Top 10 Gin Cocktail Recipes

I posted on Monday about my top 10 favourite vodka cocktail recipes. If you don’t like vodka don’t worry, because here are my top 10 Gin cocktail recipes! So why not round up the girls for a cocktail party over Christmas? I normally have a theme to my cocktail parties (such as glamour), where everyone has to dress in a certain way, makes it that little bit more fun!

Singapore Sling

The Singapore Sling, surprisingly enough, originated in Singapore, at a bar called the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. It’s not a world famous cocktail and to mix your own you will require the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of gin
• One tablespoon of Benedictine
• One tablespoon of cherry brandy
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• One tablespoon of sugar syrup
• Soda water
• A twist of lemon

Add the shot of gin, the benedictine, the cherry brandy, lemonjuice and sugar syrup to a shaker 1/2 filled with ice and shake well. Strain the cocktail into an ice-filled sling glass, top up the glass with soda water and finish with a twist of lemon.

Pink Gin

The pink gin is a very traditional cocktail, which has been around since the early 20th century. Very straight forward to mix too, you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of gin
• Angostura bitter

Rinse a clean martini glass with Angostura bitter and then simply add the large shot of gin. Easy!

The Bramble Cocktail

The Bramble was invented by bartender supreme Dick Bradsell and is a popular gin cocktail. To make a bramble cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients.

• 50ml (one large shot) of gin
• 25ml fresh lime juice
• 1/2 shot sugar syrup
• 2 Blackberries
• One shot creme de mure

Start by shaking the gin, the shot of fresh limejuice and the 1/2 shot of sugar syrup in a shaker half-filled with ice. Once you’ve shaken it all together, strain the contents into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and pour a small measure of creme de mure over the top. For the perfect garnish, try two blackberries on top!

Martini

The martini is of course a classic cocktail, and was once described by Khrushchev as “America’s lethal weapon”. To make the perfect Martini you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of gin
• Dash of dry vermouth
• Lots of ice!
• An olive or twist of lemon skin

Start by filling a shaker or mixing glass half full with ice and add the splash of dry vermouth. Stir the ice and vermouth gently and then strain. Add more ice and the gin, stir gently with a bar spoon (20 revolutions is recommended) and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with either an olive or twist of lemon skin, depending on preference and enjoy!The classic cocktail, described by Khrushchev as “America’s lethal weapon”.

Negroni Cocktail

The Negroni is an Americano with gin added and gets its name from County Camillo Negromi, who decided that a standard Americano was not strong enough for him. To make a Negroni cocktail you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One small shot (25ml) of Campari
• One small shot of gin
• One small shot of red vermouth
• Ice!
• Orange slice for garnish

Making the perfect Negroni is as simple as it gets… pour each of the shots into a rocks glass filled with ice, stir, add more ice and garnish with the orange slice. Easy!

Caruso Cocktail

To mix the perfect Caruso cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of gin
• One tablespoon of dry vermouth
• One tablespoon of green creme de menthe

Add the large shot of gin, the dry vermouth and creme de menthe to a shaker half filled with ice. Stir well and strain the cocktail into a chilled cocktail glass.

Alaska Cocktail

To mix your very own Alaska cocktail, you will require the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of gin
• Two tablespoons of yellow Chartreuse
• Two dashes of orange bitter
• One cherry

Half fill a cocktail shaker with ince and add the gin, yellow Chartreuse and orange bitter. Shake well and strain the contents into a chilled martini glass. Finish off with a cherry on top for the perfect garnish.

The Wibble

The Wibble cocktail gets it name as it will make you wobble… but you won’t fall over…. honest! To mix the perfect wibble coktail you will need the following ingredients: -

• One small shot (25ml) of gin
• One small shot of sloe gin
• One small shot of grapefruit juice
• 1/4 of a small shot of lemon juice
• 1/3 of a small shot of sugar syrup
• 1/3 of a small shot of creme de mure
• A twist of lemon

Add the gin, sloe gin, grapefruit huice, lemon juice, sugar syrup and creme de mure into a cocktail shaker 1/2 filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish the cocktail with a lemon twist and enjoy!

Distressed Damson

To mix your very own Distressed Damson cocktail, you will need the following ingredients: -

• One chopped fresh lime
• Blueberries
• One large shot (50ml) of damson gin

Mix together the chopped lime and blueberries in a rocks glass. Add the large shot of damson gin, stir well and top up the glass with some crushed ice. Enjoy!

Gin and Tonic

The gin and tonic is one of the most common cocktails in the world and also one of the simplest. For a cool, sharp gin and tonic you will need the following: -

• One large shot and a half of premium gin (75ml).
• One Lemon
• One Lime
• Cold tonic water.

For the perfect gin and tonic, use the following method. Fill a chilled Collins glass with ice and add the shot and a half of gin. Add a couple of slices each of lemon and lime and for an extra zine wipe another slice of lime around the rim of the glass. Top up to taste with ice cold tonic water. Enjoy!

Top 10 Vodka Cocktail Recipes

As Christmas is just around the corner I thought now would be a good time to put together a list of my top 10 favourite Vodka Cocktail Recipes. They are all easy to make, so why not organise a cocktail party for the perfect excuse to try them out. Have fun girls and drink sensibly!

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Raise a glass to Carrie and those Sex And The City girls by easily mixing your very own Cosmopolitan Cocktail. To create the perfect Cosmopolitan you will need the following ingredients: -

• 1oz of vodka
• 1/2 oz of triple sec
• 1/2 oz of lime juice
• 1/2 oz of cranberry juice

Shake the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime together in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain the contents into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass. Serve immediately.

Bloody Mary

An all time classic, which I’m sure you’ve all experienced in the past, but here’s how to make the perfect Bloody Mary! You’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka (we recommend a pepper vodka, such as Absolut Pepper)
• 200ml of tomato juice
• 2 - 10 dashes of tabasco (depending how spicy you would like it!)
• 2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• One teaspoon of horseradish sauce
• One dash of port or red wine
• The juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• A grind of salt and pepper
• Small stick of celery
• Slice of lime

Not the most challenging to mix this one! Bang everything into a shaker 1/2 filled with ice, shake and strain the contents into an ice-filled highball. Garnish the cocktail with a small stick of celery and a slice of lime and hey presto, the perfect Bloody Mary!

Vodka Espresso

Great story behind this one, and if you need an instant kick then this is the one for you! The Vodka Espresso was invented by famous cocktail mixer Dick Bradsell when he worked in Fred’s Bar, Soho, London. The story goes that a well known model walked into the bar and asked Dick to mix her a drink that would “wake me up, and then f*** me up!”. On the spur of the moment, Dick mixed the brand new drink with the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• One large shot of fresh espresso coffee
• Dash of sugar syrup
• Dash ot Toissant liqueur (or Kahlua).

Start by shaking half filling a shaker with ice and add the large shot of vodka, the espresso, sugar syrup and toissant. Shake well and then strain the contents into a chilled martini glass. A great way to set you up for a long night ahead!

Harvey Wallbanger

Another great story behind the world famous Harvey Wallbanger cocktail. It is said that a surfer called Harvey, who’s tipple of choice was the Screwdriver, lost a surf contest, and in desparate need to down his sorrows, concluded that his usual screwdriver just wouldn’t be strong enough for him. He mixesd his screwdriver and decided to add some Galliano to the mixture. The rest of the evening was spent bumping into things, and, voila, the Harvey Wallbanger was born. To mix your very own Harvey Wallbanger you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• Fresh orange juice
• Half a small shot (25ml) of Galliano
• Slice of orange

Pour the vodka shot into an ice filled highball and then fill almost to the top with fresh orange juice. Stir well, and then float the shot of Galliano on top. Serve with a straw, garnish with a slice of orange and watch out for the walls!

Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule cocktail has been around for a while, but really became popular in the late 90s when Smirnoff launched a pre-mixed version. Where’s the fun in that though, especially when it’s so easy to make your own! All you’ll need is the following: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• One lime (cut into wedges)
• Ginger beer or ginger ale
• Ice

Start by filling a highball with ice and then add the large shot of Vodka. Squeeze the lime into the glass and then for extra zest drop the husks in. Top up the glass with ginger beer (or ale), stir well and serve immediately with a straw. Na zdorovia! Cheers

White Russian

The White Russian is a very popular cocktail, which has been around for quite a while. To make a White Russian you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• One small shot (25ml) of Kahlua
• One small shot of single cream

Mix the vodka and kahlua in a shaker, which has been 2/3 filled with ice. Shake the drink well and strain the contents of the shaker into an ice-filled rocks glass. Layer a small shot of single cream over the top of the cocktail by pouring it over the back of a spoon.

Anouchka

The Anouchka cocktail was created at the Library Bar, by world famous bar tender Salvatore Calabrese. The cocktail was first mixed for a Russian guest, after they asked for something “strong and sweet”. To mix an Anouchka cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients (nice and simple this one!).

• One large shot (50ml) of Vodka
• Two dashes of creme de mure.
• Some frozen water… ice ;-p

Half fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka and creme de mure. Stir well and strain the contents into a pre-chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy!

Dillitini

To mix your very own Dillitini cocktail you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• One small shot (25ml) of aquavit
• A handful of fresh dill

Put all the ingredients into a shaker, which has been half filled with ice. Shake the cocktail thoroughly for 25-30 seconds and strain the contents into a chilled martini glass.

Detroit Martini

To make the perfect Detroit Martini cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients: -

• One large shot (50ml) of vodka
• A dash of sugar syrup
• A dash of orange bitters
• 2 sprigs of mint

Half fill a shaker with ice and add the vodka, sugar syrup, orange bitter and a sprig of mint. Shake well for 25-30 seconds and strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass. Garnish the cocktail with the second sprig of mint and enjoy!

Tatanka Cocktail

The Tatanka cocktail is Polands favourite mixed Vodka drink, so it must be good! Nice and easy this one and all you’ll need for the perfect Tatanka cocktail is the following: -

• Apple juice
• Vodka
• Ice

Mix the apple juice and the vodka together in a ration of 2:1 and serve in a tumbler over lots of ice. Nice Na zdrowie. Vivat! Cheers

That’s it for my top 10 vodka cocktails. If you’ve got a favourite Vodka cocktail recipe that I’ve not mentioned then please feel free to add it to the comments below!

More great cocktail recipes to come!

If you want even more ideas, then visit Alex’s Cocktail Recipes for a ridiculously large list of cocktails!