10 Gin Cocktails That You Should Try Out At Home

Gin is one of the most recommended forms of alcohol. It is praised for having no hangover, and on top of this, it goes down the throat smoothly. For some, however, taking a direct shot of gin seems like it’s too much. Other than this, if you’re looking to spice up the way you drink your gin, then cocktails are a great option.

Gin traces its origins to liquors produced back in the Middle Ages, with references to a spirit flavoured with “genever” referenced in a 13th Century Flemish manuscript. By the 1600s, the Dutch were producing gin in earnest, with hundreds of distilleries in the city of Amsterdam alone.

That being said, every Second Saturday of June marks World Gin Day which is a global celebration of all things gin.

Here are 10 gin cocktails that you should try out.

1. Martini

A martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth and garnished with a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. It is possibly one of the simplest cocktails to make as it can be done in a few minutes. You should chill your cocktail glass in a refrigerator before making the cocktail. That way, your cocktails will stay crisp and cool longer and the frost adds a nice aesthetic to the final presentation.

Ingredients

1. 60ml gin
2. Vermouth, to taste
3. A slice of lemon

Instructions

1. Stir your gin and vermouth together in a glass.
2. You can use the amount of vermouth that suits your preference. Remember, the more you use the more herbal it will be.
3. Garnish with a slice of lemon to give the drink a sour twist. 

2. Gin and tonic

The classic gin and tonic seems like the perfect combination that retains the flavour of each of these ingredients, and yet still blending well. Make sure to use one part gin to two parts tonic.

Ingredients

1. Gin
2. Lots of ice
3. Natural tonic water
4. Lemon for garnish

Instructions

1. In a highball glass filled with ice cubes, pour the gin, then top with tonic.
2. Stir well.
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

3. Southside

Typically, the southside is a mojito, but with gin. It’s a simple recipe that comes together perfectly.

Ingredients

1. 50ml gin
2. 20ml lime
3. 15ml sugar syrup
4. 6-8 mint leaves.

Instructions

1. Pour the gin, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup, and the mint leaves into a shaker then mix it all
2. Strain the mixture into a martini glass that’s been chilled.
3. Put some ice.
4. Garnish with one slapped mint leaf.

4. Gin fizz

This cocktail is worth a try. The gin fizz is perfectly balanced, both sweet and tart, and has soda water that magically creates a frothy egg white foam topping.

Ingredients

1. Gin
2. Lemon
3. Maple syrup
4. Egg white
5. Soda water

Instructions

1. Shake together the gin, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker with ice to make it cold.
2. Pour it into two glasses. When you top off each glass with soda water, the carbonation combines with the egg white to make a frothy foam topping.

5. The French 75 Cocktail

This cocktail can be made using other forms of alcohol, but if you’re a lover of gin then you should try it out. It is sophisticated and yet refreshing.

Ingredients

1. Gin
2. Lemon juice
3. Syrup
4. Champagne

Instructions

1. Place the gin, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold. Strain the liquid into a champagne flute.
2. Top off the glass with champagne (no need to measure).
3. Garnish and serve.

6. Gin and Watermelon Cocktail

Cocktails don’t have to be complex. The mixture of gin and watermelon is perhaps one of the simplest gin cocktail recipes and yet very tasty.

Ingredients

1. Sweet watermelon
2. Lemon
3. Mint leaves
4. Watermelon wedge for garnish

Instructions

1. Make watermelon juice. Simply blend watermelon pieces, then strain it to weed out the particulates and get pure juice.
2. Muddle (gently mash) lemon wedges and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add watermelon juice, lemon, honey, and gin to a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake it up with some ice.

7. Classic Collins Cocktail

If you are into a mixture of both sweet and sour, then this cocktail is definitely for you. Make sure to use the exact measurements to have a balance of the two tastes.

Ingredients

1. 200 ml gin
2. 100 ml Freshly pressed lemon juice
3. 8 tsp Caster sugar
4. 200 ml of Soda water
5. 4 Lemon slices

Instructions

1. Pour the lemon juice into a jug and add sugar.
2. Stir to dissolve and then add the gin.
3. Stir again and then add the ice, filling the vessel.
4. Add soda water, gently stir and then garnish.
5. Pour the mixture in an ice-filled glass and add a slice of lemon.

8. Gordon’s Cup

This refreshing cocktail is a play on the traditional British cocktail, Pimm’s Cup, made with gin instead of Pimms.

Ingredients

1. Cucumber slices
2. 1 tbsp simple syrup
3. 60ml gin
4. 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
5. Sea salt
6. Freshly ground black pepper

                                                                                                                         Instructions

1. Muddle together two cucumber slices and syrup in a cocktail shaker tin.
2. Add gin, lime juice, and ice, and shake well for 10 seconds.
3. Fine-strain cocktail into a glass filled with ice cubes.
4. Garnish with a cucumber slice, a pinch of salt, and a twist of pepper.

9. Basil Gimlet

If you are up for an adventurous cocktail then this one is for you. How do you feel about adding spices to your drink to bring out some extra flavour? This recipe uses basil peppery flavour to enhance the taste of the gin.

Ingredients

1. 3 fresh basil leaves
2. 1/4 cup gin
3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
4. 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Add the basil leaves and gin to a cocktail shaker and muddle until the basil leaves are crushed.
2. Add the lime juice and maple syrup to the cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake until cold.
3. Strain the drink into a glass. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

10. Ruby Cooler

Did somebody say cranberry juice in a cocktail? This recipe is a mixture of sweet and sour. It’s a fruity cocktail with a sour twist to it.

Ingredients

1. 50ml gin
2. 100ml cranberry juice
3. Ginger ale
4. Cubed ice
5. Raspberries/wedge of lime to garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a glass with lots of ice
2. Pour over your gin and cranberry juice,
3. Top up with ginger ale.
4. For the finishing touch, garnish with the wedge of lime or fresh raspberries. Serve in a highball glass.

Here are 10 Whiskey Cocktails That You Should Try Out At Home