Top 10 Gin Cocktail Recipes
Gin is a wonderful spirit. On its own or mixed with a bit of Tonic or Soda Water, Gin is refreshing to drink. Although it used to be all about the London Dry Gin, these days Gin drinkers have nothing but choice with a great variety of craft Gins that bring out different botanicals and flavours. And this means a better variety of cocktails to enjoy! Classic cocktails can easily be modernised with an interesting Gin that strays from the traditional London Dry.
Try one of these great Gin cocktails or plug your ingredients into our cocktail generator to see what else you can make. Alternatively check out all of our Gin cocktail recipes.
Finally, in no particular order, here’s our favourite Gin cocktails:
Tom Collins
A classic Gin cocktail that includes Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Club Soda, this is a refreshing long drink that’s nice to drink on a hot day. Sure there are plenty of shorter cocktails out there, but Gin goes so well in a long drink we couldn’t resist starting our list with it.
Play with the amount of Soda Water you’re adding to get the ratio exactly how you like it.
Negroni
Another classic Gin cocktail, a Negroni is a simple combination of Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Campari in equal measures. This drink is so simple to make it will become your go to cocktail in no time.
What makes this cocktail so good is the balance between the sweetness from the Vermouth and the bitterness from the Campari. It’s surprising just how refreshing, yet perfect, this cocktail really is.
This cocktail is a great place to start in your journey.
Gin Martini
Staying with the classics, a Gin Martini is a simple recipe of Gin and Dry Vermouth. That’s it. You’re welcome to garnish a Martini any way you like, but keep it simple and elegant, just like this drink.
There’s not much else to say about the Martini. It’s so simple and easy, what else is there to say?
What we will say, though, is break out your whole Gin collection for these bad boys. See how your favourites mix with Vermouth and have a party.
Martinez
While the complete history of the Martinez is lost, some say it’s a pre-cursor to the Martini, which makes it an older (and more classic?) cocktail. Like the Martini, it has Gin and Vermouth in it, but also adds Maraschino Liqueur and Angostura Bitters.
If you’re a Martini drinker, add this cocktail to your arsenal for something different.
Gin Sling
With a lot of similarities to the Tom Collins, the Gin Sling has Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Angostura Bitters, and both Tonic Water and Club Soda. This creates a unique flavour profile that’s refreshing and wonderful.
Like a lot of long drinks, top up the cocktail with the amount of Tonic/Soda that suits your taste. You can make your cocktail stronger or weaker this way.
Try this cocktail while sitting in the sun with friends on a hot summer’s day. Wonderful!
Singapore Sling
After trying out a Gin Sling, improve on it further with a Singapore Sling. Mix Gin, Cherry Brandy, Benedictine, Angostura Bitters, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice, and Soda Water for this fantastic drink. It’s far from a simple ingredient list, but well worth your while both for this great cocktail and simply to build up your bar a little bit.
Like the simpler Gin Sling, this is a nice long cocktail that’s topped up with water, so you can control the strength based on how much you’re topping up. This makes it great to relax with and sip over time.
Gimlet
The Gimlet is a cocktail made with Gin, Lime Juice, and Simple Syrup. That’s it! It simplicity is what makes it great, kind of like a Martini; it’s elegant as well.
In a lot of other way, a Gimlet is a lot lime a Daiquiri but using Gin instead of Rum.
So is this cocktail original or just a riff on a few others? Who know, it tastes good. That’s all that’s important.
Pegu Club Cocktail
The Pegu Club Cocktail is similar to a Gimlet but adds Triple Sec to the ingredient list of Gin, Lime Juice, and Angostura Bitters. Because there’s no sugar in it, the Triple Sec is doing the work to take the edge of the tartness of the Lime Juice, and it works!
It just goes to show how some minor variations to a cocktail can create a whole different taste sensation. And that’s the Pegu Club.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 has a slightly longer list of ingredients than other cocktails you’ll find here, but it’s not too bad. Just combine Gin, Lillet Blanc, Triple Sec, Orange Juice, and a little bit of Absinthe and you’ll make yourself a Corpse Reviver.
This cocktail was invented in the early 1900’s and has stood the test of time because it’s brilliant.
Last Word
We left this one until the end of the list because, well, the name! This cocktail is made with Gin, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, and Lime Juice. It’s not a simple recipe but it’s not overly complex, making this a great drink to make as you grow your bar.
The Last Word is more than 100 years old, so you can be assured it’s a good cocktail; people wouldn’t still be talking about it if it wasn’t any good.