By Anna Sbuttoni 2016-04-27T07:00:00Z

An ice-cold G&T is one of our favourite ways to round off the week. Something is satisfying about the clink of ice, the fizz of tonic water and lime wedges on a Friday night. Of course, we love the classic - and you shouldn't mess with a classic. But then we got thinking; could we improve it? Not so much improve, but switch it up a bit, to keep things interesting. Another way to keep things interesting is by trying a different gin every day, these are the best gin advent calendars.

After a little research and a lot of experimentation (selfless, we know), we came up with 5 ways to take your G&T to the next level.

1. Try sloe gin

Swap your usual measure for a shot of sloe gin and top up with tonic and plenty of ice. It makes a sweeter drink in a pretty pink colour,

See the recipe: Make your own with popular sloe gin recipe

2. Add grapefruit

The gin botanicals mean it goes really well with zingy grapefruit so add a twist of fresh grapefruit juice to your glass and finish with a sprig of rosemary for a G&T with a difference.

See the recipe:Pink grapefruit G&T

Psst! Want to get more creative with your drinks? Make your own with our 5 homemade liqueurs that are worth the wait or see all our cocktail recipes.

3. Make it into a dessert

Take G&T to a whole new level with this grown-up take on a zesty lemon tart, made with a slug of gin, tonic water and lightly crushed juniper berries. It's your favourite Friday night drink in a dessert!

See the recipe:Gin and tonic tart

4. Freeze it

You only need 4 ingredients to make these fab summer berry ice lollies made with gin, blueberries, elderflower cordial and sparkling water. Make them ahead and pop them in the freezer, ready to pull out when you need them. Very refreshing on a warm evening or at a summer BBQ.

See the recipe:Cocktail lollies

5. Add tea

Be on-trend and serve a G&Tea at your drinks party, made with gin and green tea syrup. It's better for you, right? Make your own simple green tea syrup and it will keep in the fridge for a month.

Get the recipe:G&Tea cocktail

How do you like yours?