Gin is one of the few liquors that is not meant to be sipped alone, but rather mixed into cocktails. Its herbal flavors mix well with all kinds of mixers, lending itself to an array of delicious cocktails.
Gin and Tonic
The British East India Company originally developed the gin and tonic to fight malaria. They made the cocktail to disguise the bitter taste of quinine, which prevented and treated the disease. The drink remains popular today due to its simple nature, bittersweet flavor, and refreshing quality.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces London dry gin
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a collins or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with tonic.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Martini
Martinis have become tremendously popular in all sorts of forms. The cocktail that started it all, however, is the classic martini, which is made with gin, dry vermouth, and a Spanish olive garnish. Martinis have been popular since the late 1800s, and they remain a staple among mixologists. Author E.B. White called the martini the "elixir of the quietude." It is a dry, cool drink with an herbal character.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce dry vermouth
- Ice
- Lime ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, and dry vermouth.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime ribbon.
Tom Collins
This sweet, fizzy cocktail tastes like lemonade with gin. It's a refreshing drink that people often enjoy on warm summer days. The drink recipe arose from a hoax in 1874 in New York where people would ask, "Have you seen Tom Collins?" Nobody ever had, and eventually, people began reporting Tom Collins sightings all around the city.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ ounces simple syrup
- Ice
- Soda water to top off
- Lemon slice and cocktail cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or collins glass, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with soda water.
- Stir to mix all ingredients.
- Garnish with the lemon slice and cocktail cherry.
Sloe Gin Fizz
This fizz drink contains sloe gin, an earthy, plummy gin that creates a balanced and sweet gin drink that goes down easily. In fact, its drinkability likely accounts for its popularity.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sloe gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, sloe gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into collins or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with lemon wedge.
Negroni
The negroni is an easy cocktail made with three equal parts-- gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. The cocktail itself has a bitter quality, and most negroni recipes are exactly the same, with little or no variation.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- Ice and king cube
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over king cube or fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Gimlet
This refreshing drink is both sour and delicious as the lime complements the herbal flavors of the gin. The gimlet is named for the sharp taste of the drink as a gimlet is also a sharp and piercing tool that drills holes.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces gin
- ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Lime Rickey
The lime rickey is another easy three-ingredient gin drink: lime juice, gin, and soda water. This makes for a refreshing and tart lime-flavored drink that has a nice herbal character to it. Unlike the gimlet, the lime rickey has no sugar, so it is a very tart drink.
The original rickey was made with bourbon in the 1880s. However, within 10 years, the gin rickey became the drink of choice. While this drink may sound vaguely old-fashioned, many people enjoy its tart and refreshing flavors and minimal sweetness.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or rocks glass, add ice, gin, and lime juice.
- Top off with club soda
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Gibson
Similar to a martini, the drink is dry and cool, but the onions add a savory depth to the drink that people find pleasant. It's similarity to a martini with an earthy edge makes the gibson a popular choice.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces London dry gin
- ¾ ounces dry vermouth
- Ice
- 2 cocktail onions for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, and dry vermouth.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with cocktail onions.
Singapore Sling
This fruity drink, reminiscent of a tasty tropical cocktail, was created in the early 1900s at a bar in Singapore and named the gin sling. As it spread in popularity throughout the world, it was renamed the Singapore sling. The Singapore sling tastes like fruit punch with a touch of bitter and herbs.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- ½ ounce cherry liqueur
- ¼ ounce orange liqueur
- ¼ ounce Bénédictine
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- 1 dash aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, cherry liqueur, orange liqueur, Bénédictine, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine, and bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into hurricane or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with cherry.
Long Island Iced Tea
The Long Island iced tea contains multiple types of different types of liquor, including gin. Surprisingly, with its high alcohol content, the Long Island iced tea does taste a bit like non-alcoholic iced tea with a prominent lemon flavor. Just take it slow because there is a lot of alcohol in a single drink.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, gin, tequila, vodka, rum, simple syrup, triple sec, and lemon juice.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with cola.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
Aviation
The purple-hued gin delight is as delicious as it is eye-catching.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce maraschino liqueur
- ¼ ounce crème de violette
- Ice
- Cocktail cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with cocktail cherry.
French 75
Named for the heavy punch of artillery, the French 75 may look dainty, but too many of these will have you feeling the punch.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Champagne to top off
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a Champagne flute, add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Swirl gently to mix.
- Top off with Champagne.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
Bramble
One of the newer gin drinks, the bramble is a carefully layered gin cocktail with rich notes of blackberry, although raspberry liqueur can be used in a pinch.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- ½ ounce blackberry brandy
- Ice and crushed ice
- Whole blackberries and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over crushed ice.
- Slowly pour blackberry brandy, allowing it to sink, do not mix.
- Garnish with whole blackberries and mint sprig.
Last Word
The last word cocktail, like the Negroni, uses a simple recipe of equal proportions across the ingredients. Its simplicity and divine flavor has allowed it to flourish since before Prohibition.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce gin
- ¾ ounce green chartreuse
- ¾ ounce maraschino liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime wheel.
Floradora
The floradora is a colorful riff on the Tom Collins, with raspberry flavors giving the classic drink a new look.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce raspberry liqueur
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lime juice, and raspberry liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Hanky Panky
One of the older gin cocktails, the hanky panky has gone in and out of fashion over the years, following the ebb and flow of gin's own popularity. But this bitter and herbaceous drink is well worth the attention.
Ingredients
- 1¾ ounces gin
- 1½ ounces sweet vermouth
- 1-2 dashes Fernet-Branca
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with orange twist.
Clover Club
This delightfully pink and creamy drink is one of the most popular gin drinks; it's no wonder it has been around since the late 1800s.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce raspberry liqueur or syrup
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- Whole raspberries for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add gin, raspberry liqueur, lemon juice, and egg white.
- Dry shake for approximately 45 seconds to mix ingredients and create a froth.
- Add ice to shaker.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with raspberries.
Gin Drinks
Drinks made with gin come in a wide variety of flavors, with varying degrees of sweetness. Even if you think you don't like gin, try it in its intended use - mixed with other ingredients to make fragrant and tasty drinks. You can even try these drinks with tasty homemade fruit-infused gins. There are enough gin cocktails, including non-traditional drinks like the blackjack cocktail, that even the pickiest person is bound to find a gin drink they love. You just have to know how to drink gin.
Looking for something a little different? Try gin and jam.
