Gin and tonic: how much it costs to make, per serve
A UK single: 25 ml of Gordon's gin over ice with a 200 ml bottle of Schweppes tonic and a lime wedge. Costed from JJ Foodservice wholesale prices dated 9 October 2026. Ice is not costed.
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Ingredients and cost, one serve
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gin (Gordon's) | £15.99 | 700 ml | 25 ml | £0.57 |
| Tonic water, 200 ml bottle | £14.99 | 24 each | 1 each | £0.62 |
| Limes | £3.99 | 15 each | 0.125 each | £0.03 |
| Total | £1.23 | |||
Cost per line is pack price × (amount used ÷ pack size), the same sum the tool runs. Change one pack price and every line that uses it moves.
Method
- Fill a highball or copa glass with ice.
- Pour 25 ml of gin (use a measure; UK law requires gin, vodka, rum and whisky to be sold in 25 ml or 35 ml measures, and the measure in use must be displayed).
- Top with the tonic and add a lime wedge.
Costing notes
Spirits and mixers carry 20% VAT, so the selling price has to be worked out ex VAT first, which the stats above do. Bars usually aim for a pour cost (drink cost as a share of the ex-VAT price) of about 20-25% on spirits and mixers. A double (50 ml) adds about the same again for the spirit only, which is why doubles are often priced at less than twice a single and still make more money.
The mixer is about half the drink cost here. A post-mix tonic gun works out a fraction of a bottle's cost per serve, which is the usual way pubs improve spirit GP.
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices as shown on its public search pages on 9 October 2026 (delivery runs about £1-2 a case higher). A few lines JJ did not list in that day's searches reuse the dated prices already on our other starter recipes (7 September 2026, JJ Foodservice or Tesco retail, marked on each line). JJ does not label VAT on most lines: raw food is zero-rated in the UK, while soft drinks, alcohol, confectionery and some ingredients carry standard-rate VAT. Your supplier's price is the one that matters: open the recipe and type it in.
- Gin (Gordon's): Gordons Gin 1x70cl (DRK961), 700 ml, £15.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Tonic water, 200 ml bottle: Schweppes Tonic Water Glass Bottles 24x200ml, 24 each, £14.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
- Limes: Fresh Limes 1x15 (VEG926), 15 each, £3.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-09
More costed dishes: bar and drinks
- Vodka, lime and soda — £1.26 a serve