27 Most Popular Gin Cocktails to Try

Gin cocktails have been a beloved and classic choice for drinkers for centuries. The distinct flavor profile of gin, with its botanical and juniper notes, makes it a versatile and popular spirit for mixing into a wide variety of cocktails. From the iconic and timeless gin and tonic to the more complex and innovative concoctions, gin cocktails offer something for every palate.

Whether you prefer a refreshing and light cocktail for a summer afternoon or a rich and complex drink for a cozy evening, gin can satisfy a wide range of tastes. With the resurgence of craft cocktails and mixology, bartenders and home enthusiasts alike are constantly creating new and inventive gin-based drinks, ensuring that the popularity of gin cocktails continues to thrive. Whether you’re a longtime fan of gin cocktails or new to the world of mixology, there’s always something new and exciting to discover in the world of gin drinks.

Gin Fizz

The gin fizz is one of the most popular members of the fizz cocktail family. The drink looks like a complicated affair but mixes up pretty easily. Gin provides the cocktail’s foundation and a refreshing pine taste. However, it’s the egg white that stops the show. The whipped ingredient forms a rich, delicious foam. Gin fizzes require only five ingredients, all bar-cart staples. If you have gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, an egg white, and some club soda, you have everything you need to mix the sweet, refreshing favorite.
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Gin and Tonic

Gin and tonics are the ideal cocktails for beginner bartenders cutting their teeth. The clean, refreshing drink uses only two ingredients, and they’re both included in the name. The trickiest part of mixing a perfect gin and tonic is getting the ratio right in this easy gin cocktail. Too much gin and the drink is too strong. Too much tonic and you lose the pleasant pine flavor of the liquor. This recipe provides a measurement that balances the flavors while providing a pleasant, boozy punch in this classic cocktail.
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Gin Gimlet

Gin gimlets have a mysterious origin story. While the drink’s precise birthdate is unclear, the gimlet traces its roots back to at least the 1880s and the British Navy. What began as a defense against scurvy quickly became a beloved cocktail favorite. Sprite and 7Up lovers will appreciate the drink’s bright citrus kick. Limes pleasantly contrast the gin’s herbal notes. Simple syrup sweetens the drink, creating a refreshing sip, perfect for warm weather. This is a classic cocktail that you can’t go wrong with!
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Negroni

The Negroni is one of Italy’s greatest exports. Simple and classic, the cocktail was a favorite of the great Orson Welles. The beloved director and many others appreciated the drink’s careful balance of contrasting flavors. Gin provides herbal notes, while Campari contributes a citrus burst. Sweet vermouth cuts through the more caustic flavors of the other ingredients. A negroni calls for equal measures of all three ingredients to create the classic cocktail.
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Tom Collins

Tom Collins made their triumphant entry into the hearts and bars of the world in the 1860s. The simple gin cocktail has undergone several evolutions since that first fateful mixing; however, the foundational ingredients remain the same. A Tom Collins calls for gin, lemon juice, and club soda. The sweet drink offers a refreshing, alcoholic alternative to your favorite lemon-lime soda or sparkling water.
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Gin Rickey

The Gin Rickey was a favorite of Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tragic lover. The gin drink traces its origins to a bourbon big brother, created in 1883. Eventually, drinkers began swapping the bourbon out for the lighter, more refreshing gin. Gin Rickeys mix up quickly and easily. The citrus-forward drink requires gin, lime juice, and seltzer. The light, crisp gin cocktail goes down easily, the perfect summertime sip.
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Clover Club

The Clover Club cocktail requires a bit more time and care, but the drink is certain to wow friends and family once mastered. The Clover Club is fruity and sweet. The drink fuses gin’s floral, herbal flavor with the tart sweetness of raspberries. Nothing adds a flair of sophistication to a drink like egg white foam, and the Clover Club has plenty.
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Salty Dog

Bartenders started serving Salty Dog cocktails to thirsty patrons in the 1950s. The drink mixes three disparate but complementary tastes in an unusual, complexly flavored cocktail. If you love mixing up cocktails with grapefruit juice, this is an easy one for you! Rock salt on the glass’s rim cuts the bitterness of grapefruit juice. Gin’s herbal notes balance out the punch of the sodium and the bite of the citrus.
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Martinez Cocktail

The Martinez cocktail provided the DNA to create the martini as we know it today. The drink, served chilled, uses a variety of ingredients to create a layered, complex flavor profile. The cocktail is perfect for dinner parties. Even novice bartenders can follow the simple recipe; just measure the ingredients into a shaker, mix well, and pour. The drink uses four bar basics: gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liquor, and Angostura bitters.
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Bees Knees

The Bees Knees cocktail is the cat’s pajamas. Either a Paris bartender or a Titanic survivor developed the recipe. Whoever invented the drink knocked the recipe out of the park, crafting an enduringly popular, sweet, and refreshing beverage. Bees Knees requires a little extra preparation. Bartenders need to make honey simple syrup before mixing the drinks. Straight honey is too viscous for a cocktail. However, once the syrup is prepared, the drink comes together easily. Just mix the syrup, gin, and lemon juice and serve.
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Greyhound

The Greyhound cocktail is a close relative to the Salty Dog, previously mentioned in this article. The recipes deviate only in the inclusion or exclusion of salt on the rim. The Greyhound arrived on the bar scene in 1930. Since then, the refreshing cocktail has lent itself to variation and adaptation. However, the classic recipe calls for grapefruit juice and gin. The drink couldn’t be easier to make; simply mix the two ingredients, and you’ve got a delicious, biting cocktail.
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Gin Martini

Gin martinis immediately elevate any affair. The elegant beverage summons images of spies and galas. While some prefer great vodkas, the gin martini is the OG. The cocktail has a strong alcoholic taste and isn’t a great gateway drink for newbies. However, the sophisticated drink is layered and pleasant to adult palates. You need only gin and dry vermouth to mix up your own martini.
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Last Word

We all want the last word, and this cocktail provides it, no matter how chatty our drinking partners are. Created in Detroit in 1915, the popular drink survived Prohibition era and continues to recruit fans with its sour-sweet flavor profile. Quick and easy to whip up, the Last Word calls for gin, maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse, and lime juice.
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Vesper Martini

Ian Fleming introduced the world to the Vesper Martini in 1953. The cocktail, named after James Bond’s paramour in Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd, adds an extra floral burst, courtesy of Lillet Blanc, to a martini. Prepared shaken, of course, the Vesper Martini packs nearly twice the alcoholic punch of the traditional martini. You’ll need gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc to make your own Vesper Martini.
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Aviation Cocktail

The Aviation Cocktail initially captures the imagination with its striking lavender hue. The drink chases its powerful first impression with a pleasant, floral taste. Aviation Cocktails mix together easily; however, they call for one unusual ingredient. Creme de Violette provides a mild lavender flavor. The liqueur contributes color and taste but isn’t the most common alcohol on the market. Once you’ve located a bottle of Creme de Violette, mix the alcohol with gin, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice.
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French 75

No shade towards Frenches 1 through 74, but French 75 is decidedly the best. The French 75 is a champagne cocktail made with simple, delicious ingredients. Gin and lemon juice create an herbal, citrus base. Simple syrup sweetens the deal, cutting the sour and diluting the gin. A pop of champagne provides pleasant bubbles that tingle on the tongue.
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Bramble Cocktail

Dick Bradsell created the Bramble cocktail in the 1980s in an effort to capture the essence of British life. Though the Bramble stuns with its layered appearance, the fruity, sweet cocktail is simple to make with a few key ingredients. While you probably already have lemon juice, gin, and simple syrup in your liquor cabinet, you may need to make a special shopping trip for creme de cassis.
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Gin Gin Mule

The Gin Gin Mule revamps the Moscow Mule with a gin and mint twist. The resulting cocktail is layered, refreshing, and unexpected. Though the Gin Gin Mule isn’t difficult to make, you will have to muddle some mint leaves to make it. This releases the mint oils and ensures the menthol flavor infuses the drink. Mix the muddled leaves with simple syrup, lime juice, gin, and ginger beer.
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Red Snapper

Move over, Bloody Marys; there’s a new brunch cocktail in town. Fernand Petiot developed the Red Snapper post-Prohibition. The drink became a popular alternative to the vodka-based Bloody Mary. Red Snappers are tart and a little spicy. A healthy measure of Tabasco sauce provides a welcome wake-up call. Tomato juice, gin, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce round out the recipe. A pepper and celery salt rim adds extra flavor. 
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Singapore Sling

Though created in Singapore, the Singapore Sling has no fixed geographic location. The cocktail has earned fans and inspired bartenders globally. The drink provides a reliable canvas for mixologists to tweak and customize. In its purest form, the Singapore Sling is a fruity, effervescent treat. While the cocktail is easy to make, it requires quite a few ingredients. Check your bar cart for Grand Marnier, gin, Benedictine, cherry liqueur, lime juice, pineapple juice, bitters, and club soda.
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Corpse Reviver

The Corpse Reviver might sound frightening, but it’s a great gin mix. As its name suggests, this sour, biting cocktail certainly packs a powerful punch. The Corpse Reviver originally functioned as a hangover cure. The breakfast cocktails are strong, containing four types of alcohol. The recipe calls for gin, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, lemon juice, and absinthe.
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Southside

The Southside cocktail is the minty, refreshing lovechild of the gimlet and the mojito. The Southside’s origins are a bit cloudy, but the drink was certainly a hit through Prohibition. The cocktail blends mint and citrus flavors into a unique sip. Be ready to muddle; the recipe calls for the oil of several fresh mint leaves. However, the rest of the drink is basic and easy to make. Simply mix the muddled leaves with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.
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Earl Grey Martini

Most of us hear “Earl Grey” and think of tea time. The Earl Grey Martini updates the afternoon favorite, providing an adult spin on the very British repast. Earl Grey Martinis have a complex and layered taste. Fans of floral flavors will love the notes provided by lavender bitters and gin’s herbal elements. Lemon juice adds a hint of citrus, while simple syrup sweetens the pot. While you can make your own Earl Grey-infused gin, buying a bottle from the local liquor store is much quicker.
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Gin Basil Smash

The Gin Basil Smash is basically summertime in a glass. Jorg Meyer created the cocktail in 200 in Hamburg, Germany. The delicious, refreshing drink’s bright, clean flavor earned it global popularity. The drink has a healthy citrus pop, provided with lemon juice. Gin provides an herbal foundation, while basil adds an earthy taste. Simple syrup sweetens the drink just enough to be a pleasing, easy sip.
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Gin and Prosecco Cocktail

The Gin and Prosecco cocktail is a very near relative of the French 75. While a French 75 calls specifically for champagne, the gin and prosecco cocktail uses the titular prosecco or any sparkling white. The bubbly drink is just sweet enough, with lots of citrus undertones and herbal notes. All you need to make your own is gin, prosecco, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
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Gin Sour

The Gin Sour is a classic gin cocktail that’s easy to make. Sour cocktails exist for each type of liquor, but I love the gin sour. The light, botanical flavors of gin pair well with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sweetened with a touch of simple syrup. The last ingredient you’ll need is egg white to get that frothy texture needed in a sour, but if you’re vegan you can use aquafaba instead. Garnish with a lemon twist or with three drops of Angostura bitters if you want to add some complexity of flavor!
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Ramos Gin Fizz

We’ve already covered the gin fizz, but the Ramos Gin Fizz is a classic gin cocktail that has to be included in any list of gin cocktails. This New Orleans born cocktail is a must-try if you visit the city. The Ramos Gin Fizz is made with gin, heavy cream, fresh lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and orange flower water to get the signature citrus taste. Shaken well in a cocktail shaker, the result is a frothy and creamy gin cocktail.
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