The Very Best Gin Has To Offer
Well Ladies and Gents – It’s World Gin Day (Saturday 13th of June) and we thought it would be apt to write a piece exploring the different variations this amazing drink can give us! Now in its seventh year, World Gin Day gives everyone the legitimate excuse (not that you should need one of course) to explore all things Gin, and experiment with cocktails we may have never tried before.
So, The Glass House Girls have put together a list of our Top 5 Gin Cocktails to whet your appetite. Don’t be shy… get in touch and let us know which one is your favorite.
The Gin-Gin Mule
This fizzy cocktail is absolutely gorgeous. Best advice for this one is to make sure you use a dry old-school London Gin such as Beefeater, they fair best in this type of citrus drink.
Ingredients
mint leaves
1/2 oz simple sugar syrup
1 1/2 oz Gin
2 oz chilled Ginger Beer
wedge of lime to garnish
Method
1: Lightly mix around 10 large mint leaves with the sugar syrup and lime juice in the cocktail shaker.
2: Add the Gin and fill with ice.
3: Shake until sufficiently chilled before straining into a highball glass and garnishing with lime.
This refreshing drink is perfect for those hot summer days by the pool! A lovely Gin alternative to the traditional Mojito.
The Bee’s Knees
This is a really simple cocktail and perfect for those who want to try something different without too much effort. The honey taste really gives a silky sensation to an otherwise tart cocktail.
Ingredients
2 oz Gin
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz honey syrup
Method
1: To make the honey syrup, mix equal parts honey to hot water (yes it really is that simple!)
2: Combine the Gin, lemon juice and the honey syrup in a cocktail shaker and stir until you are sure the honey syrup has dissolved.
3: Shake well and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.
Cucumber Gimlet
Anyone who knows their Gin knows that nothing works better with Gin than Cucumber! This cocktail is refreshing and delicate and can even fool you into thinking it is healthy. Well, with a garnish of cucumber at least you can believe you are getting one of your five a day!
Ingredients
cucumber
fresh rosemary leaves
3/4oz fresh lime juice
1/4 simple sugar syrup
2 oz Gin (Plymouth Gin is preferred for this cocktail)
Method
1: Mix the 2 slices of cucumber and around 10 rosemary leaves together in the cocktail shaker with the lime juice and simple sugar syrup.
2: Add the Gin and ice and shake well to chill.
3: Strain into a sexy cocktail glass (Martini glass works well) and top with a very thin slice of cucumber.
French 75
The French 75 is a cocktail that every self-respecting Cocktail connoisseur should have in his or her repertoir for the summer season. This perfect combination of Gin and Champagne puts a touch of sparkle into any summer night.
Ingredients
2 oz Gin
2 tsp sugar
1 oz fresh lemon juice
Champagne (or sparkling wine if you must, but Champagne is much better!)
lemon rind and a cocktail cherry to garnish.
Method
1: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, lemon juice and sugar.
2: Shake well until chilled and strain into a champagne flute
3: Top with Champagne and stir gently before adding the perfect twist of lemon rind and a cocktail cherry to garnish.
Buttermilk Maple Gin Flip
For those of you who like your cocktails a little more at the desert end of the spectrum, the Buttermilk Maple Gin Flip would be right up your street. So instead of baking this Saturday, pop into the kitchen and whip one of these up. You won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
1 egg
1 oz buttermilk
1/2 oz of maple syrup
fresh nutmeg
2oz of Gin
Method
1: Place the egg yolk in a cocktail shaker with a few small ice cubes.
2: Seal and shake well for at least 10/15 seconds.
3: Open the cocktail shaker and fill with ice before adding the gin, buttermilk, egg white and maple syrup.
4: Shake again and strain into a chilled glass
5: Garnish with nutmeg and serve.
