonic?
Allow 4 to 5 centilitres of gin to 10 to 15 centilitres of tonic, so 1 part gin to 2 to 3 parts tonic. The Voedingscentrum counts 35 millilitres of 35 percent spirits as one standard drink. For 40 percent gin that is about 3 centilitres, so 5 centilitres of gin counts as just over one and a half standard drinks.
In brief
The key figures
| Usual ratio | 1 part gin to 2 to 3 parts tonic |
|---|---|
| Measure per glass | 4 to 5 centilitres of gin |
| Standard drink | 10 grams of alcohol, or 35 millilitres of 35 percent spirits |
| Standard drink for 40 percent gin | About 3 centilitres |
| 5 centilitres of 40 percent gin | Just over 1.5 standard drinks |
| 5 centilitres of 47 percent gin | Almost 2 standard drinks |
| Bottle of van 70 centiliter | 14 glasses of 5 centilitres |
| Spirits and age | From 15 percent alcohol, sale only from age 18 |
How much gin do you pour into a glass?
Pour 4 to 5 centilitres of gin into a 30 to 50 centilitre glass and top up with 2 to 3 times as much tonic.
With 5 centilitres of gin and 15 centilitres of tonic you are at 1 to 3. If you want to taste the gin more clearly, go to 1 to 2, so 5 centilitres of gin and 10 centilitres of tonic.
Measure with a jigger the first few times. Free pouring in practice quickly goes up to 7 or 8 centilitres, and then the ratio with the tonic is no longer right.
How many standard drinks of alcohol are in a gin and tonic?
With 40 percent gin, 5 centilitres counts as just over one and a half standard drinks, because a standard drink is then about 3 centilitres.
The calculation method comes from the Voedingscentrum: 35 millilitres of 35 percent spirits counts as one standard drink of 10 grams of alcohol. That is just over 12 millilitres of pure alcohol per glass.
Divide that 12 millilitres by the percentage of your bottle and you have your own measure. At 40 percent you get 3 centilitres, at 37.5 percent 3.3 centilitres.
What changes with a gin of 45 percent or stronger?
With a 47 percent gin, a standard drink is only 2.6 centilitres, so 5 centilitres comes to almost two standard drinks.
If you want to end up at about one and a half standard drinks, go to 4 centilitres of gin, or keep 5 centilitres and add 15 centilitres of tonic.
So always check the label first. The difference between 37.5 and 47 percent amounts to almost a quarter of the amount of alcohol per glass.
Which glass and how much ice do you use?
Take a 30 to 50 centilitre glass and fill it to the top with ice before pouring in the gin.
A glass full of ice keeps the drink colder than a few cubes. The ice also takes up space, so less tonic fits in the glass than the size suggests.
So measure the tonic rather than filling the glass to the top. Otherwise the amount of ice quietly decides your ratio.
How do you pour a lighter gin and tonic?
Pour 3 centilitres of gin into the same glass and top up with 15 centilitres of tonic; at 40 percent you are then at about one standard drink.
The drink stays just as big and just as cold, only the ratio shifts to 1 to 5. An extra twist of lemon or orange peel keeps the aroma up, because you get aroma from the garnish and not from the alcohol.
Alcoholvrije alternatieven op basis van botanicals werken in dezelfde verhouding. Voor gasten onder de 18 is dat de enige route: NIX18, ook thuis.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which gins of 45 percent or stronger are available in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 57 gins from 35 different brands from 13 countries. Prices range from € 21.99 to € 159.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 45% to 57.5%.
- Beefeater 24 Gin 45% · 70 cl · England
- Bimber Da Hong Pao Roasted Oolong Tea Gin 51.8% · 50 cl · England
- Bimber Kumquat Gin 47% · 50 cl · England
- Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin 47% · 70 cl · England
- Boomsma Dry Gin 45% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Bruichladdich The Botanist Gin 46% · 100 cl · Netherlands
- Catz Dry Gin 48.2% · 70 cl · Netherlands
- Cotswolds Dry Gin 46% · 70 cl · England
- Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Navy Strength 57.2% · Scotland
- Edinburgh Gin Cannonball Navy Strength 57.2% · 70 cl · Scotland
Related questions
What does distilled gin mean on a label?What is barrel aged gin?What is compound gin?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- How many glasses of gin and tonic do you get from a 70-centilitre bottle?
- Fourteen glasses of 5 centilitres, or seventeen of 4 centilitres.
- Is a double gin and tonic two standard drinks?
- Roughly. With 6 centilitres of 40 percent gin you arrive at two standard drinks.
- How much tonic goes with 5 centilitres of gin?
- 10 to 15 centilitres. With 10 you taste the gin more strongly, with 15 the glass lasts longer.
- From what age can you buy gin?
- From the age of 18. Gin counts as spirits, because the Dutch Alcohol Act (Alcoholwet) classes everything from 15 percent alcohol as such.
The reasoning
Sources
- Alcohol, Voedingscentrum (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Standaardglazen en calorieen berekenen, Alcoholinfo, Trimbos-instituut (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Alcohol: onderzoek en preventie, Trimbos-instituut (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Alcoholwet, Overheid.nl, wetten.overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-05)
- NIX18, Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (geraadpleegd 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.