These Are the 20 Gin co*cktails You Need to Know (2024)

By Spirit

Gin co*cktails

Martinis and so much more.

Olivia French

Olivia French is writer and content creator based in Charlotte, N.C., whose experience spans co*cktail trends, travel and lifestyle.

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Updated 03/28/22

These Are the 20 Gin co*cktails You Need to Know (1)

The first half of this list is “bartender’s choice” co*cktails, contemporary creations that come straight from the co*cktail shakers of today’s top bartenders. The second half is classics, both pre-Prohibition standards and more modern ones that have achieved worldwide acclaim. You’re sure to find something for every palate among these 20 drinks.

One of gin’s most fascinating and delightful aspects is the wide diversity of flavors within the spirit category. Beyond the designations of London Dry, Old Tom and more, the range of botanicals used to flavor each gin mean that each bottling features unique flavors, from heavily herbaceous to gently floral and anywhere in between. Because of its range, the spirit can play well with a wide variety of ingredients. You just need to choose the right bottle for the particular drink.

No matter your flavor preferences, however, you’re sure to find a new favorite on this list of 20 drinks, from time-honored classic co*cktails to modern-day favorites.

Dorchester

Similar in spirit to a Hemingway Daiquiri, this bright drink switches up the spirit itself, swapping out rum for a London Dry gin in the sweet-tart combo of maraschino liqueur, lime and grapefruit juices, and simple syrup. One sip and you’ll understand why it has remained a favorite at San Francisco’s Slanted Door restaurant.
Get the recipe.
Earl Grey MarTEAni

From famed bar pro Audrey Saunders of the late Pegu Club comes this tea-infused twist on a Gin Sour. Tanqueray gets a boost from Earl Grey tea before joining lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in the shaker. Garnish the sugar-rimmed glass with a lemon twist for a frothy and festive sip.
Get the recipe.
See Also
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Tomato Spritz

In this savory spritz from Katana Kitten head bartender and managing partner Masahiro Urushido, both tomato water and a tomato shrub lend their acidity and brightness to a mix of Hendrick’s gin and extra-dry vermouth. Topped off with club soda and prosecco, it’s the perfect warm-weather refreshment.
Get the recipe.
Green Deacon

The Rosy Deacon is a little-known co*cktail from the 1977 Stan Jones Bar Guide made with London Dry gin, sloe gin, and grapefruit juice. The latter two ingredients give this twist from bar pro Jim Meehan its vivid orange hue and bittersweet flavor, while an absinthe rinse accounts for its name. Meehan invented the variation in 2008 to celebrate two historic drinks-world events: the arrival of Plymouth sloe gin in the U.S. and the recent legalization of absinthe.
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Kiss

This stirred co*cktail from New York City bartender Brian Miller bears similarities to the classic Martinez, thanks to gin, sweet vermouth, and maraschino liqueur. Despite its sweet name, it has an herbaceous complexity that comes from the addition of French liqueur Dubonnet rouge.
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Gin Gin Mule

Another from Saunders, this co*cktail is well on its way to becoming considered a modern classic. Falling somewhere between a Mojito and a Moscow Mule, it calls for muddling mint with lime juice and simple syrup, then adding gin and topping with homemade ginger beer. Add an additional mint sprig as a garnish, and you’ll have one of the most popular drinks from the now-shuttered but forever-loved Pegu Club.
Get the recipe.
Fans of gin’s botanical notes will love this festive from veteran bartender Jamie Gordon. He freshens up the classic format with blanc vermouth, orange bitters, and a bouquet of garnishes, including grapefruit and lemon wheels, a cucumber slice, and a lavender sprig.
Get the recipe.
14 Hours Ahead

Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of New York City, where bar pro and distiller Allen Katz invented this rich Japanese-inspired co*cktail. Matcha lends its grassy notes to a mix of London Dry gin, lemon and lime juices, and honey syrup; heavy cream tempers the tea’s bitter flavors and gives the drink its luscious texture.
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Goldwyn Follies

The classic 1938 movie and namesake of this spiced gin drink was one of the first Technicolor films to grace screens. Katz combines gin, apple juice, cranberry juice, brewed black tea, and cinnamon syrup for an equally vibrant drink.
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Kumquat Breakfast Martini

To make the most of kumquats, which notoriously contain little juice, bar pro Naren Young transforms them into a spiced marmalade. Alongside gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, the resulting marmalade adds fruity tartness and warmth to this riff on a Breakfast Martini.
Get the recipe.
See Also
17 Pama co*cktails That Will Shake Up Your World | DineWithDrinks
Negroni

As legend has it, this classic was invented when Italian count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano made with gin instead of soda water in the early 20th century. Over the course of its 100-year history, the Negroni has spawned a thousand riffs, but the now-classic mix of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth is as beloved as ever.
Get the recipe.
Dry Martini

The classic has inspired as many variations as the Negroni, but this is the one we keep returning to. Since it’s such a straightforward co*cktail, it’s important that you use high-quality ingredients. Everything from the gin to dry vermouth to bitters should be top-notch to ensure you end up with the optimal drink, though the exact ratio of ingredients can be customized according to your particular preferences.
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French 75

Spice up your evening or brunch with this elegant co*cktail. Invented at the height of Prohibition, it was soon immortalized in Henry Craddock’s 1930 book, “The Savoy co*cktail Book.” Although it’s named for the 75-millimeter field gun used by the French during World War I, the combination of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne is far more enjoyable than its moniker might imply.
Get the recipe.
Singapore Sling

Naturally, this drink got its start in Singapore, where it was invented in the early 20th century at Long Bar in the Raffles hotel. It’s one of the few gin drinks in the tropical co*cktail canon and is a twist on the Gin Sling, a type of single-serving punch that has endless variations. We may be biased, but we think this particular Sling, made with gin, Grand Marnier, cherry liqueur, Benedictine, pineapple, lime and club soda, is the best rendition out there.
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Corpse Reviver No. 2

This pre-Prohibition drink may not actually help bring anyone back from the dead, but it makes a pleasant hair of the dog for easing a hangover. It was invented around the 1870s and then faded into obscurity for a while, but it made a comeback in the 1930s. Featuring equal parts gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur, and lemon juice and served in an absinthe-rinsed glass, it’s an easy sipper at any time of day.
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Aviation

This drink was invented in 1916 by Huge Enslinn, who published the recipe in his book “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” while tending bar at Hotel Wallick in New York City. It all but disappeared in the 1960s, however, when crème de violette liqueur stopped being stocked in the U.S. In 2007, Haus Alpenz began importing the liqueur from Austria, so folks stateside could enjoy it mixed with gin, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice in this lovely lavender-hued drink.
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Tom Collins

If you like lemonade, you’ll love this classic. It is similar to the gin punches that were served in London during the 19th century and is a timelessly refreshing mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda that requires no special tools whatsoever, making it perfect for the laziest summer days.
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Bee’s Knees

This Prohibition-era co*cktail, said to have been invented in Paris at the Hotel Ritz, riffs on the Gin Sour by swapping in honey syrup for the usual simple syrup, alongside gin and freshly squeezed lemon juice. A lemon twist is all that’s needed to finish off the easy, simple, and delicious drink.
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Clover Club

Invented in Philadelphia in the late 1800s, this drink is perhaps that city’s most important contribution to the co*cktail world. The bright and beautiful combination of gin, lemon juice, raspberry syrup ,and egg white shakes up to a lovely froth-topped rose pink. Garnish it with a few skewered fresh raspberries for a perfect final touch.
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Last Word

Created at the Detroit Athletic Club around 1915 and revived in the early 2000s by Seattle bartender Murray Stenson, this co*cktail features the assertive flavors of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice, which form a perfect equal-parts balance in the bartender favorite.
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