15 of Our Favorite Gin Cocktails

Gimlet

This three-ingredient classic combines gin, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup and is thought to have been created in the late 1800s. The original recipe called for Rose's Lime Juice Cordial, a shelf-stable combination of lime and sugar, created for the British Royal Navy to help stave off scurvy during extended time at sea.

With so few elements involved, this traditional sour cocktail relies on a very precise balance of ingredients for all three to shine.

French 75

This sparkling classic, named for the rapid-firing field gun used by the French military during World War I, consists of gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and chilled brut Champagne. As the name implies, the drink has a kick coming from the herbaceous gin addition.

The cocktail first appeared in print in the late 1920s in the throes of Prohibition, but was likely invented decades before and included Cognac as its base spirit instead of gin.

Ramos Gin Fizz

This iconic New Orleans cocktail combines gin, heavy cream, egg white, lemon and lime juices, orange flower water, vanilla extract, and soda water. 

Frothy and floral, this cocktail was originally called a New Orleans Fizz and was created in 1888 at Nola's Imperial Cabinet Saloon by the owner Henry Charles Ramos, known as “Carl” to his regulars.

Aviation

This vibrant-colored pre-Prohibition classic is a combination of gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette.

Thought to have been created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York City in the early 20th century, this floral cocktail gets its unique color and flavor from a violet liqueur with a purple hue and a heavily perfumed profile.

Gin & Tonic

The Gin & Tonic is one of the most popular highballs and the most well-known cocktail featuring gin. This bubbly tall drink simply combines one-part botanical-rich gin with two-parts tonic, an effervescent soda known for its quinine bite.

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this two-ingredient creation said to have originated in India by British soldiers stationed there in the 19th century. With endless variations of gin expressions and tonic styles, this summer favorite has countless permutations.

Bicycle Thief

This Negroni-like highball, named for the classic 1948 Italian film, consists of gin, Campari, fresh grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup and topped with club soda.

The drink was created in the mid-aughts by bartenders Zachary Gelnaw-Rubin and Abraham Hawkins while at Dutch Kills in Long Island City, New York and was featured in the 2016 book Regarding Cocktails by Sasha Petraske with Georgette Moger-Petraske. 

French Blonde

The French Blonde is a fresh and floral cocktail that combines Lillet Blanc, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon bitters.

The drink recently found a spotlight with claims that it was Taylor Swift's favorite cocktail but was likely created sometime in the mid-2000s. Sweet and floral French fortified wine, Lillet Blanc is the primary spirit in this drink with a smaller proportion of gin added as a sturdy backbone.

Corpse Reviver No. 2

This pre-Prohibition cocktail is part of a family of drinks said to have been created as a hangover "cure," a morning pick-me-up after a night of imbibing.

Made with equal parts gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, with a dash of absinthe that can be used as a "rinse" in the glass before the drink is poured. This small swirl of absinthe is an important component of the drink, lending just the right amount of bitter anise aromatics.

Negroni

Despite the Negroni's endless capacity for shape-shifting, this recipe is for the most classic version of the cocktail — think of it as an ode to its comforting simplicity. Made with vibrant red Campari, sweet vermouth, and gin, in equal parts, the drink is balanced with a combination of earthy, bitter, and botanical flavors.

This iconic cocktail is said to have been created in 1919 at Bar Casoni in Florence, Italy. The story goes that an Italian Count — Camillo Negroni — requested the bartender amp up his favorite cocktail, the Americano, with gin in place of soda water. The rest is history.

Red Snapper

Bloody Mary fans who prefer gin over vodka will love this botanical twist on the brunch favorite.

Made with gin, tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper spice, the additional flavor comes from a garden of vegetable garnishes. A celery stalk, fresh cucumber, and a cherry tomato top this weekend staple.

Martini

Since the 19th century, the Martini has been one of the best-known cocktails. Though it could be made with gin or vodka, the juniper-forward spirit is the classic choice.

Dry vermouth, a few dashes of bitters, and an aromatic garnish complete the cocktail and are key components. A lemon twist or olives are standard garnish choices for a Martini.

Singapore Sling

Created in the early 1900s at Singapore's Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel, this tropical drink combines gin, orange liqueur, cherry liqueur, Benedictine, grenadine, pineapple juice, and Angostura bitters.

Drinks historians most often credit the original recipe to Long Bar bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, who is said to have shaken the first Sling. The Singapore Sling is supposedly a variant of the Gin Sling — a small, single-serving punch. 

The Bee's Knees

For a bright burst of sunshine in a glass, this Prohibition-era cocktail combines gin, lemon juice, and honey.

The cocktail is often credited to Frank Meier, while he was behind the bar at Paris' Hôtel Ritz in the 1920s. This variation on a classic Gin Sour simply swaps sugar for honey, creating a richer and rounder drink with a bee-stung complexity.

This classic cocktail is traditionally served up, but this recipe, from Chef Missy Robbins, features the drink on the rocks.

Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is from the Collins family of drinks, which is technically a sour cocktail with the addition of soda water. Similar to a Gin Sling or Gin Fizz, this refreshing cocktail calls for gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, loose sugar, and club water.

This 19th-century creation is said to have been invented by a bartender named John Collins. The name was supposedly hijacked by the regulars who referred to the drink as a Tom Collins after the Old Tom gin that featured in the recipe at the time.

Gibson Martini

There are endless ways to tweak a classic Martini, from changing up the ratios as in a 50/50, infusing the gin, barrel aging the cocktail, or simply changing up the garnishes - like in the case of the Gibson, which employs a pickled onion instead of an olive or twist.

This large batched Gibson scales up both the gin and dry vermouth proportions and includes a recipe for pickled pearl onions. A portion of the pickled onion juice is then used in the batched cocktail recipe for added brine.