Gin Cocktails: The Best 25 Recipes
Our Top 25 Gin Cocktail Recipes
Over the last 3 years, you can’t have failed to notice gin muscling into the forefront of the spirits category. One of the leaders of the “craft revolution” in the drinks industry, gin is having its moment in the sun. Everywhere you look within the drinks industry, gin is present.
The History of Gin
The British love affair with gin began in the 1600s when William of Orange (the King of England at the time) enforced some good old fashioned economic tariffs on our friendly neighbours over the English Channel. France’s prime alcoholic export, cognac, was the victim and Will reduced English tax on spirits production.
This led to a distilling craze across the nation….the time of gin had begun. It was said at this time a pint of gin was cheaper than a pint of beer! Sounds great, we know, but with the prices came a raft of issues.
Aside from the obvious health issues and general disorder that comes with the territory when your citizens are necking gin by the pint, there was also a problem with unscrupulous traders selling dodgy moonshine to make a quick buck. Every man and his dog thought he could knock up a decent gin and it led to an epidemic of drunkenness and death.
The government eventually realised there was an issue, as the death toll mounted. To combat this, a distiller’s license was introduced at the eye-watering cost of £50 (big bucks at the time). Low and behold, the industry plummeted. Inevitable really.
Things started to look a bit rosier with the introduction of a new-fangled invention in the 19th century called the continuous still… gin production entered a new league. Overnight, gin morphed from a thick, sweet, juniper laden tonic into the drier, more delicate spirit that we know today. Due to the quality the continuous still could offer, it meant that sugar and other additives to mask the rank spirit were no longer needed.
Fast forward to 2019…
And gin is a mega deal. Since 2010, this surge in popularity has been spearheaded by the country’s love of cocktails and namely gin in cocktails. Due to gin’s myriad opportunity with botanical flavour profiles, the options for mixologists are endless. In the last 5 years, the number of distilleries has doubled to 315, with every new purveyor creating a number of unique gins with unique flavours.
The trend for gin has twisted and turned and the vast number of gins and different flavours is testament to this. The flavoured gin category has exploded – pink gin, rhubarb gin, lemon gin, orange gin, gooseberry gin, pomegranate and rose gin, lemon drizzle cake gin, and even brussel sprout gin. You get the idea…
The exciting thing for mixologists, both professional and the “at home on a Saturday night kind”, is the huge amount of cocktails made with gin. Our team here have compiled some recipes for our favourite gin cocktails; both classics, house creations and signature serves.
Happy imbibing.
Bramble Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Bramble
The Bramble was created in London by Dick Bradsell in the 1980s. Imagined at Fred’s Club, Soho, where Brasdell worked at the time, it was inspired by memories of picking blackberries as a child on the Isle of White. Hence the name. The Bramble has become a modern classic with its perfect sweet and sour balance.
Ingredients
40ml Gin
10ml Crème De Mure
30ml Lemon Juice
10ml Gomme
Garnish: Lemon Slice & Blackberry
Glass: Rocks
How To Make a Bramble
Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice and add all liquid ingredients except the crème de mure. Churn all ingredients with a bar spoon. Top with crushed ice, lace with crème de mure and garnish.
French 75 Cocktail Recipe
The History of the French 75
A classic dating back to 1925 but popularised by Harry’s Bar New York. The French 75 is a refined sparkling cocktail which is dry and citrusy.
Ingredients
35ml Gin
15ml Lemon Juice
10ml Gomme
Top Champagne
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Glassware: Champagne Flute
How To Make a French 75
Build all ingredients into a champagne flute, stir and top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist on the edge of the glass.
Negroni Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Negroni
Created in Café Cassoni in Florence, in 1919. Legend says that it was created inadvertently by Count Negron, who wanted his favourite Americano cocktail strengthened with gin. Short and strong.
Ingredients
25ml Gin
25ml Campari
25ml Red Vermouth
Garnish: Orange Slice
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Negroni
Fill a rocks glass with cubed ice, add all ingredients and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.
Clover Club Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Clover Club
Another classic dating from the early 1900s, the Clover Club came to prominence in Philadelphia’s eponymous venue, The Clover Club. Complex, fruity and smooth.
Ingredients
40ml Gin
15ml Lemon Juice
10ml Sweet Vermouth
6 Fresh Raspberries
5ml Raspberry Syrup
1 Egg White
Garnish: Raspberry
Glassware: Martini
How To Make a Clover Club
Put all ingredients into a shaker. Start with the egg white in case you make a mistake! Shake hard and double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a raspberry. Et Voila!
Vesper Martini Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Vesper Martini
Known as “the Bond martini”, this cocktail was created by Bond author Ian Fleming. Don’t be put off by the alcohol content, this cocktail is incredibly smooth.
Ingredients
60ml Gin
20ml Vodka
10ml Kina Lillet Vermouth
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Glassware: Martini
How To Make a Vesper Martini
Put all ingredients into a shaker. Shake very hard and double strain. Garnish with a lemon twist. Epic.
English Country Garden Cocktail Recipe
The History of the English Country Garden
A house blend at The Cocktail Service, this cocktail is a light, zesty and refreshing drink that uses the bounty of the country garden.
Ingredients
25ml Gin
25ml Elderflower Liqueur
15ml Lemon Juice
50ml Apple Juice
8 Mint Leaves
Top Soda
Garnish: Lemon Slice & Mint Sprig
Glassware: Hi Ball
How To Make an English Country Garden
Put all ingredients, except the mint and soda, in a shaker. Shake hard. Strain into a hi ball glass. Slap the mint in the palms of your hand and add to the glass. Fill with ice and top with soda. Garnish with a lemon slice and the heftiest mint sprig you can get your hands on.
Raspberry Beret Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Raspberry Beret
This is a cocktail from now closed cocktail chain Sahara Bars. It was a house cocktail that was very popular with the regulars. It’s fruity, zesty and supremely quaffable.
Ingredients
25ml Gin
25ml Raspberry Liqueur
20ml Lemon Juice
6 Raspberries
15ml Gomme
Top Soda
Garnish: Lemon Slice and a Raspberry
Glassware: Hi Ball
How To Make a Raspberry Beret
Put all ingredients except the soda, into a shake and shake hard. Strain into a hi ball filled with cubed ice. Top with soda, Crown with crushed ice if you have it and garnish.
Gimlet Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Gimlet
The gimlet is a super simple classic gin cocktail. Apparently the Gimlet originated as a naval drink, to help British sailors fight scurvy.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
25ml Roses Lime Cordial
Garnish: Lime Twist
Glassware: Coupe
How To Make a Gimlet
Put all ingredients into a shaker and shake very hard (for 20 seconds or so) to achieve dilution. Double strain into a coupe and garnish.
Southside Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Southside
The Southside’s origins are the subject of speculation; the story we like the most is that this was Mr. Al Capone’s favourite drink, whose gang dominated Chicago’s south side. The gin drunk by Al Capone’s gang had a rough finish, and required some sweetness to make it palatable… giving us the Southside.
Ingredients
50ml Gin,
20ml Lime Juice
15ml Gomme
6-8 Mint Leaves.
Garnish: Mint Leaf
Glassware: Coupe
How To Make a Southside
Add all ingredients except the mint to a shaker and shake. Open up the tin and add the mint, before giving the mixture a brief shake to release the mint’s oils. Strain into a coupe. Cheers, Al.
Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Beauty and the Beast
This is a cocktail that was created in 2018, for the Caorunn Cocktail Collection, by Kiettisak Saleephan at Club No.43, Phuket, Thailand.
Ingredients
45ml Caorunn Gin
30ml Pressed Apple Juice
30ml Fresh Lime Juice
15ml Sugar Syrup
30ml Egg White
15 Rosemary Leaves
Garnish: Lemon Zest & Rosemary Sprig
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Beauty and the Beast
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake. Fine strain over cubed ice into a rocks glass. Garnish and sip.
Bees Knees Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Bees Knees
Another classic cocktail from the prohibition era, which was the birthplace of many cocktails we enjoy today. The Bees Knees’ origin story is rather less illustrious than the Southside above. Like many cocktails from this era, the Bees Knees was created to mask the flavour of the rough, overpowering gins of the time.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
20ml Orange Juice
20ml Lemon Juice
2 Bar Spoons of Honey
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Glassware: Martini
How To Make a Bees Knees
Simply add all ingredients to a tin and shake thoroughly. Fine strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a twist of lemon.
Tom Collins Cocktail recipe
The History of the Tom Collins
Created by the ‘Godfather of Mixology’, Jerry Thomas in 1876. The Tom Collins is a seminal classic, a fresh, ginny take on a lemonade. Simple but really tasty.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
25ml Lemon Juice
15ml Gomme
Top Soda
Garnish: Lemon Slice
Glassware: Hi ball
How To Make a Tom Collins
Build all ingredients into a hi ball (except the soda) and stir. Top with ice, soda and garnish.
The Last Word Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Last Word
It might be with all of the spirits in this classic concoction. From the famed Detroit Athletic Club Bar in the 1920s, the flavour and citrus edge of this cocktail is delightful.
Ingredients
30ml Gin
20ml Green Chartreuse
20ml Maraschino Liqueur
20ml Lime Juice
Garnish: Cherry
Glassware: Coupe
How To Make a Last Word
Shake all ingredients in a shaker. Strain into a coupe and garnish. The Last Word…
Breakfast Martini Recipe
The History of the Breakfast Martini
Created in 1996 by the raconteur Salvator Calabrese, for The Library Bar in The Lanesborough Hotel, London. Delicate, flavoursome and extremely palatable… this is a great cocktail.
Ingredients
1 Bar Spoon Marmalade
50ml Gin
15ml Triple Sec
15ml Lemon Juice
Garnish: Orange Twist
Glassware: Martini
How To Make a Breakfast Martini
Stir marmalade and gin in base of shaker to dissolve. Add other ingredients, shake and strain into a coupe or martini glass.
Hedgerow Collins Recipe
The History of the Hedgerow Collins
Created by Brian Duell at Detroit Bar in London. This is a great, autumnal cocktail that combines the flavours of blackberries, lemons and sloes.
Ingredients
15ml Gin
25ml Sloe Gin
15ml Crème De Mure
25ml Lemon Juice
15ml Gomme
Glassware: Collins
Garnish: Lemon Slice and a Blackberry.
How To Make a Hedgerow Collins
Shake up gin, sloe gin, gomme and lemon juice. Strain into a Collins, top with soda and lace with crème de mure.
Gin Basil Smash Recipe
The History of the Gin Basil Smash
Created in Le Lion, Paris, this is a fantastic drink, easy to make and very fresh. The sweetness of the basil works very well against the botanical gin and acidic lemon juice.
Ingredients
10 Basil Leaves
50ml Gin
25ml Lemon Juice
15ml Gomme
Garnish: Basil Leaf
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Gin Basil Smash
Shake all ingredients and strain over ice. Garnish. Smashing.
Dirty Martini Recipe
The History of the Dirty Martini
A wicked sibling of the gin martini, the Dirty Martini adds a pleasing brine flavour to the classic beverage.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
15ml Dry Vermouth
2 Bar Spoons Olive Brine
Glassware: Martini Glass
Garnish: 3 Olives
How To Make a Dirty Martini
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir for 20 seconds and double strain into a martini glass. Drop the olives into the glass on a cocktail stick.
The Gibson Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Gibson
Little know but classic and very unique. We love a Gibson here. Another variation on the gin martini but this time with the added allure of a dash of pickled onion brine.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
15ml Dry Vermouth
Glassware: Martini
Garnish: 2 Silverskin Pickled Onions
How To Make a Gibson
Put all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir for 20 seconds. Fine strain and garnish with pickled onion.
Red Snapper Cocktail
The History of the Red Snapper
The Bloody Mary for gin lovers… easy to make and it adds a lovely robustness to your typical Bloody Mary.
Ingredients
50ml Gin
25ml Lemon Juice
6- 10 dashes of Worcester Sauce
Tabasco Sauce to taste
Pinch of Celery Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
½ Spoon Horseradish Sauce
Top with Clamato Juice
Glassware: Collins
Garnish: Celery Stick & Lemon Slice
How To Make a Red Snapper
Add all ingredients into the collins glass and stir, making sure the horseradish is nicely mixed in. Add ice and garnish.
Sloe Gin Fizz
The History of the Sloe Gin Fizz
Sloe Gin and Champagne are a match made in heaven, born to be together. A great mix of flavours.
Ingredients
40ml Sloe Gin
25ml Lemon Juice
15ml Gomme
Egg White
Top Champagne
Glassware: Champagne Flute
Garnish: N/A
How To Make a Sloe Gin Fizz
Combine the sloe gin, lemon juice, egg white and gomme into a shaker. Shake well without ice (a dry shake). Add ice and shake again (a wet shake). Strain into a champagne flute and top with Champagne.
Sloeberry Lemonade Recipe
The History of the Sloeberry Lemonade
This is another Cocktail Service house creation from our autumn menu in 2016 and was extremely popular. The flavour is amazing, a really fruity, tasty cocktail.
Ingredients
25ml Sloe Gin
25ml Limoncello
10ml Lemon Juice
75ml Pomegranate Juice
Top Soda
Glassware: Collins
Garnish: Lemon Slice
How To Make a Sloeberry Lemonade
Add all ingredients except the soda into a shaker and shake with ice. Tip contents of shaker into a collins glass (this is called a shake & dump in the biz). Top with soda and garnish.
Many Clouds Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Many Clouds
Created by our very own David Indrak for Greenall’s Gin in 2016. Many Clouds is named after the 2015 Grand National winner.
Ingredients
35ml Gin
15ml Raspberry Liqueur
25ml Lime Juice
10ml Gomme
Garnish: Two Raspberries & Lime
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Many Clouds
Add all ingredients into a rocks glass and top with crushed ice. Give a vigorous stir and top with a crushed ice crown, lemon twist and raspberries.
Blackberry Gin Fizz
The History of the Blackberry Gin Fizz
Blackberries go fantastically well with gin, their intense sweetness has enough robustness to cope with the strong flavours of gin. This is another drink for those of you who enjoy fruity flavours in your cocktails.
Ingredients
25ml Gin
15ml Crème De Mure
25ml Lime Juice
5 Blackberries
Top Soda
Garnish: Blackberry
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Blackberry Gin Fizz
Add blackberries to a shaker and muddle (crush). Add rest of ingredients, except the soda, and shake. Strain into a rocks glass and top soda.
Bloom G & Tea Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Bloom G & T
A signature serve from Bloom Gin, this is a floral cocktail that works perfectly with the floral botanicals of the gin brand.
Ingredients
45ml Bloom Gin
20ml Rose Liqueur
15ml Lemon Juice
15ml Hibiscus Syrup
35ml English Breakfast Tea
Garnish: Strawberry
Glassware: Rocks
How To Make a Bloom G & T
Brew the tea and let stand until cooled. Combine all other ingredients and shake before straining into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a strawberry. Delicate and delicious.
Wild Berry & Flora Dora Cocktail Recipe
The History of the Wild Berry & Flora Dora
Pink Gin is having a moment and UK sales are going through the roof. This cocktail has some fantastic flavours and a tasty bite of ginger to settle the fruit.
Ingredients
40ml Greenalls Wild Berry Gin
20ml Fresh Lime Juice
10ml Raspberry Syrup
Top Ginger Beer
Glassware: Hi Ball
Garnish: Raspberry and Lime Wedge
How To Make a Wild Berry & Flora Dora
Simply add all ingredients to a hi ball with ice. Stir and garnish.
There we have it, our top 25 gin cocktails. Let us make them for you!
For more amazing recipes, check out our cocktail recipes page or look at our bartender services if you want to get some experts in to mix up any of the recipes in this post.
Share
Book An Online Cocktail Masterclass
Need assistance planning an event? Get in touch