Cocktails: Gin
In the tropical British colonies, and in particular in colonial India, gin was used to mask the flavour of quinine, which was an effective although quite bitter-tasting anti-malarial compound. Quinine was dissolved in carbonated water to form tonic water and the mixture resulted in the well-known cocktail, the Gin and Tonic. Today Gin is a common spirit used in many bar drinks, the most famous being the original Martini.
These are my favourite gin recipes:
The Lime Fizz
The Rum Howler Blog 