Drinks Cocktails Gin Cocktails 31 of Our Favorite Gin Cocktails What can't gin do, really? By Oset Babür-Winter Oset Babür-Winter Title: Senior Drinks Editor, Food & WineLocation: New York CityExperience: Oset Babür-Winter has completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust's (WSET) Level 3 Award in wines and was previously the magazine's associate culture editor, where she edited Obsessions. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 22, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele Gin is, without a doubt, one of the most versatile spirits you can have in your arsenal. It's the core ingredient in recipes that are barely recipes, like a Gin & Tonic or a Tom Collins, but it also serves as the backbone in more complex drinks, like this warming Gin Toasty or the Kind of Blue cocktail from New York City's Al Coro. It's also the base spirit of choice for many Martini fans as well as Negroni loyalists. Of course, finding the best gin can be a challenge, especially if you're looking for a more unusual gin to add extra complexity to an otherwise simple drink. Read on for our favorite gin cocktails that can be made all year round. 01 of 31 Sour Cherry Negroni Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon This tart twist on a classic Negroni is true to the spirit of Hawksmoor's buzzy NYC outpost. Get the Recipe 02 of 31 Frozen Gin and Tonic Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon While the Gin & Tonic is one of the simplest cocktails to make, it also happens to be one of the most satisfying. It’s a classic for a reason: bittersweet tonic water brings out the floral and herbaceous botanicals in gin, and the combination is truly stellar. Still, there's always room to get extra, even with a tried-and-true recipe: Enter the Frozen Gin & Tonic. Get the Recipe 03 of 31 Kind of Blue Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon If you haven't tried Cappelletti before, now's the time to pick up a bottle. Get the Recipe 04 of 31 Cucumber-Rose Gin Spritz Victor Protasio A classic combination of gin, lemon, and club soda gets a refreshing addition of cucumber, basil, and black cardamom-infused syrup. Dried rose petals add a subtle floral flavor and act as a beautiful garnish. Get the Recipe 05 of 31 French 75 Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele This luxurious, delicious combination of gin and Champagne can be easily scaled up for a crowd. Get the Recipe 06 of 31 White Negroni Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Fans of the classic Negroni will love this version with Lillet Blanc and Suze liqueur. Get the Recipe 07 of 31 Corpse Reviver No. 2 Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter This pre-Prohibition era cocktail is back in style — here's how to make one at home. Get the Recipe 08 of 31 Vesper Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Gin people and vodka people alike can agree on this delightful cocktail that brings together both spirits in an incredibly simple, classic drink. Get the Recipe 09 of 31 Red Snapper Courtesy St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Bloody Mary fans with a penchant for gin will love a classic Red Snapper drink. Get the Recipe 10 of 31 Mother's Ruin Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele Part centerpiece, part refresher, this Mother’s Ruin recipe is easy to make ahead of time for your next gathering, and you likely already have most of the ingredients on hand. Get the Recipe 11 of 31 Aviation Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon Floral violet liqueur is balanced by acidic lemon juice in this vibrantly hued classic gin cocktail. Get the Recipe 12 of 31 Gin-Campari Old Fashioned Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon This variation on the Old Fashioned swaps gin for whiskey (and adds a splash of Campari for bitterness and a pleasantly rosy color). Get the Recipe 13 of 31 Gin & Tonic Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter The herbaceous, juniper-forward flavor of botanical London Dry Gin is perfectly carried by tonic water's sweetness. Get the Recipe 14 of 31 Chocolate Negroni Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon In addition to a generous sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings as a garnish, a Chocolate Negroni truly benefits from the addition of comforting, indulgent chocolate flavor thanks to a quarter ounce of Tempus Fugit Dark Cacao, which is also known as créme de cacao. Get the Recipe 15 of 31 Pimm's Cup Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon This classic boozy cooler originated in Britain as a health drink in the 1800s. It contains Pimm's No. 1, a fruity gin-based spirit. Get the Recipe 16 of 31 Frozen Martini Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen There's no ice and no stirring or shaking with the Frozen Martini. With a formula of two parts gin, one part vermouth, and one part water, the ideal dilution is built into the batch. Get the Recipe 17 of 31 Rosy Hibiscus-Gin Lowball Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Varner On the fence when it comes to gin? Try a sip of this gateway cocktail. Also known as sorrel, roselle — the type of hibiscus used in most hibiscus teas — complements the floral notes of gin, resulting in a refreshing, balanced beverage. Get the Recipe 18 of 31 Tom Collins Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter With likeness to a Gin Sling or Gin Fizz, the Tom Collins is a refreshing cocktail made with gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a bit of sugar, and carbonated water. It's thirst-quenching and refreshing, with balanced sweet and sour flavors along with an enticing, fizzy finish. Get the Recipe 19 of 31 Butterfly's Breath Christopher Testani The late Julia and Paul Child often entertained friends with cocktails, many of them invented by Paul Child, who delighted in creating custom drinks. A small collection of Paul’s recipes, written on 3-by-5 index cards, was recently discovered in Julia Child’s archives. Among them is this sweet, apricot brandy–laced riff on the gimlet. Get the Recipe 20 of 31 Plum Gin Fizz Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell This fruity gin fizz isn't overly sweet, allowing the flavor of the caramelized plums to shine. A botanical gin works well with the fruit in this cocktail, adding herbaceous and fruity notes. To play up the deep color of the plums, try Empress 1908, a royal purple–hued, botanical-style spirit. Get the Recipe 21 of 31 Negroni Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter 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, the drink is balanced with a combination of earthy, bitter, and botanical flavors. Get the Recipe 22 of 31 Lemon and Lavender Gin Fizz Victor Protasio Leopold’s Summer Gin brings a smooth, floral flavor to this botanical cocktail with notes of cucumber, sage, lemon, and lavender. Be sure to use food-safe rose petals, not ones treated with pesticides or insecticides, for garnish. Get the Recipe 23 of 31 Bee's Knees Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Lucy Simon The Bee's Knees combines the bright and lightly sweet flavors of lemon, honey, and gin. This classic cocktail is traditionally served up, but Chef Missy Robbins prefers hers on the rocks. Get the Recipe 24 of 31 Sakura Martini Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This elegant, modern take on the saketini was created by Kenta Goto, owner of Manhattan's Bar Goto and Brooklyn's Bar Goto Niban. Goto uses aged genshu sake and gin in the drink, and garnishes it with a salt-pickled sakura, or cherry blossom. Get the Recipe 25 of 31 The Monarch Cocktail Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Pamplemousse liqueur lends mellow citrus flavor that highlights the grapefruit notes in Lillet Rosé in The Monarch cocktail, a martini-style drink from top bartender Shannon Tebay. Get the Recipe 26 of 31 Concord Grape Gin Fizz © Jonny Valiant This vibrant purple cocktail — made with Concord grapes, gin, port, and lemon — is frothy, fruity, and refreshing. Get the Recipe 27 of 31 Turf Club Cocktail Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Unlike a martini, which traditionally leans on dry gin and vermouth, the Turf Club Cocktail is slightly sweet from the addition of maraschino liqueur, an aromatic liqueur distilled from cherries. This recipe from Brooklyn's retro mainstay Gage & Tollner uses fresh orange to balance the juniper-forward gin. Get the Recipe 28 of 31 Chandelier Martini Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Stirred exactly 24 times, this classic Martini is made extra special with the addition of Chandelier Magic, a citrusy and aromatic homemade blend of bitters. Anise-flavored Herbsaint brings a subtle herbaceousness that pairs perfectly with the slightly sweet Old Tom-style gin. While this aromatic recipe calls for three gins, they each bring a unique flavor and combine elegantly. Get the Recipe 29 of 31 Gin Toasty Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis All it takes is a bit of hot water to give this warm alcoholic drink — a riff on a Gin & Tonic — a hot toddy–like edge: When heated, the botanicals in gin act like mulled spices. Using tonic syrup instead of tonic water is crucial to the drink; hot water does the same trick that effervescent bubbles do to ferry the aromatics in the gin and the syrup right up to your nose. The result is an ingeniously simple warm cocktail, perfect for a snowy winter day. Get the Recipe 30 of 31 Rosemary Gin Fizz © Maura McEvoy Fragrant rosemary perfumes this bubbly, bright cocktail in two ways. First, a rosemary-infused syrup provides a touch of sweetness, then a fresh sprig garnish awakens the senses as the glass is drawn to one's lips. Get the Recipe 31 of 31 Sour-Cherry Gin Slings © John Kernick This sweet-tart concoction is based on the classic Singapore sling, replacing the traditional cherry brandy with an intensely vibrant homemade sour cherry syrup. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit