Are you looking for a new way to enjoy the unique and refreshing taste of gin? Well, look no further because we’ve got some great cocktails for you to try! So whether you’re a seasoned bar-goer or an aspiring home bartender, we have something special in store for you.
Do you love gin? Whether it’s the pure taste or its versatility when creating cocktails, there’s a reason why it has become one of the most popular spirits around. But what can you make with gin? Well, in this blog post, we will provide some great suggestions for drinks that are sure to tantalise your taste buds and impress any guests! Not only will we showcase traditional cocktails like Gin & Tonic and Negroni, but also more creative takes on these classic recipes.
Our list of amazing drinks featuring gin is so good that even non-gin drinkers will be begging for more! So if you want to impress your friends with creative and delicious craft cocktails, pull out your shaker and get ready to mix up some fantastic libations!
So if you want some tasty recipes that use your favourite spirit − keep reading!
Let’s get started!
1. Martini
The martini is the beverage that the majority of us picture when we consider the possibility of drinking gin. But have you previously taken the time to think about the perfect version of what you want? For example, some people prefer a mixture that is fifty per cent vermouth and fifty per cent gin, while others wave their vermouth around in the area of the glass.
We aren’t here to judge what is appropriate or inappropriate behaviour. Instead, we suggest beginning with a ratio of two parts gin to one part dry vermouth (use a new bottle! ) and then adding a sprinkle of orange bitters for an additional note of fragrant complexity. There from, you can experiment with different proportions of the ingredients until you find a beverage that leaves you feeling sloppy and joyful.
2. Ampersand Cocktail
Start trying this classic beverage made with cognac, Old Tom gin, and sweet vermouth in equal portions if you aren’t certain whether or not you are a fan of drinking gin. Old Tom Gin is slightly sweeter and richer than other varieties of gin, and it lends the cocktail a smooth finish as well as a gentle herbaceous backbone that blends in harmoniously with the cognac and the vermouth. The beverage is exceptionally silky, with undertones of vanilla and candied orange, and it is intended to be appealing to those who enjoy drinking dark spirits.
3. Auld Draper
Byrrh is only known to you if you fancy yourself a cocktail expert. To begin, it is appropriately pronounced something more like “beer,” although there is neither malt nor hops used in the making of this beverage. A traditional beverage to have before supper, byrrh is a fortified red wine flavoured with various herbs and spices, including quinine, coffee, and bitter orange. A small amount of Byrrh is combined with gin, orange bitters, and the decoration of flaming orange peel in this easy-to-make cocktail.
4. Darkside
A seasoned red wine with a flavour that falls halfway between that of sweet vermouth and bitter amaro, Barolo Chinato is the star of the show in this drink. The Chinato is served with gin; Plymouth is an excellent choice for this cocktail because it doesn’t compete with the strong wine’s flavour, but you may choose whatever gin you had upon hand. Anise taste is brought out in the cocktail by adding a few drops of Peychaud’s Bitters to the mix.
5. Gin and Tonic
Oh, the time-honoured combination of gin and tonic! This beverage comes from a legitimate lineage, and it even has some genuine therapeutic origins. During their time deployed in India, British soldiers were issued a daily supply of gin in addition to therapeutic quantities of quinine water, which was utilised for safeguarding them from malaria.
The quinine that was used in the treatment came from the bark of a tree. According to the legend, troops would combine the two ingredients to create the cocktail that is now commonly referred to as the gin and tonic, or G&T, for the purpose of simplicity.
Do not even write off the gin and tonic just because it’s another one of those ridiculously easy gin cocktails. Ice, gin, tonic water, and a lime twist are the components that make up this drink. It is really simple to keep all of this on hand and have it prepared to go whenever the fancy strikes. However, considering that it is sort of a clean canvas, you are free to spruce up the beverage in whatever way you see fit, depending on how you are feeling at the time.
Fill a cup with ice cubes; the more there are, the nicer it will be for your homemade gin and tonic. Next, combine one portion of gin with three portions of tonic water in a mixing glass. After removing some of the lime’s zest, squeezing it over the glass to expel the oils, and dropping the lime itself into the drink, the process is complete.
6. Gin-Gin Mule
Have you ever indulged in a Moscow Mule? Moscow Mules are a well-known vodka drink that are wonderful at any time of the year thanks to the ginger that gives them their signature kick. In place of vodka in a traditional Moscow Mule, the Gin-Gin Mule calls for everybody’s favourite juniper-flavoured alcohol. It is essential to be using a ginger beer of high grade in order to achieve that extra-spicy flavour. To create, first place mint leaves in a mixer and muddle them. After that, pour in 1-and-a-half ounces of gin, half an ounce of lime juice, and half an ounce of simple syrup, and mix. Place in a glass filled with ice, then cover with ginger beer.
7. Greyhound Cocktail
The Greyhound cocktail is a mixture of grapefruit juice and gin (or vodka), and according to legend, it earned its reputation due to the fact that it was a well-liked beverage served at Greyhound bus terminals. If it’s accurate, this piece of information raises a lot of issues, the most pressing of which is “Wait, what!?”
Even though there might not be a lot in the way of mixology happening in the Greyhound bus stations that we have visited, this timeless beverage is still being served. The first description of the drink in its modern form may be found in “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” which was initially released in 1930. In 1945, the publication Harper’s magazine gave it the formal name “greyhound” (via Masterclass). The cocktail is made up of simply two components, which are the juice and the spirit, and it can be served in a wide variety of glassware.
The Greyhound is a classic drink that serves as a starting point for contemporary bartenders to riff on due to its straightforward but successful recipe. Try making a beverage called an Earl Greyhound Fizz using honey, seltzer water, and Earl Grey tea for a twist on the traditional brunch beverage. The smokey juice of grapefruit halves that have been brulé-ed is used in the Greyhound(ed), which gives the drink a chef-inspired twist.
8. Negroni
In the same vein as the Cosmopolitan in the ’90s and the Mojito in the ’00s, the Negroni has emerged as the hip drink of choice during the past ten years or so. So if you have visited a bar that specialises in speciality cocktails in the last ten years, there’s a good chance you’ve witnessed someone else enjoying one of them.
The Negroni drink, which is usually formed with gin, sweet vermouth, and a bitter liqueur called Campari, may be dated back to 1919 in a bar in Florence, Italy, where it first appeared. When Count Camillo Negroni wanted to upgrade the Americano drink, which consisted of sweet vermouth, Campari, and soda water, he instructed a bartender to substitute gin for the fizzy water. This allowed him to create the Negroni mixed drink. In the years that followed, everywhere on the planet, a lot of followers for the Negroni evolved.
The Negroni is not necessarily the easiest drink to down in one sitting. Why, therefore, did it quickly become so widespread? Individuals have developed a greater tolerance for bitter flavours in their beverages as a direct result of the emergence of the mixology scene and the accompanying utilisation of bitters. In addition, images of a Negroni look great on social media thanks to the golden colour of the drink and the citrous garnishes that accompany it.
The Negroni is yet another beverage that may easily be adapted in a number of different ways. Mixing the cocktail with ice is an essential step in making a frozen version of the Negroni. When made with sparkling wine, a Negroni has a lower alcohol by volume (ABV) but a higher level of effervescence.
9. White Negroni
We’ve stopped counting how many distinct takes on the Negroni there really are, but this particular variation belongs to its own genre of drink preparations. The gentian root–flavoured Suze is called for in some White Negroni formulas, while the bitter Bonal is called for in others. We prefer Cocchi Americano since it is superior to either of those alternatives in terms of accessibility and produces excellent results when combined with Dolin Blanc vermouth.
10. French 75
The sophistication of a beverage made with sparkling wine is difficult to match. The French 75 ought to be the drink of choice for you. You might use real Champagne, but because you’re also adding herbaceous gin, sour lemon juice, and a bit of sugar, we consider it acceptable to choose a cheap Cava, Crémant, or Prosecco for this tart and invigorating cocktail instead. Champagne is an option, but it’s not necessary.
11. Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling is a terrific example of how well gin works as a foundation for other unusual flavours, despite the fact that vodka is likely the more common option for fruity drinks.
Mix two ounces of gin, three-quarters of an ounce of cherry brandy, two bar spoons of Benedectine, two bar spoons of orange liqueur, two ounces of pineapple juice, three-quarters of an ounce of lime juice, two dashes of grenadine, and one dash of Angostura bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir well. Pour the strained mixture into a large glass filled with ice. To finish, pour with carbonated water and fresh fruit for decoration.
12. Aviation
Bartenders used to refer to the Aviation beverage as a “secret language” in the initial periods of the craft cocktail boom in the 2000s. However, some people believe that the Aviation drink has lost some of its lustrs in recent times. Despite this, it is still regarded as a classic craft beverage in very many different establishments.
The Aviation is a popular cocktail that was popularised in the early 2000s. It is created with gin, lemon juice, and maraschino liqueur. The fourth and most distinguishing component in the Aviation is crème de violette. Bartenders who attempted to reproduce the pre-Prohibition classic used to have a difficult time locating the flowery and purple liquor that provided the beverage with its “White Whale” reputation. After the American importer Haus Alpenz began importing Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette from Austria, the Aviation was significantly more affordable for artisan bars and pubs, and the popularity of the drink skyrocketed as a result (via Punch).
As is the case with several things that reach universality, there has been a following reaction among those who are knowledgeable about cocktails. As a result, the Aviation has experienced a major decline in popularity. However, this does not indicate that you should just not experiment with this herbal application of gin.
13. Charred Lemon Gin Sparkler
You are most likely aware of incorporating lemon into drinks; however, have you previously considered cooking the lemon first? The acidity of lemon segments can be tamed by searing, which also imparts a rich, multifaceted flavour to the lemons. In order to make this cocktail, we combine the juice of charred lemons with rosemary, sparkling wine, and a gin that is rich in botanicals, such as St. George Botanivore.
14. 23 Skiddoo
St. Germain, sparkling wine, gin, lemon juice, and handmade thyme syrup are the other components of this cocktail. Elderflower liquor should be utilised lightly in cocktails to avoid giving them a perfume-like flavour, but this one manages to pull it off by combining all of these elements. The beverage has a lively and herby flavour, is celebratory and has just the right amount of balancing.
15. Southside
It’s not necessary to use wine to make a bubbly beverage; club soda may do miracles for brightening a beverage. Wine is an option, though. The addition of soda in this recipe gives an incredibly simple gin beverage a little bit of fizz. The beverage is constructed with brilliant fresh mint, lemon, and lime.
16. Bee’s Knees
The Bee’s Knees beverage, which is created with gin, lemon juice, and honey, does not have the most creative name of all the beverages. But if it’s done right, it can be delectably sophisticated despite its seeming lack of effort.
This time-honoured drink was created in the same manner as the majority of popular drinks during the Prohibition era, which was a simple option for speakeasies to hide the off-flavours of bathtubs and bootleg gin. One of the earliest published versions of the formula for the Bee’s Knees beverage was included in Bill Boothby’s book “World Drinks and How to Mix Them,” which was published in 1930. (via Paste Magazine). Another version of the formula was published in the 1936 edition of Frank Meier’s book “The Artistry of Mixing Drinks,” which was a guide on making cocktails.
It is still being determined whether Boothby or Meier was the first person to come up with the idea for the Bee’s Knees, but the controversy continues.
When preparing the Bee’s Knees, it is critical to use a high-quality gin, gets the proportions right, and utilise as few components as possible due to the drink’s simplicity. There are gins that are prepared with raw honey, and those are the ones that work best with this traditional mixed drink.
17. Tom Collins
Consider the Tom Collins as the Gimlet’s more sugary brother or sister. A wonderful brunch beverage is made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and a splash of simple syrup, and then it is finished off with fizzy water. At the tail end of the nineteenth century, one of the first drinks ever made was called a Tom Collins, and it has maintained its popularity up until the present day.
18. Vesper
The Vesper was the first beverage ever associated with James Bond and made its debut in Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale. The formula, initially known as Kina Lillet, is no longer manufactured. However, the Italian cocktail Cocchi Americano is an excellent stand-in for Kina Lillet. To create, fill a cocktail shaker with ice, pour 2 ounces of gin, 1/2 ounce of vodka, and 1/4 ounce of Cocchi Americano into the mixer, and mix thoroughly. After straining, pour the mixture into a Martini glass and top it off with a lemon peel.
19. Bijou
If you’re searching for a drink that’s a little bit different from the norm, you should definitely give the Bijou a shot. It got its name from the fragile, jewel-like tint that it has. In order to prepare this one, start by packing ice into a mixing glass. After adding a sprinkle of orange bitters, drop in an ounce of green Chartreuse, an ounce of red vermouth, and an ounce of gin into the mixing glass. After a light swirl, pour the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with the peel of an orange.
20. Clover Club
We have a habit of thinking of cocktail bars as locations free from socio-political problems; yet, beverages aren’t immune from predetermined conceptions, particularly those that revolve around gender and masculinity. As an illustration, the rosy-hued Clover Club beverage, consisting of gin, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup, was created as a signature drink for a socially prominent gentleman’s club with the same name.
The well-travelled gentleman was expected to wear pink during the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby,” Jay Gatsby dons a pink suit as a signifier of his high social standing throughout the story. Nevertheless, throughout the course of history, attitudes towards the colour pink have shifted, and the previously sophisticated beverage known as the Clover Club has gradually become known as a “female beverage.” In contrast, any man with a beating heart would never dare be found drinking daintily.
It should come as no surprise that the notion that “genuine men” cannot consume pink beverages is absurd. Additionally, it is becoming more and more out of sync with the circumstances. Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette, both of whom played competitive hockey in the past and are generally considered to be hard men, came up with the idea for New Amsterdam’s Pink Whitney, which has become one of the most famous flavoured vodkas currently available.