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Gin is so much more than a genteel drink. It is also so much more than an accompaniment with tonic water. In India, we are on the cusp of a gin revolution. So many homegrown brands are making global waves. It’s about time you got in on some gin action. Here are six gin cocktail recipes that are sure to make you swoon. With happiness.
1. Strawberry rhubarb gin rickey
Taste: Sweet, tangy
Time to make: 50 minutes + 5 minutes
Calories per drink: 220
A rickey is traditionally mixed with a simple combination of gin, lime juice and soda water. To make the rhubarb syrup ahead of time, combine 225 g of chopped rhubarb, half a cup of granulated sugar and 300 ml of water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to a slow bubble and cook until the rhubarb softens to a mushy texture, about 15 minutes.Puree the rhubarb until smooth. Refrigerate until cold. To make the cocktail, first, you mash to a coarse puree a couple of strawberries. This process intensifies the fresh strawberry flavor of the drink.Next, add 60 ml of rhubarb syrup, 60 ml of fresh lime juice, 60 ml of ice-cold gin of your choice along with some ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of strawberry. This drink works just fine upon substituting with vodka or even tequila!
2. Coconut gin and tonic
Taste: Sweet, tangy
Time to make: 3 minutes
Calories per drink: 179
Add ice to a serving glass and top with juice of half a lime, 2 ounces of a herbal heavy gin like Farmer & Sons, 2 ounces of tonic water, and 2 ounces of coconut water – canned is fine. Stir and garnish with fresh mint or basil (optional). Multiply the amount of ingredients per person, or simply repeat recipe for more drinks.
3. Standard gin rickey
Taste: Sweet, tangy
Time to make: 3 minutes
Calories per drink: 30
This is a deceptively simple drink. Because of the few ingredients involved, people assume a good gin rickey is easy to make. But that is far from the truth. It’s the careful layering that makes a good gin rickey. Take 2 parts of gin – a botanical gin works beautifully here – and add half a part of lime juice on top of the gin. To this, add 4 parts of sparkling water. And garnish the drink with a wedge of lime.
4. Classic gin martini
Taste: Sweet, tangy
Time to make: 2 minutes
Calories per drink: 60
This all-time classic is also one that people get most wrong. On our quest to find the best martini in the country, we have often come up short. The gin you choose will determine most of this drink’s flavor. In general, the Martini is herbal and a little bit tangy, which is why it goes equally well with an olive or lemon twist for garnish. Hendricks is our hands down favourite for the martini. We just recommend that you refrigerate the spirit beforehand. Pour a little dry vermouth into a martini glass and gently slosh it around the glass until the inside of the glass is coated.Get rid of the excess vermouth.Gently stir 2 ounces of gin in a shaker full of ice.Strain it into the glass.Serve with an olive or lemon twist. It is often said martinis need to be stirred not shaken. But have it the way you prefer. There are no rules. Cocktails are meant to be played with.
5. Gin smash
Taste: Sweet, tangy, minty
Time to make: 2 minutes
Calories per drink: 60
Muddle 1 cube of sugar with 1 ounce of carbonated water and 4 mint sprigs in an old-fashioned glass.Add 2 ounces of gin and 1 ice cube.Stir, add an orange slice and a cherry, and serve! Your smashing gin smash ready for the hot summer day.
6. Classic negroni
Taste: Bitter, citrusy, sweet
Time to make: 2 minutes
Calories per drink: 90
For this classic – and dangerous – Italian classic, you will need 25ml of a very good gin (we love the Botanist for this), 25ml sweet vermouth, 25ml Campari and 1 strip of peeled orange zest. Pour the gin, vermouth and Campari into a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir until it is diluted to your taste, then twist the orange peel over the glass to release the oils and drop it into the drink before serving.
