62 Gin Cocktail Recipes

Gin is the most versatile bottle on any back bar. Because it is a neutral spirit redistilled with juniper and a botanical bill that can run to a dozen ingredients or more, it arrives with flavour already built in: pine, citrus peel, coriander, angelica, orris root. That is why gin drinks stretch across such extremes, from the bone-dry Martini to a Tom Collins you could sip all afternoon. The style you pour matters. London dry is crisp and juniper-led, and it is what most classic recipes quietly assume. Plymouth is softer and earthier. Old Tom carries a touch of sugar and suits pre-Prohibition recipes. Contemporary gins push citrus or florals forward and can overwhelm a delicate stirred drink, so taste before committing a whole batch. Gin is also forgiving. It takes citrus beautifully, sits well under sparkling wine, and is the one spirit that genuinely improves with a dash of something bitter. Start with a Gimlet or a Negroni and work outwards from there.