PRIOR TO OPENING ESTADIO, MARK KULLER WENT ON A RESEARCH TRIP TO SPAIN. WHEN HE RETURNED, HE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE UBIQUITOUS GIN AND TONICS THERE; HOW THEy WERE SERVED IN LARGE BOWLED WINE GLASSES; HOW THEY WERE carefully PREPARED WITH DELIBERATELY CHOSEN GINS AND TONIC PAIRINGS AND FLAMBOYANTLY GARNISHED. I HADN'T EXPERIENCED THEM BEFORE AND I WAS PRETTY AMUSED THAT THIS WAS A THING IN SPAIN. THEY LOOKED SUPER CARTOONISH IN PICTURES AND I WAS VERY INTO THEM VERY QUICKLY. WHEN I LEARNED THAT THEY'D TAKEN OUT THE "AND" IN "GIN AND TONIC" AND JUST CALLED THEM "GINTONICS," WELL, THAT WAS THE ICING FOR ME.

 

AT THE TIME WE DIDNT HAVE THE SAME SPECTRUM OF BOTTLED TONICS IN THE STATES. SO I OPTED INSTEAD TO MAKE SOMETHING IN THE SPIRIT OF THOSE GINTONICS BY MAKING A TONIC AT THE RESTAURANT DESIGNED TO PAIR WITH A SPECIFIC GIN. I CHOSE THE HIGH PROOF AND-IMPORTANTLY FOR A SPANISH RESTAURANT-SAFFRON INFUSED OLD RAJ BLUE LABEL. I THOUGHT WARM TONES WERE GOING TO BE THE BEST DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAJ AND PICKED BRIGHT ORANGE AND THE BUZZY SAVORY HERB THYME TO FLAVOR THE TONIC. BUT IT STILL TOOK A VERY LONG TIME AFTER THOSE FIRST STEPS TO WITTLE DOWN A RECIPE- MORE THAN 6 MONTHS UNTIL I WAS COMFORTABLE PUTTING IT ON A MENU.

 

OVER THE YEARS, THE ORANGE THYME GINTONIC HAS BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL FOR ESTADIO. CONSISTENTLY AMONGST THE MOST POPULAR DRINKS SINCE WE OPENED. WITH THEIR BURNT ORANGE COLOR AND THE BRIGHT GREEN MINT POPPING OUT OF THE GLASS, THEY LOOKED LIKE LITTLE POTTED PLANTS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE BAR AND DINING ROOM. WHILE THE ORANGE THYME GINTONIC IS ALWAYS ON THE MENU (THE ELDERFLOWER GRAPEFRUIT GINTONIC IS A CONSTANT AS WELL), WE ALSO ALWAYS FEATURE 1 OR 2 SEASONAL GINTONICS AVAILABLE FOR A MONTH OR SO.

 

 IN JUNE, ESTADIOS DC + CHS CELEBRATE A MONTH LONG HOMAGE TO THE GINTONIC WE CALL JUNIOTONICO WITH A VARIETY OF EVENTS, PARTIES, AND SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION GINTONICS.