Gin cocktails
30 classic recipes from our canon that use gin — Gin sits in our spirits shelf.
Negroni
Equal parts bitter, botanical and sweet — a ruby aperitivo with a spine.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml campari
- ◆30 ml sweet vermouth
Method
- 1Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- 2Stir until well chilled, about 20 seconds.
- 3Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Express the orange peel over the surface to release the oils before dropping it in.
Garnish — Orange peel
Dry Martini
Gin and dry vermouth, stirred down to ice-cold silk — the cocktail every other is measured against.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆10 ml dry vermouth
Method
- 1Stir gin and vermouth with plenty of ice until very cold, about 30 seconds.
- 2Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- 3Express a lemon peel over the top, or drop in an olive.
PRO TIP
Stir, never shake — you want clarity and silk, not a cloudy, aerated drink.
Garnish — Lemon twist or olive
French 75
A gin sour topped with Champagne — celebratory, sharp and dangerously easy.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml champagne
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain into a chilled flute.
- 3Top gently with cold Champagne.
PRO TIP
Add the Champagne last and slow, or it foams over.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Vesper
Gin and vodka sharpened with Lillet — Bond's own Martini, shaken and bone-dry.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml vodka
- ◆7 ml lillet blanc
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until very cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
The one Martini that's traditionally shaken, not stirred.
Garnish — Lemon zest
Last Word
Equal parts gin, Chartreuse, maraschino and lime — herbal, complex and perfectly balanced.
Ingredients
- ◆22 ml gin
- ◆22 ml green chartreuse
- ◆22 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆22 ml lime juice
Method
- 1Shake all four equal parts with ice until cold.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Equal parts is the whole trick — measure carefully.
Garnish — Brandied cherry
Bramble
A gin sour over crushed ice, bled through with blackberry liqueur — a modern British classic.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml gin
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆12 ml simple syrup
- ◆15 ml blackberry liqueur
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
- 3Drizzle the blackberry liqueur over the top in a circle so it bleeds down.
PRO TIP
Crème de mûre is the classic blackberry liqueur — pour it last for the bleed.
Garnish — Lemon slice and blackberries
Singapore Sling
Gin, cherry and a cast of liqueurs over pineapple — the lavish Raffles Hotel original.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆15 ml cherry liqueur
- ◆7 ml cointreau
- ◆7 ml benedictine
- ◆120 ml pineapple juice
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆10 ml grenadine
- ◆1 dash angostura bitters
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a hurricane glass over fresh ice.
PRO TIP
Lots of fresh pineapple juice gives it the frothy top.
Garnish — Pineapple and cherry
Long Island Iced Tea
Five spirits, lemon and a splash of cola — no tea, all trouble.
Ingredients
- ◆15 ml vodka
- ◆15 ml gin
- ◆15 ml white rum
- ◆15 ml tequila
- ◆15 ml triple sec
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆30 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top cola
Method
- 1Shake everything except the cola with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled highball.
- 3Top with cola for colour and a touch of sweetness.
PRO TIP
The cola is what gives it the iced-tea look — there's no actual tea in it.
Garnish — Lemon wedge
Aviation
Gin, maraschino and a whisper of violette — floral, tart and faintly sky-blue.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆5 ml creme de violette
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Go easy on the violette — a few millilitres too many turns it to soap.
Garnish — Brandied cherry
Bee's Knees
Gin, citrus and honey — a Prohibition sour that smooths every rough edge.
Ingredients
- ◆52 ml gin
- ◆10 ml honey syrup
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml orange juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Use honey syrup (honey cut with warm water), not raw honey — it won't shake in cold.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Gin Basil Smash
Gin smashed with fresh basil and lemon — herbaceous, vivid green and modern.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆22 ml lemon juice
- ◆22 ml simple syrup
- ◆10 leaves basil
Method
- 1Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- 2Shake vigorously to bruise the basil.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice.
PRO TIP
A modern German classic — the basil should perfume the whole drink.
Garnish — Basil sprig
Martinez
Gin and sweet vermouth with maraschino and bitters — the missing link to the Martini.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆45 ml sweet vermouth
- ◆1 bar spoon maraschino liqueur
- ◆2 dashes orange bitters
Method
- 1Stir all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Richer and sweeter than a Martini — its 19th-century forerunner.
Garnish — Lemon zest
Clover Club
Gin, raspberry and lemon under a blush-pink foam — pretty, tart and far older than it looks.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml raspberry syrup
- ◆1 egg white
Method
- 1Dry-shake everything without ice to build the foam.
- 2Add ice and shake again until cold.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Real raspberry syrup, not grenadine — this drink predates the pink-drink stigma.
Garnish — Fresh raspberries
Southside
A minted gin sour — like a mojito's sharper, gin-drinking cousin.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆6 leaves mint
Method
- 1Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- 2Shake hard to break up the mint.
- 3Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Double-strain so no mint shards end up in the glass.
Garnish — Mint leaf
Gin Fizz
Short, shaken and effervescent — a gin sour lengthened with a splash of soda.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆10 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml club soda
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup hard with ice.
- 2Strain into a chilled glass with no ice.
- 3Top with cold soda.
PRO TIP
Unlike a Collins, a Fizz is served short and without ice in the glass.
Garnish — Lemon wheel
Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin, citrus, cream and orange-flower whipped to a towering cloud — the famous two-minute shake.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆15 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆30 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml heavy cream
- ◆1 egg white
- ◆3 dashes orange flower water
- ◆2 drops vanilla extract
- ◆to top club soda
Method
- 1Shake everything except the soda with ice for a full two minutes.
- 2Double-strain, return to the shaker, and hard-shake again without ice.
- 3Strain into a highball and top slowly with soda to lift the foam.
PRO TIP
The long shake is the whole point — it builds the signature standing foam.
Garnish — None
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Equal parts gin, Cointreau, Lillet and lemon with an absinthe rinse — a bright, dangerous eye-opener.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml cointreau
- ◆30 ml lillet blanc
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆1 dash absinthe
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
PRO TIP
Just a dash of absinthe — too much and it bulldozes everything else.
Garnish — Orange zest
Hanky Panky
Equal gin and sweet vermouth lifted by a dose of Fernet — bittersweet and bracing.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆45 ml sweet vermouth
- ◆7 ml fernet
Method
- 1Stir all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Just a teaspoon of Fernet — it's the seasoning, not the base.
Garnish — Orange zest
John Collins
The original tall gin cooler — lemon, sugar and soda over plenty of ice.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆30 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆60 ml club soda
Method
- 1Build all ingredients in an ice-filled highball.
- 2Stir gently.
PRO TIP
Made with Old Tom gin it becomes a Tom Collins.
Garnish — Lemon slice and cherry
Suffering Bastard
Gin and brandy over lime and bitters, lengthened with ginger beer — a wartime Cairo cure.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml brandy
- ◆15 ml lime juice
- ◆2 dashes angostura bitters
- ◆to top ginger beer
Method
- 1Shake gin, brandy, lime and bitters with ice.
- 2Pour unstrained into a Collins glass.
- 3Top with ginger beer.
PRO TIP
A hangover 'cure' invented in 1942 Cairo — the ginger does the heavy lifting.
Garnish — Mint sprig and orange
White Lady
Gin, orange liqueur and lemon — a crisp, citrus-forward Sidecar that switched spirits.
Ingredients
- ◆40 ml gin
- ◆30 ml triple sec
- ◆20 ml lemon juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Cointreau is the classic choice for the triple sec here.
Garnish — Lemon twist
Tuxedo
A dressed-up Martini with maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters — crisp and aromatic.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml dry vermouth
- ◆1 bar spoon maraschino liqueur
- ◆1 dash absinthe
- ◆3 dashes orange bitters
Method
- 1Stir all ingredients with ice until very cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled martini glass.
PRO TIP
Old Tom gin and a whisper of absinthe make it sing.
Garnish — Cherry and lemon zest
Cardinale
A drier Negroni — gin and Campari leaning on dry vermouth instead of sweet.
Ingredients
- ◆40 ml gin
- ◆20 ml dry vermouth
- ◆10 ml campari
Method
- 1Stir all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
PRO TIP
Dry vermouth makes it crisper and more bitter than a classic Negroni.
Garnish — Lemon zest
Paradise
Gin, apricot and orange — a soft, fruity gin sour from the Savoy.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆20 ml apricot liqueur
- ◆15 ml orange juice
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Apricot brandy gives it the rounded, stone-fruit body.
Garnish — Orange zest
Angel Face
Equal parts gin, apricot and apple brandy — a deceptively smooth, fruit-driven classic.
Ingredients
- ◆30 ml gin
- ◆30 ml apricot liqueur
- ◆30 ml apple brandy
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
All-spirit and equal parts — measure carefully, it has nowhere to hide.
Garnish — None
Casino
Gin sharpened with maraschino, lemon and orange bitters — bright and bracing.
Ingredients
- ◆40 ml gin
- ◆10 ml maraschino liqueur
- ◆10 ml lemon juice
- ◆2 dashes orange bitters
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain over fresh ice in a chilled rocks glass.
PRO TIP
Old Tom gin is the traditional base if you have it.
Garnish — Lemon zest and cherry
Monkey Gland
Gin and orange juice with absinthe and grenadine — a strange, bright 1920s curio that works.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆45 ml orange juice
- ◆1 tbsp absinthe
- ◆1 tbsp grenadine
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until cold.
- 2Strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
The absinthe and grenadine sound odd together but tie the whole thing up.
Garnish — None
Gin & Tonic
Crisp, juniper-forward and effervescent — the most quietly perfect highball.
Ingredients
- ◆50 ml gin
- ◆150 ml tonic water
Method
- 1Fill a highball with plenty of ice.
- 2Add gin, then top with chilled tonic.
- 3Stir once, briefly.
PRO TIP
Lots of ice keeps it cold without over-diluting — skimpy ice melts faster.
Garnish — Lime wedge
Gimlet
Gin, lime and sugar in tight balance — crisp, pale and bracingly tart.
Ingredients
- ◆60 ml gin
- ◆20 ml lime juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
Method
- 1Shake all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
- 2Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
PRO TIP
Fresh lime over lime cordial — brighter, cleaner, less candied.
Garnish — Lime wheel
Tom Collins
A tall, fizzy gin sour — lemonade with a backbone, built for the porch.
Ingredients
- ◆45 ml gin
- ◆25 ml lemon juice
- ◆15 ml simple syrup
- ◆to top club soda
Method
- 1Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice.
- 2Strain into an ice-filled highball.
- 3Top with club soda and stir once.
PRO TIP
Build it tall — the soda is half the drink.
Garnish — Lemon wheel and cherry
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