Gin cocktails can range from refreshing sips featuring mint leaves, tonic water, and lemon simple syrup to the bold and bitter, like a Negroni made with dry gin, dry vermouth, and Campari. In this roundup of 24 essential gin cocktail recipes, we'll start you off with the basics — a classic (and a frozen!) gin and tonic — before diving into the frothy, fizzy, and everything in between.
Best gin cocktail recipes
Frozen cocktails aren't just reserved for margaritas. This big-batch classic cocktail is exactly what we want to drink poolside. Or on the balcony of a cruise ship. Or sprawled out on a big picnic blanketon a hot summer day. Or maybe tucked into a blanket on the couch, imagining those things.
2. Gin Fizz with Cointreau, Orange Juice, and Orange Flower Water
Four kinds of orange flavor — Cointreau, fresh orange juice, orange flower water, and an orange twist — bring the flavor of Florida sunshine to this creamy cocktail inspired by the 19th century Ramos Gin Fizz.
3. Frozen Peach Lemonade with Gin
"Sweet-tart lemonade and juicy, ripe peaches are summer classics, so why not combine the two for an ultra-refreshing cocktail? A quick honey syrup brings the sweetness, but you can dial the amount up or down depending on how sweet (or tart) you like your drinks," writes recipe developer Erin Alexander.
This four-ingredient citrus cocktail pairs gin, lemon juice, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, and vermouth. Our team likes using Hendricks for its subtle notes of refreshing cucumber, but choose your favorite.
5. Gin Martini
With this recipe, you won't only learn how to make a gin martini. You'll learn how to make the bestgin martini using the right ratio of gin to vermouth and the right temperature of alcohol.
6. Grapefruit Tarragon Gin and Tonic
Tart grapefruit juice is a surprisingly good pairing for earthy tarragon in this delicious twist on a gin and tonic.
7. Gin Spritz
It doesn't take much to make a spectacular spirit like gin even more special. In this case, a little bit of lime juice, fresh mint, sugar, and a splash of something bubbly go a long way.
8. The Fall 75 - Fall Champagne Cocktail
From Halloween parties to harvest festivals to Thanksgiving, this festive fall cocktail made with vanilla berry syrup, blood orange juice, gin, and champagne is the ultimate way to celebrate.
9. Rhubarb and Rose Ramos Gin Fizz
Gin and tonics are lovable and drinkable year-round, but the addition of rose water, rhubarb syrup, and equal parts lemon and lime juice bring this cocktail into spring territory.
10. Gin Rickey
Is it bad to drink before noon? With a refreshing cocktail like this in hand, we don't see how anyone could wait until 5 o'clock.
11. The Written Word
"A riff on the classic pre-Prohibition era cocktail, The Last Word, this drink seamlessly blends the citrusy flavors of the Cointreau (which replaces the traditional maraschino liqueur) and lime juice with the herbal notes from the gin and green Chartreuse," says our editors.
Combine equal parts gin and lemon juice, plus simple syrup, in a shaker with ice and then top with sparkling rosé.
13. Kiss the Ring (a riff on the French 75)
As the name implies, this refreshing cocktail is a summery twist on the French 75. Pair gin with Cointreau, fresh-squeezed blood orange juice, and Prosecco for a celebratory cocktail.
14. Ramos Gin Fizz
To make one of the world's classiest gin cocktails, combine gin, half-and-half, simple syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, orange blossom water, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Shake as hard as you possibly can to get a very frothy, foamy consistency.
15. Cucumber-Fennel Fizz Cocktail
"The cucumber is the standout flavor with a hint of fennel in the background. The lime juice and vinegar add a nicely sour edge. The fizz makes everything livelier," write our editors.
16. Italian Sparkler: A Gin Amaro Cocktail
The more bitter the amaro, the better for this gin and prosecco cocktail.
Rebecca Firkser developed this recipe for a staple gin cocktail. A salty dog is a greyhound (that's roughly one part vodka or gin to roughly four parts grapefruit juice, served in a rocks glass over ice) with a salted rim, she explains.
A classic French 75 is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. You can enjoy a nearly timeless version by using blood orange juice in place of lemon.
19. Southside
"The Southside is a fantastic cocktail to exhibit the transformative power of mint. At its heart it's basically a fresh gin gimlet with some mint in the shaker," writes recipe developer Erik Lombardo. It dates back to the mid-19th century but has stayed relevant more than 150 years later.
Think beyond lime juice for the perfect gin cocktail. Muddled mint leaves, sliced oranges, and, yes, lime juice perk up gin and a splash of seltzer.
21. Bowery Punch
Our team assures every host or hostess out there that this gin cocktail recipe will appease drinkers who prefer something lighter and brighter, and those who crave something more robust.
Preparing this aromatic wine syrup requires a little extra effort, but it's well worth it for this extra-special gin and Prosecco cocktail.
23. Tom Collins
Timeless and always appealing, this four-ingredient cocktail tastes like a gin-kissed lemonade.
Take a sip of the Italian countryside in the form of this simple, three-ingredient cocktail.
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