As a lover of botanicals and an avid home mixologist, I’m always looking to expand my gin cocktail repertoire. Gin’s complexity and versatility make it an ideal spirit for cocktail making, pairing well with a wide range of ingredients from citrus and herbs to syrups and liqueurs.
While classic gin drinks like the Gin and Tonic or Tom Collins are reliable choices, there’s a whole world of creative gin cocktails to discover.
In this post, I’m sharing 25 must-try gin cocktail recipes to add to your bar menu. From refreshing sours to spirit-forward martinis, these cocktails highlight the diverse flavors of gin.
I’ve included the essential ingredients and a brief description for each recipe. Let’s dive in and explore the wonderful world of gin cocktails!
Gin Fizz Cocktail
Ingredients: gin, lime juice, maple syrup, soda water, egg white.
A perfectly balanced cocktail with sweet and tart flavors, topped with a frothy egg white foam. The Gin Fizz has a light and refreshing effervescence from the soda water.
The lime adds a tangy citrus note while the maple syrup provides a touch of sweetness to balance the tartness.
The egg white creates a smooth, silky texture and foamy head when shaken vigorously. It’s a gorgeous cocktail, both visually and in terms of taste.
Gin and Tonic
Ingredients: gin, tonic water.
The classic and refreshing combination of gin and tonic water, known for its crisp and botanical flavor.
The bitterness of tonic water is a perfect complement to the complex herbal and floral notes of gin.
Tailor the flavor profile by choosing a citrusy or aromatic gin variety and garnishing with lime or botanicals like rosemary or thyme.
For an extra refreshing drink, serve it over ice with a high quality tonic.
Tom Collins Cocktail
Ingredients: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup.
A tall, fizzy highball drink made with gin, lemon juice, and sugar. The Tom Collins is known for its refreshing and bubbly character.
The tart lemon brightens up the gin, while the sugar adds just enough sweetness to balance the citrus.
Pour it over ice and top with club soda for some effervescence. Garnish with a lemon slice and maraschino cherry.
A crisp and effortless warmer weather cocktail.
French 75 Cocktail
Ingredients: gin, lemon juice, champagne.
A sophisticated and refreshing cocktail made with gin, lemon, and champagne. It’s named after the powerful French 75mm field gun used in World War I.
The French 75 cocktail packs a similar punch! The gin’s botanical flavor shines through, complemented by the bright, tart lemon and the crisp effervescence of champagne.
Served in a flute, it’s perfect for special occasions like brunches or celebrations.
Gin Gimlet
Ingredients: gin, lime juice, simple syrup.
A classic cocktail with a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The Gimlet highlights the botanical flavors of gin, paired with the citrus tartness of lime juice and the sweetness of simple syrup.
Compared to the Gin Fizz, it has a cleaner taste profile without the egg white foam. Shake the gin, lime juice, and syrup vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled glass for an effortless yet impressive cocktail.
Southside
Ingredients: gin, mint, lemon, lime.
A refreshing gin cocktail reminiscent of a Mojito but made with gin in place of rum. It features vibrant mint, lemon, and lime flavors.
Muddle fresh mint leaves with sugar to release the aromatic oils and sweetness before adding the gin, lemon, and lime juice.
The mint adds a herbal complexity while the citrus provides an acidic punch.
Serve over crushed ice for a revitalizing warm weather drink.
Gin Rickey
Ingredients: gin, lime juice, soda water.
A tall, fizzy, and bubbly highball cocktail that’s easy to make. Known for its tangy and refreshing taste, the Gin Rickey combines gin with fresh lime juice and soda water.
The tart lime cuts through the heaviness of the gin, while the soda provides effervescence.
Build it directly in a highball glass over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
Low effort but high enjoyment!
Greyhound Cocktail
Ingredients: gin, grapefruit juice.
A tangy and refreshing gin cocktail that showcases the nuances of grapefruit juice. The Greyhound is composed simply of gin and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, preferably from ruby red grapefruits.
The juice provides a sweet yet tart citrus flavor that complements the juniper notes in gin.
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.
A beautiful pale pink cocktail, perfect for brunch or happy hour.
Gin Gin Mule
Ingredients: gin, ginger beer, lime juice, mint.
A refreshing highball cocktail that combines the spicy ginger flavor of a Moscow Mule with the herbaceous mintiness of a Mojito, all topped with the botanical notes of gin.
To make, muddle fresh mint leaves with lime juice and combine with gin and ice.
Top with chilled ginger beer and garnish with more mint.
The ginger beer adds a spicy effervescence while the lime, mint, and gin mingle for a crisp, herbaceous flavor.
Hanky Panky Cocktail
Ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, Fernet-Branca.
A sophisticated gin cocktail featuring the complex, richly herbal Fernet-Branca liqueur.
Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet are shaken together with ice until well-chilled and strained into a glass.
The interplay between the gin’s florality, the vermouth’s sweetness, and Fernet’s strong herbal-mintiness makes for an intriguing and nuanced drink.
Sip it slowly to detect the complex layers of flavor.
Negroni
Ingredients: gin, Campari, sweet vermouth.
A refreshing and bitter Italian cocktail with a stunning ruby red color, known for its balance between equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
The herbal gin acts as a base spirit, Campari adds an unmistakably bitter element, and the vermouth contributes subtle sweetness and botanical flavors.
When its components are properly balanced, the Negroni has a complex bittersweet taste.
Garnish with an orange twist to accentuate the citrus aromas.
Gin Martini
Ingredients: gin, dry vermouth.
The iconic martini made with crisp, botanical gin and dry vermouth. Gin is the star of the show here.
Use a high quality, aromatic gin and limit the vermouth to a dash or light rinse of the glass to maintain the gin’s flavor.
Stir the ingredients gently over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with olives or a lemon twist.
This spirit-forward cocktail can be enjoyed dry and clean or made dirty by adding olive brine.
Other popular variations are the Vodka Martini and Gibson Martini.
Bees Knees
Ingredients: gin, honey syrup, lemon juice.
A Prohibition era cocktail and a gin-based sour that incorporates the sweet flavor of honey.
The honey adds depth and balances the tart lemon juice. To make honey syrup, combine equal parts honey and hot water and stir until dissolved.
Once cooled, combine the syrup with gin and lemon juice in a shaker. Shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
A refreshing and well-balanced sour cocktail with a touch of elegance.
Clover Club
Ingredients: gin, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, egg white.
A pink gin sour distinguished by its frothy egg white foam and sweet raspberry flavors.
While traditional recipes use homemade raspberry syrup, grenadine makes a convenient shortcut.
The egg white adds richness and a smooth texture. Dry shake the egg white vigorously before adding ice and the remaining ingredients.
Once chilled and double strained, the Clover Club is crowned with a fluffy froth.
Garnish with fresh raspberries to accentuate the sweet fruitiness.
Gin Sour
Ingredients: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup.
A simple shaken cocktail that allows the floral notes of gin to shine against a tart lemon backdrop.
The Gin Sour is very similar to a Whiskey Sour but made with gin in place of whiskey.
It combines gin with lemon juice as the sour element and sugar syrup for a touch of sweetness.
Shake vigorously over ice and double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel or cherry.
Martinez
Ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, orange bitters.
A classy gin cocktail with hints of cherry and cinnamon, known for its balance between botanicals, sweetness, and fruit.
It features gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Angostura bitters.
The vermouth and maraschino add subtle sweetness, while the bitters contribute a hint of spice to accentuate the gin and fruit flavors.
Stir gently over ice and strain. Garnish with a cherry or orange twist.
Bijou
Ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, green Chartreuse.
A spirit-forward gin cocktail with a crisp, herbaceous flavor profile.
Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and the French herbal liqueur Chartreuse are shaken hard with ice to fully blend and chill.
Strain into a Nick and Nora glass.
The gin and vermouth provide a dry, botanical base while the Chartreuse adds an aromatic herbal complexity.
A unique cocktail that highlights gin’s versatility. Consume cautiously as it packs a boozy punch.
Red Snapper
Ingredients: gin, tomato juice, spices like horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, black pepper.
A savory, spicy twist on the Bloody Mary made with gin in lieu of vodka.
While it contains the same tomato juice and seasoning blend, the juniper-forward gin offers a distinctly botanical finish.
Rim half the glass with a salt and black pepper mixture. Fill with ice and add seasoned tomato juice and gin.
Garnish with celery, olives, lemon wedges, or other savory items of choice. Sip leisurely to appreciate the layers of spice and herbs.
A flavorful brunch or lunch cocktail.
Vesper Martini
Ingredients: gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc.
The famous martini created for James Bond in Casino Royale, featuring a blend of gin, vodka, and French aperitif wine Lillet Blanc.
To craft this unique martini, shake gin, vodka, and Lillet over ice and strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel to express the citrusy aromas of the liqueur.
Slightly sweet and complex thanks to the Lillet, the Vesper Martini offers a sophisticated alternative to traditional dry martinis.
Last Word
Ingredients: gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, lime juice.
A pale green gin sour distinguished by the combination of the French herbal liqueur Chartreuse and cherry-flavored maraschino.
Shake equal parts gin, Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime juice vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
The interplay between sharp lime, sweet maraschino, and herbal Chartreuse makes for a complex, intriguing cocktail.
One sip and you’ll understand why it’s called the Last Word!
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Ingredients: gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, absinthe.
A refreshing gin sour spiked with the anise flavors of absinthe, considered a hangover cure.
Shake gin with lemon juice, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and a dash of absinthe hard to blend and chill thoroughly. Double strain into a coupe.
The citrus and fruit liqueurs provide sweet-tart notes, while the absinthe contributes depth and herbal complexity.
Effervescent and well-balanced.
Bramble
Ingredients: gin, blackberry liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup.
A refreshing gin cocktail with a gorgeous magenta hue and flavors of ripe blackberries.
Muddle blackberries with simple syrup, then shake vigorously with gin, blackberry liqueur like Chambord, and lemon juice. Double strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass.
The sweet and tart blackberry mixes deliciously with the lemon and botanical gin.
Garnish with a lemon slice and blackberries. Fruity yet sophisticated sipper.
Pegu Club
Ingredients: gin, orange liqueur, lime juice, bitters.
A citrusy gin cocktail named after a gentlemen’s club in colonial Burma. Now a modern classic, it combines both lime and orange citrus flavors.
Shake gin with Cointreau, lime juice, and bitters hard with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
The orange liqueur contributes a subtle sweetness to balance the tart lime, unified by the gin’s botanicals.
A refreshing pre-dinner cocktail. For an extra citrus boost, flame an orange peel over the finished drink.
White Lady
Ingredients: gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, egg white.
A smooth, silky textured cocktail with pronounced citrus flavors. Shake gin, Cointreau orange liqueur, lemon juice, and egg white vigorously with ice to emulsify and aerate the egg. Double strain into a coupe.
The egg white lends a light, frothy texture while the spirits and citrus provide a strong citrusy flavor.
Elegant in its simplicity, perfect before or after dinner.
For variation, try with vodka for a White Russian.
Ramos Gin Fizz
Ingredients: gin, lemon and lime juice, simple syrup, orange flower water, egg white, cream.
A gorgeously frothy, citrus-forward New Orleans brunch classic. While labor intensive to make, the Ramos Gin Fizz is worth the effort.
Dry shake egg white and cream vigorously to blend and aerate. Add remaining ingredients and shake hard again with ice.
Double strain into a chilled highball over ice. The result is a beautifully layered cocktail with a frothy head. Tart citrus notes mingle with floral orange blossom water and botanical gin.
Grab a straw and sip up that luxurious foam!
