Top 10 Classic Gin Cocktails to Make at Home
Since the 11th century gin, in its various guises, has been enjoyed as a beverage throughout Europe. From humble beginnings as a medicinal concoction distilled by monks to a recreational drink consumed by millions of people every week, gin drinks are distinctive, herbal and hugely popular.
Traditionally imbibed neat to cure upsets, aches and pains, then diluted with water and consumed prolifically during the gin craze of the 17th century, there are a few pivotal points in history that brought about the modern gin cocktails we know and love now.
These were the invention of artificially produced carbonated water in the 1700s, the introduction of commercially available ice in the 1800s and latterly the widespread use of refrigeration.
The early 1800s saw the first use of the word cocktail to refer to a mixture of spirits with water, sugar and bitters and by the middle of the century the first cocktails were invented and quickly went transatlantic!
Below is a list of our top 10 favourite gin cocktail recipes. Whilst these are the classics, there are hundreds of variations on both the gin cocktails listed below and many more cocktails with gin in besides.
This list is not exhaustive but merely an introduction to the world of classic gin cocktails. Feel free to use this to get creative, make substitutions, add garnishes and coin your own cocktail ideas!
1. Martini
50 ml gin | dry vermouth, to taste | lemon peel and/or olive
The martini cocktail is a classic cocktail recipe. A heady mixture of gin diluted (if that’s the right word?!) with vermouth, this potent gin cocktail is made by shaking the gin and vermouth well with ice, then straining into a chilled glass with a squeeze of lemon and serving with lemon peel or an olive, as preferred.
There are a few variations on this cocktail including a vodka martini, using vodka instead of gin, a dirty martini which includes some of the olive brine for a salty kick. A dry martini will have London dry gin and dry vermouth only and then there are pornstar martinis which include passion fruit juice or espresso martinis which contain espresso coffee. These are something altogether different from the traditional martini, not to say better or worse but not really martinis in the classic sense.
2. Negroni
25 ml dry gin | 25 ml vermouth rosso | 25 ml Campari | orange peel
Allegedly coined in Italy in the early 1900s, the negroni cocktail is not dissimilar to a martini but uses vermouth rosso which is a little sweeter and includes Campari. This gin cocktail is mixed in a cocktail shaker over ice until chilled and served in a cold glass.
3. Tom Collins
50 ml gin | 20 ml lemon juice | 10 ml sugar syrup | soda water | lemon slice
The Tom Collins recipe is essentially a gin and lemonade drink that has questionable origins. Some say it was named after a hoax that gained in notoriety in New York in the 1870s whilst others say it was invented in London and named after John Collins who first mixed it but named Tom Collins for using Old Tom Gin.
Either way, the Tom Collins cocktail is a sweeter version of the gin and tonic.
4. French 75
10 ml gin | 10 ml orange liqueur | 10 ml lemon juice | 5 ml sugar | fizz, to taste
Allegedly this feisty cocktail was named after a French 75mm field gun that was said to have a similarly powerful kick! The combination of dry gin, tangy orange and lemon, sugar and topped up with your bubbles of choice is a potent mix that delivers quite a punch.
For the perfect French 75 cocktail, use lemonade for a gentler cocktail or prosecco or fizz for the full effect. Pour the gin, liqueur and lemon juice into a fluted glass. Stir in the sugar until dissolved and top up with fizz.
5. Gimlet
50 ml gin | 25 ml lime cordial | slice of lime
The quintessential gin and lime, this gimlet recipe should be served ice cold. The gimlet cocktail was reputedly coined by Sir Thomas Gimlette, a navy doctor who used gin mixed with lime to stave off scurvy on long voyages.
We don’t think that gin would mask lime very well but this pairing is a match made in heaven and makes a wonderfully punchy short gin cocktail.
6.Singapore Sling
25 ml dry gin | 25 ml cherry brandy | 25 ml Benedictine | few drops bitters | 50 ml pineapple juice | 25 ml lime juice | sparking water to taste
The Singapore sling, or gin sling as its also known, originates from Singapore unsurprisingly. It was first made at the Long Bar in the famous Raffles Hotel and is still a major draw to the hotel to this day although you can find this gin cocktail in most cocktail bars.
For the ultimate gin cocktail, mix the Singapore sling ingredients in a shaker, pour over ice and top up with sparkling water to taste.
7. Gin Fizz
60 ml gin | 30 ml lemon juice | 10 ml sugar syrup | 1 egg white (optional) | sparkling water to taste
A gin cocktail similar to a Tom Collins, the gin fizz recipe differs slightly in that it includes an egg white for a luxuriously frothy cocktail that titillates the mouth. The inclusion of the egg white is optional, and many mixologists exclude it, but we think it adds a point of difference not found in other gin cocktails.
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a chilled glass and top up with sparkling water to taste.
The gin fizz recipe can, and has been, be widely adapted to include pink fizz for a pink gin fizz cocktail, has used sloe gin for a sloe gin fizz, and made into a gin fizz with elderflower cordial instead of lemon juice.
8. Broken Spur
40 ml gin | 20 ml white port | 5 ml Pernod | 10 ml dry vermouth | 10 ml lemon juice | 5 ml sugar syrup | 1 egg yolk (optional)
Another egg based gin cocktail! All ingredients are shaken well with ice and served in a chilled glass.
The addition of the egg yolk creates a silky smooth gin cocktail with a touch of anise from the Pernod adding a spicy warmth.
This cocktails history is largely unknown but reads like a very old recipe for curing ailments.
9. Long Island Iced Tea
50 ml gin | 50 ml vodka | 50 ml tequila | 50 ml rum | 50 ml triple sec | 50 ml lime juice | cola to taste
The world’s favourite gin cocktail? Whether originating from Long Island New York or Long Island Tennessee, we don’t really care, we just know we love this gin cocktail.
It literally has every spirit in it so drink slowly and savour the flavours.
You won’t want more than 1 or 2 of these.
10. Gin and Tonic
50 ml gin | tonic to taste
The original gin cocktail recipe, the match made in heaven, pairing gin and tonic may seem uncomplicated but with so many flavours of gin and so many flavoured tonics to complement them, you could spend a lifetime sampling gin and tonics and still try something different every time.
Some people serve theirs traditional style with Indian tonic and London dry gin and a slice of lemon or lime, whilst others will pack theirs with herbs.
For best results, follow the recommendations of the gin maker on which tonics pair best with their gins and you won’t be disappointed.
Guidelines for Making Gin Cocktails
There are no rules for what to include or not include in your cocktail recipe with gin but follow the top tips below to ensure what you do make tastes great.
• A cocktail should be a blend of sweet and sour. Try not to let one overtake the other or the balance of your cocktail will be off and less enjoyable.
• Always taste your cocktails before serving. The testing phase is the time to adjust your ingredients to ensure your creation is palatable.
• Gin is best served cold so if you’re pouring your gin cocktail over ice, make sure your glass is filled with ice.
• Only use fresh garnish. No one wants crusty or stale accompaniments.
• Your cocktail should be visually appealing in addition to tasting great. Consider the colours of the ingredients before throwing them together – no one wants to drink a murky looking gin cocktail!
For small batch craft gins that are perfect on their own or work wonders in gin cocktails, check out our range of handmade British gins. Lovingly distilled on the edge of the English Lakes, our Lake District gin varieties are wonderfully unique. We can’t wait for you to try them!
