Feature

10th Jun 2017

17 Gin Drinks You Can Order That Are So Much Nicer Than G&Ts

katedemolder

There comes a stage in every drinker’s life, where they put down the vodka in search of greener pastures. Namely, gin. And when they find it, it’s a magical experience.

However no-one should find themselves stuck in a G&T rut? So we’ve only gone and found you 17 new drinks you can sink your tastebuds into…

You’re welcome.

1. Martini

The Martini is a cocktail made with gin and dry vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. It is known as the king of cocktails, the James Bond of all drinks, and a true test for all bartenders.

It’s a smooth, clean drink, that mixes the herbal flavours of the gin with the tang of the olives and vermouth perfectly.

2. Tom Collins

A Tom Collins is a cocktail made from gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water and served with lemon slice and maraschino cherry in a Collins glass. It’s sweet and sharp and deliciously tasty.

3. Negroni

A Negroni cocktail is made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso, and Campari and is then garnished with orange peel. It’s considered an aperitif which basically means it’s served before a meal to help it slide down your gullet better – how civilised.

It’s an acquired taste, as it’s bittersweet and kind of takes your tastebuds on an adventure.

4. Gimlet

The gimlet is a cocktail made of gin and lime juice. According to Wikipedia, a 1928 description of the drink was: “gin, a spot of lime, and soda.”

So it’s pretty much the ‘Skinny Bitch‘ before a Skinny Bitch was a thing.

5. Aviation

An Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette (occasionally) and lemon juice. Served straight up, without ice – this drink isn’t for the faint hearted.

It sort of tastes like Spring, except more intense.

6. The Last Word

A Last Word is a gin-based prohibition-era cocktail comprised of equal parts green chartreuse, gin, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice.

It’s a sweet and sharp drink that has a unique light green colour and is all-together quite invigorating. An old-fashioned cocktail that also feels incredibly modern.

7. Rickey

A Rickey is a highball drink (a family of mixed alcoholic drinks that are composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer) made from gin or bourbon, half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass, and carbonated water.

It contains little to no sugar and is decidedly refreshing.

8. Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling is a gin based cocktail, made with 10ml cointreau and 120ml pineapple juice. It is a smooth, sweet cocktail with a sort of complex flavour.

9. Gibson

The Gibson is a mixed drink made with gin and vermouth, and often garnished with a pickled onion. It also comes in a very glam glass, with helps the fact that you’ve an onion in your drink.

10. Pink Gin

Pink Gin is a cocktail from the mid-19th century, consisting of plymouth gin and a dash of angostura bitters, a dark red bitters that makes the whole drink pinkish.

It’s simple yet complicated, pairing two ingredients that go as well together as peanut butter and jam.

11. Long Island Iced Tea

A Long Island Iced Tea is a type of alcoholic mixed drink typically made with tequila, vodka, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola, which gives the drink the amber hue referenced in it’s namesake.

It’s moreish, refreshing and surprisingly actually does taste like iced tea.

12. Pink Lady

A Pink Lady is a classic gin-based cocktail made with 15ml gin, one egg white and four dashes grenadine. The pink colour is due to the addition of grenadine. It’s also garnished with a cherry, so it’s pretty much the epitome of glam.

Pink Lady With A Twist Of Lime In A Cocktail Glass

13. Salty Dog

A Salty Dog is a cocktail of gin (can be made with vodka either, but we’re gin drinkers now, remember?) and grapefruit juice, served in a highball glass with a salted rim.

The salt is the only difference between a Salty Dog and a Greyhound, from which it derives its canine moniker.

14. Greyhound

A Greyhound is a cocktail consisting of grapefruit juice and either gin or vodka mixed and served over ice.

The same as above, sans salt.

15. Moon River

The Moon River is a gin based cocktail which is made up of 15ml dry gin, 15ml cointreau, 10ml galliano, 15ml apricot brandy, 10ml fresh lemon juice and four or five ice cubes.

To make, you pour the gin, apricot brandy, cointreau, galliano and lemon juice over ice cubes in a mixing glass and stir. Then, strain drink into a chilled cocktail glass and serve with a cocktail cherry. Dreamy.

16. Bronx

A Bronx Cocktail is essentially a perfect Martini, with added orange juice. It was ranked number three in “The World’s 10 Most Famous Cocktails in 1934”, making it a very popular rival to the Martini and the Manhattan.

It’s light and tasty, something you’d serve as a luncheon cocktail, perhaps.