For whatever reason, gin is often seen as a more old-fashioned liquor—or at least somehow quirkier than its less flavorful counterpart, vodka.
“Sipping gin, I see? How did the bridge game go?”
Other people avoid gin because they had one bad experience in college…when they were still in the quantity-over-quality phase.
I can’t blame them: shots are rarely a good idea, but gin shots are NEVER a good idea.
That said, gin is fabulous in cocktails. The variety of subtle flavors make it a more dynamic mixing partner than vodka…which, let’s face it, often just adds proof without adding taste.
Below are a handful of classic gin cocktails every man should know how to make.
Martini
Of course, you can’t talk about gin cocktails without mentioning the Martini. The Martini is one of those drinks that embodies the essence of a classic cocktail: elegance, balance, and sophistication.
Like most drinks, there are conflicting stories of its origin. Watch my video on How to Make a Martini to hear about my favorite story of how it was invented.
Ingredients
- 2-½ oz gin
- ½ oz dry vermouth
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Add ice to a mixing glass or shaker and add in the gin and vermouth.
- Stir (don’t shake) for 10-15 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail in the glass.
- Garnish with 2-3 olives or a lemon twist.
Click here to watch my video on how to make a lemon twist.
Vesper
The Vesper was the original James Bond Martini, which was created by a bartender in London for Ian Fleming when the first Bond book was published.
According to mixology Godfather Dale Degroff, the recipe was later shortened in the movies to “Vodka, very cold, very large, shaken, not stirred” to accommodate Smirnoff, who paid to have their bottle prominently displayed in the movie. Quite an elegant drink.
Ingredients
- 3 parts gin
- 1 part vodka
- ¼ oz Lillet Blonde
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Shake with ice and strain into a Martini glass.
- Garnish with orange peel.
Negroni
The Negroni just might be my favorite gin cocktail. The bitterness of the Campari makes it an acquired taste for some. But I think the medicinal taste—and how it balances with the sweetness of the vermouth and the herbaceous quality of the gin—is what makes this drink special.
Plus, after my podcast interview with Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist, I am further convinced that the Negroni is good for my health. Ready for an extra bonus? The Negroni’s 1-1-1 ratio makes the recipe impossible to forget.
Ingredients
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 1 oz Campari
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Add ice to a rocks glass, and add in gin, vermouth, and Campari.
- Stir for about 15 seconds.
- Garnish with a flamed orange peel.
Click here to watch my video on how to make a flamed orange peel.
Tom Collins
Taking a sip of this lovely drink, you can’t help but think of the phrase “adult soda.” Sure, on a hot day, you could have iced tea or an energy drink. But why do that when you can basically have the best alcoholic lemonade ever?
Be warned, this one goes down almost too easily. (by the way, if you’re a whiskey man, just replace the gin with Bourbon, and you’ve got yourself a John Collins).
Ingredients
- 1-½ oz gin
- ½ lemon juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 3-4 oz club soda
- Orange wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a highball glass filled with ice.
- Add in club soda, lightly stir and then garnish with an orange wheel.
French 75
The French 75 is one of the most sophisticated gin cocktails to make for a lady friend. Women like “fancy” things, and this drink effortlessly dazzles at least 3 senses:
There’s the unique balance of flavors, the bubbly mouthfeel of the Champagne, and then there’s that crowd-pleasing sound of the cork popping. (Plus, any time you open a bottle of bubbly it becomes an event).
Beware, this drink does pack a punch—not surprising, since the name comes from the 75-millimeter artillery used by the French in World War I. They said the drink gave such a wallop that it was “like getting hit by a French 75.”
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz simple syrup
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- 4-5 oz sparkling wine
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Add gin, simple syrup and lemon juice to a shaker with ice (don’t add Champagne yet!).
- Shake that up for about 10-15 seconds.
- Strain that into a highball glass or a Champagne flute.
- Top off the whole mixture with Champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Gin Gimlet
This lovely, simple drink is essentially the same 2-1-1 ratio as other “sours” like the Whiskey Sour or the Daiquiri. (Click here to see those recipes). The original recipe for a gimlet was actually made using store-bought (Rose’s) lime juice, but I prefer it with fresh lime juice, which makes it similar to a Gin Rickey (gin, fresh lime juice, soda).
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- Slice of lime for garnish
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into a shaker filled halfway with ice.
- Shake together, and strain into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Gin and Tonic
Though not really a cocktail in its own right, we can’t forget the trusty gin and tonic. Very hard to mess up, very easy to enjoy. If you don’t like measuring, it’s pretty safe to eyeball 1 part gin, 2 parts tonic. And it may be obvious, but if you want to elevate this drink, a higher-quality tonic is a great start.
Ingredients
- 2-3 oz gin
- 4-6 oz tonic
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Pour gin into a highball glass filled with ice.
- Top it off with the tonic and give it a light stir.
- Garnish the drink with a lime wedge.
“All We Are Saying is Give Gin (Cocktails) a Chance…”
Even if you’ve never been “a gin guy” or it’s been awhile since you’ve given it a chance, maybe it’s time to (re)explore some of these classic gin cocktails.
Wow…all of this talk about gin and I’ve worked up quite a thirst myself. Perhaps it’s time to make myself a Negroni…
In the meantime, if you want to read about a few other classic cocktails, you can check out this post:
7 Classic Cocktails Every Man Should Know
Or if you really want to dive in, you can grab a copy of my cocktail ebook (also available as an audiobook and with companion videos):
The Distilled Man Cocktail Guide: A Simple Introduction to Classic Drink Recipes and Techniques
What other gin cocktails do you like to drink? Leave a note in the comments below!
