20 best gin cocktails & simple gin drink recipes

Gin cocktails offer distinctive and refreshing flavors, perfect for those who love creativity in the world of beverages. Red Apron brings you a curated selection of 20 unique and elegant gin drink recipes suitable for any occasion—perfect for entertaining friends, family, or colleagues. These simple gin drinks combine premium spirits with fresh ingredients to create memorable experiences.

1. Gimlet Cocktail

A refreshing blend of gin, fresh lime juice, and homemade lime syrup, topped with a hint of mint. With only 3 ingredients, this is an ideal gin cocktail for a relaxed afternoon.

Ingredients:

Lime Syrup:

• 2 limes (juice and zest)
• 75g granulated sugar

Gimlet:

• 50ml gin
• 25ml homemade lime syrup
• 25ml lime juice
• Lime slice & mint sprig (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the lime syrup
Add lime zest, lime juice, and sugar to a small saucepan. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Simmer lightly for 1–2 minutes until the mixture turns into a syrup. Let it cool and store in a clean jar.

Step 2: Mix the Gimlet
Add gin, lime syrup, and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime slice and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately while cold.

The Gimlet cocktail offers a refreshing lightness yet brims with vitality, making it one of the most beloved simple gin drinks.

2. Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling is a delightful gin-based cocktail that delivers a perfect blend of refreshing fruit flavors and distinctive ingredients like cherry brandy and Cointreau.

Ingredients:

• 25ml gin
• 1 tbsp cherry brandy
• ½ tbsp Benedictine
• ½ tbsp Cointreau
• 50ml pineapple juice
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 5 drops Angostura bitters
• Soda water (optional)
• Pineapple slice & maraschino cherry (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Mix the ingredients
Add gin, cherry brandy, Benedictine, Cointreau, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and Angostura bitters into a shaker with ice. Shake well until all ingredients are fully combined.

Step 2: Strain and garnish
Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice. If desired, top with a splash of soda water and garnish with a pineapple slice and a Maraschino cherry.

The Singapore Sling is the perfect choice for those seeking a refreshing and sophisticated twist in their gin cocktails.

3. French 75

The French 75 is an elegant cocktail named after the fast-firing field gun used during World War I. This refined gin drink recipe combines gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne, resulting in a cocktail that's both powerful and refreshing.

Ingredients:

• 30ml gin
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml simple syrup
• 120ml sparkling wine (preferably Champagne)
• Lemon twist (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mix
Add the gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well chilled.

Step 2: Strain and finish
Strain the mixture into a chilled flute glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist for a touch of elegance.

The French 75 is the perfect choice for special occasions, embodying the elegance and legacy of a historical era among gin cocktails.

4. Cucumber Gin Cocktail

Cucumber paired with Makrut lime leaves creates a delightful gin cocktail that refreshes and soothes the body on hot afternoons. With the perfect blend of fresh lime juice and soda, this drink is not only invigorating but also exceptionally light and cooling.

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 5 Makrut lime leaves or lemon peels
• 2 tsp raw sugar
• 4 lemon slices
• 120ml gin
• 30ml lemon juice
• Soda water

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mixture
Use a peeler to create four long, thin ribbons from the cucumber (each about 10 cm long), and finely chop the remaining cucumber. Add the chopped cucumber, Makrut lime leaves, sugar, and two lime slices to a shaker.

Gently muddle the ingredients to release their flavors. Add gin and fresh lime juice, then fill the shaker with ice. Seal and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds.

Step 2: Strain and finish
Strain the mixture into two Collins glasses filled with ice. Top each glass with soda water and stir gently to combine. Garnish each drink with two cucumber ribbons and the remaining lime slices.

The Cucumber Gin Cocktail is perfect for enjoying during the summer, ranking among the most refreshing simple gin drinks.

5. Ramos Gin Fizz

Ramos Gin Fizz is a famous cocktail from New Orleans, combining gin, heavy cream, egg white, fresh lemon juice, orange flower water, and soda water. Created by bartender Henry Charles Ramos in 1888, this gin drink recipe quickly became a symbol of the city.

Ingredients:

• 45ml gin
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml lime juice
• 30ml simple syrup
• 30ml heavy cream
• 1 egg white
• ½ tsp orange flower water
• 3 drops vanilla extract (optional)
• Soda water
• Orange twist (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mixture
Add all the ingredients (except soda water) to a shaker without ice. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for at least 45 seconds to 1 minute until the mixture becomes smooth.

Step 2: Chill the mixture
Open the shaker, add ice cubes, and stir gently with a bar spoon in a circular motion for about 15–20 seconds to chill the mixture.

Step 3: Strain and finish
Strain the mixture into a chilled Collins glass without ice. Slowly top up with chilled soda water, pouring carefully to create a thick, foamy layer. Stop pouring when the liquid is about 2.5 cm below the rim of the glass to let the foam rise naturally. Garnish with an orange twist.

By the late 19th century, the Ramos Gin Fizz had become a staple at bars across New Orleans, establishing itself as one of the most iconic gin cocktails.

6. Aviation

Aviation is a classic cocktail that originated before the Prohibition era, combining gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and Crème de Violette. With its signature pale purple hue, the Aviation stands out thanks to the harmonious blend of gin and violet liqueur, inspired by the soft blue of the sky.

Ingredients:

• 60ml gin
• 22ml lemon juice
• 15ml maraschino liqueur
• 7ml crème de violette
• Cherry (optional garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Shake the mixture
Add gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and Crème de Violette into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until well chilled.

Step 2: Strain and garnish
Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sour cherry or a brandied cherry, and enjoy.

The Aviation gained popularity through the Savoy Cocktail Book published in 1930, becoming a beloved choice among gin drink recipes.

7. Gin & Tonic

Gin and Tonic is one of Todd Thrasher's favorite cocktails, with two key requirements: the ice must be large enough to melt slowly, and the tonic must be of high quality. According to Thrasher, what sets an ordinary Gin and Tonic apart from an exceptional one is the quality of the ingredients and the meticulousness of the preparation.

Ingredients:

• 45ml gin
• 120ml chilled tonic (e.g., Fever Tree)
• Lemon slices
• Ice

How to make:
Pour gin and tonic into a highball with ice, stir, and garnish.

Simple yet refreshingly perfect – the Gin and Tonic remains the most popular among simple gin drinks.

8. Bicycle Thief

The Bicycle Thief is a refreshing and bittersweet gin cocktail made with gin, Campari, fresh grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup, topped with soda water. Created in the mid-2000s by Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin and Abraham Hawkins at Dutch Kills in New York, the cocktail is named after the classic 1948 Italian film.

Ingredients:

• 30ml gin
• 30ml Campari
• 45ml grapefruit juice
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml simple syrup
• Soda water
• Orange or grapefruit slice (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mixture
Add all ingredients (except soda and garnish) into a shaker with ice. Shake for 10–15 seconds until well chilled.

Step 2: Strain and finish
Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass, top with soda water, and garnish with an orange or grapefruit slice.

A refreshing gin drink recipe with impressive flavor layers.

9. French Blonde

The French Blonde is a light, floral, and refreshing gin cocktail made with Lillet Blanc, fresh grapefruit juice, gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon bitters. It recently gained popularity as it's rumored to be Taylor Swift's favorite cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 60ml grapefruit juice
• 60ml Lillet Blanc
• 30ml gin
• 15ml elderflower liqueur (e.g., St-Germain)
• 3 drops lemon bitters

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mixture
Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake for 10–15 seconds until chilled.

Step 2: Strain and serve
Strain into a chilled martini glass. No garnish needed.

Uses less gin than usual and shines with tart grapefruit and floral notes, making it one of the most elegant simple gin drinks.

10. Corpse Reviver No. 2

Corpse Reviver No. 2 is part of a family of strong gin cocktails designed to "revive" the drinker after a long night. Despite its high alcohol content, it's well-balanced with a mix of herbal, citrus, and orange liqueur notes.

Ingredients:

• 22ml gin
• 22ml Lillet Blanc
• 22ml Cointreau
• 22ml lemon juice
• 1 drop absinthe
• Lemon twist (garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Prepare the mixture
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake for about 20 seconds.

Step 2: Serve
Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Stronger than the original version — a bold and balanced classic among gin drink recipes.

11. Negroni

Negroni is a simple yet iconic Italian cocktail, now a favorite in bars across the U.S. With a signature bittersweet profile, it has inspired countless creative variations. Campari and Imbibe magazine launched Negroni Week in 2013 to celebrate its legacy.

Ingredients:

• 22ml gin
• 22ml Campari
• 22ml sweet vermouth
• Orange peel (for garnish)

How to make:
Add ice to a rocks glass. Pour in gin, vermouth, and Campari. Stir well and garnish with an orange peel.

Vibrant, bittersweet, and unmistakably Italian, the Negroni stands as one of the most celebrated gin cocktails worldwide.

12. Red Snapper

Red Snapper is essentially a gin-based Bloody Mary. Created in 1934 by Fernand Petiot at the King Cole Bar, St. Regis New York, it was renamed from Bloody Mary at the request of hotel owner Vincent Astor.

Ingredients:

• 15ml fresh lemon juice
• 120ml tomato juice
• Pinch of sea salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 5ml Tabasco
• 5ml Worcestershire sauce
• 45ml gin
• Celery stalk, cucumber twist, cherry tomato (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Mix base
Combine lemon juice, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds.

Step 2: Strain
Strain into a 350ml glass filled with small ice cubes.

Step 3: Finish
Add gin, stir gently, and garnish with celery, cucumber, and cherry tomato.

A savory, globally loved brunch cocktail that represents one of the most unique gin drink recipes.

13. Martini

The Martini is an elegant and timeless cocktail. At Maison Premiere, their Martini is crafted with precision—from the quality of ingredients and chilling method to the twist of lemon zest. All these elements come together to create a simple yet perfect Martini.

Ingredients:

• 65ml dry gin
• 30ml dry vermouth (e.g., Dolin)
• 3 drops Angostura orange bitters
• Lemon twist (for garnish)
• Green olive (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Chill and prep garnish
Chill a martini glass. Skewer the olive and prepare a lemon twist.

Step 2: Stir
Add bitters, vermouth, and gin into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until thoroughly chilled.

Step 3: Strain and finish
Strain into the chilled martini glass. Express the lemon twist over the drink and garnish with both the twist and olive.

A Martini that embodies purity and refined flavor, representing the pinnacle of gin cocktails.

14. The Bee's Knees

The Bee's Knees is a Prohibition-era classic that balances the brightness of lemon with the sweetness of honey and the smoothness of gin. Though usually served in a coupe, chef Missy Robbins prefers it over ice.

Honey Syrup:

• 240ml water
• 240ml honey

Cocktail Ingredients:

• 60ml gin
• 22ml fresh lemon juice
• 15ml honey syrup

How to make:

Step 1: Make honey syrup
Heat honey and water in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey fully dissolves. Let cool and store in a glass container.

Step 2: Shake and serve
Combine gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe or rocks glass over ice.

A classic gin cocktail with a naturally balanced trio of flavors that showcases the versatility of simple gin drinks.

15. Tom Collins

First mentioned in 1882, the Tom Collins uses Old Tom Gin, a sweeter alternative to London Dry Gin. The cocktail is known for its simplicity, allowing the gin to shine. Though it saw a dip in quality during the 1980s due to sour mix, the original recipe with fresh lemon and sugar remains timeless.

Ingredients:

• Soda water (e.g., Fever Tree)
• 1¾ tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 60ml gin
• Maraschino cherry and lemon slice (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Mix base
In a Collins glass, combine lemon juice and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Step 2: Build cocktail
Fill the glass with ice, add gin, and top with soda water. Stir gently.

Step 3: Garnish
Add a lemon slice and maraschino cherry. Serve immediately.

Crisp, clean, and eternally refreshing, the Tom Collins remains one of the most beloved gin drink recipes.

16. Gibson Martini

The Gibson is a lesser-known variation of the classic Martini, featuring pickled onion brine instead of olives or lemon. It offers a clean, savory profile. For best results, make your own pickled onions.

Pickled Onions:

• 450g white onions, root ends trimmed
• 180ml rice vinegar
• 180ml water
• 60g sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 1 garlic clove, halved

Martini Ingredients:

• 240ml gin
• 120ml dry vermouth (e.g., Dolin)
• 30ml pickled onion brine
• 8 cups ice

How to make:

Step 1: Make pickled onions
Boil onions in salted water for 6–8 mins. Cool in ice water, peel, and place in a jar. Heat vinegar, water, sugar, salt, spices, and garlic until dissolved. Pour over onions. Cool and refrigerate at least 3 days.

Step 2: Stir Martini
Combine gin, vermouth, and onion brine with ice in a mixing glass. Stir for 1 minute.

Step 3: Strain and garnish
Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a pickled onion. Repeat for additional servings.

Perfect for dinner parties or sophisticated evenings, the Gibson Martini offers a unique twist among gin cocktails.

17. Rhubarb and Ginger Negroni

This modern take on the classic Negroni includes rhubarb-ginger jam, giving it a spring-like twist. Created at Black Dice, a 1960s rock 'n' roll bar beneath Moroccan restaurant MOMO in Mayfair.

Ingredients:

• 40ml Botani gin
• 20ml Martini Rosso
• 20ml Campari
• 1 tsp rhubarb and ginger jam
• Orange peel or pickled ginger (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Build cocktail
Add all ingredients to a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds to chill and blend.

Step 2: Garnish
Skewer a twist of orange or some pickled ginger and place on the rim

Bright, bold, and just right for spring, this innovative gin drink recipe showcases modern mixology creativity.

18. English Garden Cocktail

The English Garden is a light, floral gin cocktail that evokes the essence of a British summer. Featuring gin, elderflower, and cucumber, it's simple yet elegant.

Ingredients:

• 50ml gin
• 25ml elderflower liqueur (e.g., St-Germain)
• 75ml apple juice
• 10ml lemon juice
• Cucumber ribbon (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Shake
Add all ingredients (except garnish) to a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a tall glass over fresh ice.

Step 2: Garnish
Use a cucumber ribbon to decorate the glass.

Ideal for warm-weather gatherings and garden parties, representing the finest simple gin drinks for outdoor entertaining.

19. Tuxedo Cocktail

The Tuxedo is a refined variation of the Martini that uses dry sherry (instead of vermouth) to add a nutty undertone. It's elegant and distinct—perfect for those seeking a twist on the classic.

Ingredients:

• 50ml London Dry Gin
• 20–25ml dry fino or manzanilla sherry
• 2 drops orange bitters
• Orange peel (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Stir
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled.

Step 2: Strain
Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with orange peel.

A sophisticated choice for lovers of classic gin cocktails who appreciate subtle complexity.

20. White Negroni

The White Negroni is a modern herbal take on the classic aperitif, replacing Campari with Suze. Suze brings a citrusy bitterness and herbal elegance while keeping the original Negroni structure intact.

Ingredients:

• 25ml gin
• 25ml Suze (French bitter liqueur)
• 25ml Cocchi Americano
• Grapefruit twist (for garnish)

How to make:

Step 1: Mix
Fill a rocks glass ⅔ with ice. Add gin, Suze, and Cocchi Americano. Stir for 20 seconds until chilled.

Step 2: Finish
Add more ice if needed, garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Light, herbaceous, and refreshingly modern, the White Negroni represents the evolution of contemporary gin drink recipes.

Gin-based cocktails offer a diverse and delightful experience in every sip—from timeless classics like the Gin & Tonic or Negroni to creative modern twists. These simple gin drinks showcase the versatility and sophistication that make gin the perfect base spirit for any occasion. To fully enjoy the exquisite flavors of these gin cocktails, consider exploring high-quality gin selections at Red Apron, a trusted source for authentic, premium spirits that elevate every gin drink recipe to perfection.