7 Easy Gin Cocktail Recipes

From 2015 onwards, gin saw one of the biggest spirit booms within the UK market. Drinks come in and out of favour all the time but the gin trend has been very noticeable. Therefore knowing a few easy gin cocktail recipes is always a good idea.

Supermarkets had entire sections dedicated to gin and while gin is already a unique drink due to the botanicals used to create it, the number of flavours and gin brands became uncountable. 

We never thought we’d see the day that parma violet sweets become a unique selling point for a spirit! 

This meant that a G&T was on most menus but this doesn’t really do the spirit justice. Gin has been a key ingredient in cocktails for over a century so read on to see how to make a gin cocktail with some of the best gin recipes you’ll find! 

Best Gin Cocktail Recipes 

Negroni

Kicking things off is one of the most classic cocktails on the planet. Created in the early 1900s, the Negroni is a very complex drink despite containing just three ingredients. 

The Negroni is sweet and refreshing but also has subtle bitter undertones making it a cocktail this is very easy to make (meaning it’s difficult to mess up), yet has a very satisfying flavour profile. 

Ingredients

25ml Gin

25ml Sweet Vermouth

25ml Campari

Get the Negroni Recipe here

Tom Collins

Similar to the Negroni, a Tom Collins is a very old (150 years) and classic gin cocktail. The Tom Collins has spawned countless variations and riffs within the bartending world but the original – with its simple and refreshing ingredients – has stood the test of time. 

If you’re going to try this cocktail, we’d recommend opting for an Old Tom gin instead of a London Dry. This was the original gin used in the Tom Collins and provides a lighter drink than a juniper-heavy London Dry. 

Ingredients

50ml Gin

15ml Simple Syrup

25ml Lemon Juice

100ml Soda Water

Get the Tom Collins Recipe here

Gin Fizz

The gin fizz is a sparkling and refreshing cocktail ideal for the summer months. The reason we’ve listed this cocktail here is that it’s often considered to be the more “fancy” cousin to the Tom Collins. 

The ingredients are similar but when shaken and topped with sparkling water, the texture of the drink changes completely and the bubbly/frothy texture just makes for a more refreshing drink. 

Ingredients

50ml Gin

25ml Lemon Juice

25ml Sugar Syrup

Top Sparkling Water

Method

Add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until the outside of the shaker become cold to touch and strain into a highball glass. 

Top with sparkling water and add a lemon slice for garnish. 

Bramble

Taking its name from an old British pastime known as brambling which is picking blueberries and autumn fruits, the Bramble was created by Dick Bradsell who created a number of iconic cocktails working out of Soho Brasserie, London.

The Bramble is a sweet, refreshing and classic gin cocktail that – like most gin cocktails – requires few ingredients and is very simple to make. 

Ingredients

50ml Gin

25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

10ml Sugar Syrup

10ml Blackberry Liqueur

Get the Bramble Recipe here

Martini

Shaken or stirred? 

The Martini cocktail is a classic, thanks mainly to its iconic status provided by James Bond. While modern Martini’s tend to be made with vodka, an original Martini is one made with a gin base. 

People will tend to use a different ratio of gin to vermouth due to the fact that it’s just a two-ingredient cocktail. Therefore, increase the volume of gin or reduce the volume of vermouth to find your ideal preference. 

One of the simplest gin cocktail recipes to make, the Martini is always a winner in our book.

Ingredients

50ml Gin

25ml Dry Vermouth

Method

Add the gin and vermouth to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until the shaker becomes cold to touch and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Serve with an olive on a cocktail stick for a classic and Bond-inspired garnish. 

Gimlet

Simple, easy to make, and oh so refreshing. 

The Gimlet is a classic gin cocktail thought to have been created by the British Navy as a way to combat scurvy when out at sea (due to the vitamin C found in the limes). 

The Gimlet is considered to be a gin sour and therefore provides an alternative for other similar drinks like a Daquiri made from a rum base.  

The original recipe calls for Rose’s Sweet Lime Cordial but lime syrup or regular lime cordial will work just as well. 

Ingredients

50ml Lime Syrup (or Lime Cordial)

50ml London Dry Gin

A slice of lime to garnish

Get the Gimlet Recipe here

Gin & Tonic

Ok, it’s a stretch to call it a cocktail but if you’re going to have gin, why not pair it with its best possible combination, tonic. 

A G&T is a British favourite and this is arguably the drink that’s benefited most from the gin bubble in recent years. Making a G&T seems simple – and it is – but with some carefully selected ingredients or brands you can really enhance this simple drink. 

If you’re experimenting with new gin flavours, this is the cocktail to best enjoy them. Different brands of tonic will have a different flavour but try to opt for a premium brand like Fever-Tree to really complement your gin of choice. 

If you’re looking to start out with some easy gin cocktail recipes, then the humble G&T can easily be achieved. Next, spice it up with some flavoured gins.

Ingredients

50ml Gin

125ml Tonic

Method

Add the gin and tonic to a highball glass filled with cubed ice. Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

Like these easy gin cocktail recipes?

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If you fancy something a bit different, try the Monkey Gland cocktail which also is infused with gin, or the Gin Jam cocktail.

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