Gin
A clear spirit distilled from grain and flavored with juniper berries and other botanicals. The botanical complexity makes gin incredibly versatile in cocktails. It’s used in 76 cocktails on Garnish.
Flavor Profile
History & Origins
Originally developed in Holland in the 17th century as a medicinal tonic, gin became the foundation of classic cocktails during the golden age of mixology.
How It's Made
Distilled from grain neutral spirits and re-distilled or infused with botanicals, primarily juniper berries.
Pro Tips
- •London Dry gin works best for classic cocktails
- •Chill gin before use for better mixing
- •Store opened bottles in the freezer for smoothest texture
Substitutes
Recommended Brands
Cocktails
Negroni
A perfectly symmetrical mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth that defined the bitter-sweet aperitivo and spawned a family of riffs.
Gin & Tonic
British colonial classic pairing juniper-rich gin with bitter quinine tonic and a bright hit of lime.
Classic Martini
The king of cocktails—minimalist, elegant and endlessly riffed—balancing aromatic gin with a restrained measure of vermouth. Orange bitters optional.
French 75
A crisp union of gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne that delivers bracing bubbles with artillery-level snap.
Dirty Martini
The savory martini variation enriched with olive brine—salty, crisp, and bracing.
Gin Basil Smash
A modern classic that showcases vibrant fresh basil with London Dry gin and lemon—intensely aromatic, refreshingly green, and beautifully balanced.
Long Island Iced Tea
Equal parts vodka, gin, rum, tequila and triple sec shaken with lemon and cola for a famously boozy "iced" tea.
Vesper
Gin, vodka, and aromatic wine combine for James Bond's bracing signature martini.
Last Word
Equal parts gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino and lime shaken cold—a neon green Prohibition relic turned modern darling.
Corpse Reviver #2
Equal parts gin, orange liqueur, aperitif wine and lemon, awakened by an absinthe rinse—Craddock's revitalizing classic.
Southside
Gin, lime, mint, and simple syrup. Chicago's answer to the mojito.
Tom Collins
Classic gin, lemon, sugar and soda highball—effervescent, citrusy, and named for its Old Tom gin roots.
Bijou
A Gilded‑Age jewel: gin, sweet vermouth, and Green Chartreuse stirred with orange bitters—herbal, aromatic, and spirit‑forward.
Ramos Gin Fizz
New Orleans' creamy showstopper of gin, citrus, cream, egg white, and orange blossom water shaken to a silky cloud.
Southside Fizz
A timeless and refreshing cocktail that elegantly marries the botanical complexities of gin with the bright, aromatic notes of fresh mint and citrus, all lifted by the effervescence of soda water.
Basil Gimlet
A modern classic that elevates the traditional Gimlet with fresh basil—herbaceous, aromatic, and supremely refreshing with botanical complexity.
Red Snapper
Gin‑based Bloody Mary—gin with tomato, lemon, and savory seasonings over ice in a celery‑salt rimmed glass.
50/50 Martini
Equal parts gin and dry vermouth with a dash of orange bitters—silky, aromatic, and lower proof.
Clover Club
Pre-Prohibition gin sour colored with raspberry and crowned with a dry-shaken egg white foam.
Singapore Sling
Raffles Hotel's iconic rosy gin punch—layering cherry brandy, Bénédictine, citrus, and pineapple for a frothy tropical sling.
Army & Navy
A refined gin sour sweetened with almond orgeat and seasoned with Angostura—silky, citrusy, and gently spiced.
Bee Sting
A spicy modern interpretation of the Bee's Knees with gin, lemon, honey, and Ancho Reyes chile liqueur—sweet, sour, and fiery heat in perfect balance.
47 Degrees North
A sophisticated variation of the Alaska cocktail with blanc vermouth that softens the gin and Yellow Chartreuse for a more approachable profile—a modern craft cocktail masterpiece.
Aviation
Hugo Ensslin's sky-hued gin sour of gin, maraschino and crème de violette—lost for decades until the cocktail renaissance brought it soaring back.
Bourbon Bastard
A bourbon-centric interpretation of the classic Suffering Bastard, a legendary hangover cure born in World War II Cairo. This potent and restorative cocktail balances bourbon, gin, lime, bitters, and ginger beer in a complex interplay of spirits and refreshing elements.
Gibson
A dry gin martini garnished with cocktail onions—clean, crisp, and subtly savory.
Gimlet
A crisp blend of gin and lime that began as a naval ration and evolved into a minimalist classic.
Muddled Bramble
A modern evolution of Dick Bradsell's 1980s classic, where muddled fresh blackberries elevate the gin sour with vibrant fruit complexity and aromatic depth.
Spanish Gin Tonic
The elevation of a classic highball into gastronomic art, characterized by large copa de balón glass, premium ice, and carefully selected botanicals that enhance the gin.
Eastside
A garden‑fresh cousin of the Southside—gin, lime, mint, and cucumber shaken bright and served up.
Pink Lady
A blushing pre‑Prohibition sour—gin and applejack with lemon, real grenadine, and a silky egg‑white foam.
Basil Rickey
A modern classic that marries the bracing refreshment of a 19th-century Rickey with fresh basil—herbaceous, effervescent, and perfectly balanced without added sugar.
Berry 75
A modern evolution of the French 75 with fresh blackberry syrup and sparkling wine—vibrant, fruit-forward, and elegantly effervescent.
Bramble
Dick Bradsell's 1980s London creation layers dry gin, fresh citrus and rich blackberry liqueur over a mound of crushed ice for a tart, jammy refresher.
Gin Rickey
A no-sugar highball of gin, lime, and sparkling water—crisp, tart, and ultra-refreshing.
White Lady
Harry MacElhone's gin, Cointreau and lemon sour—creamy with egg white and a benchmark of Prohibition elegance.
Adios Motherf***er (AMF)
A neon cousin of the Long Island—vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and blue curaçao with citrus and lemon‑lime soda.
Fog Cutter
A potent tiki classic—light rum, gin, and brandy shaken with citrus and orgeat, finished with a float of fino sherry.
Bee's Knees
Prohibition-era gin, lemon, and honey shaken into a bright, velvety sour whose sweetness once softened rough bathtub gin.
Bee's Knees Royale
A sophisticated evolution of the Prohibition classic topped with sparkling wine—transforming the gin, lemon, and honey base into an effervescent celebration.
Long Beach Iced Tea
A cranberry‑tinted LIIT—vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon and cranberry over ice.
Southside Royale
An effervescent elevation of the classic Southside with Champagne. Where gin, mint, and lime meet celebratory bubbles for sophisticated sparkle.
Bittered Hanky Panky
A bold evolution of the classic Hanky Panky with increased Fernet-Branca—gin, sweet vermouth, and pronounced herbal bitterness for adventurous palates.
Cucumber Collins
A garden Collins—gin, lemon, and syrup shaken with muddled cucumber and lengthened with soda.
Floradora
Edwardian crowd‑pleaser—gin, lime, and raspberry built tall with ginger ale for a bright, berry‑ginger fizz.
London Mule
A gin mule—London Dry gin, lime, and ginger beer over ice with a bright botanical snap.
Southside Rickey
A sublime marriage of gin, mint, and lime lengthened with club soda. The effervescent intersection of the Southside and Gin Rickey.
Clover Leaf
The mint‑topped cousin of the Clover Club—gin, lemon, raspberry syrup and egg white crowned with a mint leaf.
Dubonnet Cocktail
Gin and Dubonnet Rouge stirred and served with a lemon twist—Queen Elizabeth II’s favored aperitif.
Gin Old Fashioned
A botanical take on the template—gin stirred with sugar and bitters over a large cube.
Grapefruit Bee’s Knees
A citrusy riff—gin, grapefruit and lemon juices with honey syrup, shaken bright.
Pegu Club
A zesty gin sour from the British colonial club in Rangoon, balancing citrus, bitters, and orange liqueur.
Blue Lady
A colorful cousin of the White Lady—gin, blue curaçao, and lemon shaken frothy with optional egg white.
Hanky Panky
Ada Coleman's famous Savoy creation blending gin, sweet vermouth, and a hint of Fernet-Branca.
Paradise
A sunny Savoy-era gin classic with apricot and orange—juicy, bright, and elegantly simple.
Dying Bastard
Amped Suffering Bastard—gin and brandy with added bourbon, lime, bitters, and ginger beer.
Alexander (Gin)
The original Alexander—equal parts gin, crème de cacao, and cream shaken to a velvety dessert sip.
Bramble Royale
A celebratory Bramble—gin, lemon, and crème de mûre topped with dry Champagne for a sparkling blackberry fizz.
Dirty Gibson
A savory martini twist—gin and dry vermouth seasoned with cocktail onion brine and garnished with a pearl onion.
Autumn Bramble
A seasonal spin on the Bramble—gin, lemon, and blackberry with a touch of allspice for fall warmth.
Dead Bastard
The boozy apex—Suffering Bastard with added bourbon and rum, lime, bitters, and ginger beer.
Monkey Gland
Harry MacElhone's cheeky 1920s concoction—dry gin and fresh orange lit up with grenadine and a whisper of absinthe.
Suffering Bastard
Gin, brandy, lime and ginger ale built as a bracing hangover remedy in WWII Cairo that later migrated into tiki lore.
Spiced Berry Sparkler
A contemporary cocktail that fuses ripe berries with warming spices and effervescent sparkle, embodying the farm-to-glass movement with seasonal ingredients and artisanal preparation.
Angel Face
An all-spirit trio of gin, apricot brandy, and Calvados from the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.
Casino Royale
A sophisticated gin cocktail with maraschino liqueur and lemon juice – elegant, complex, and refined like its namesake casino.
Cardinale
A sophisticated Italian aperitivo featuring gin, dry vermouth, and Campari – a perfect balance of botanical complexity and bitter elegance.
Broken Plane
A darker, more complex cousin to the Aviation that adds Cynar and Amaro to create a bittersweet cocktail evoking the melancholy of grounded flights and mechanical failures.
Ferri's Paradise
A modern, more balanced iteration of the historic Paradise cocktail, with an elevated amount of lemon juice to brighten the flavor profile.
Frozen Ramos Fizz
A modern, textural reinterpretation of the iconic New Orleans classic, the Ramos Gin Fizz, transformed into a dense, chilled, sorbet- or slushy-like consistency.
Gin-Boosted Spritz
A modern classic cocktail that elevates the traditional Italian aperitivo into a more complex and botanically rich experience by introducing a measure of high-quality gin.
Gin Jungle Bird
A modern, sophisticated twist on the classic tiki-era Jungle Bird, substituting the traditional rum with the botanical complexity of gin.
Houla Houla Cocktail
A pre-Tiki tropical gin cocktail, representing a bridge between the classic gin cocktails of the early 20th century and the rise of exotic, fruit-forward drinks.
Lavender Bee's Knees
A modern classic that elevates the Prohibition-era Bee's Knees with the aromatic allure of lavender, showcasing the beautiful synergy between botanical gin, tart lemon, sweet honey, and herbal lavender.
Meyer Lemon 75
A modern classic cocktail that reimagines the historic French 75 with the uniquely American ingredient that is the Meyer lemon, resulting in a more nuanced and aromatic drink.
White Negroni
A modern classic that brilliantly reimagines its iconic Italian predecessor through a distinctly French lens, swapping Campari and sweet vermouth for Suze and Lillet Blanc.