Cocktails

The Best Gin Cocktails

The botanical notes in gin make it a wonderful spirit for cocktails. Here are the best gin cocktails from the top mixologists in the world.

By 

Meyme Nakash

 |  June 13, 2025

Gin is a complex, versatile spirit recognizable by its top notes of juniper and other botanicals. Its crisp, fresh quality makes it a fantastic spirit for cocktails any time of the year, but it is especially refreshing during the spring and summer. Whether you’re searching for an inspired take on a classic martini or a new cocktail recipe — look no further. We’ve got you covered with the best gin cocktails by the top gin brands and mixologists from around the world. These recipes are single-serve, but you can scale up their measurements to enjoy them with your loved ones. To learn more about the botanical spirit, check out our ultimate guide to gin.

The Best Gin Cocktails

The Connaught Martini

When it comes to a classic martini, nobody does it better than The Connaught Bar in London. Consistently voted one of the best bars in the world, The Connaught Bar is famous for the rolling martini trolley that its mixologists use to craft the perfect pour right at your table.

The bar’s signature martini recipe is well-balanced and delicious. First, use a dropper to gently pour the bitters around the rim of a chilled martini glass. If you prefer your martini with an olive, instead of a twist, prick the olive three times with a toothpick and allow the juice to run into your glass. Second, combine extra dry vermouth, dry floral vermouth, and vermouth bianco in a separate mixing glass. Continue by mixing the vermouth blend and gin together in another glass filled two-thirds with ice cubes. Stir until the mixture is chilled and strain into a fresh glass. To make it a twist, take a strip of a lemon peel and twist it over your finished cocktail. Garnish with a lemon twist or an olive skewered on a toothpick, depending on your preferred style. 

Ingredients

½ tsp bergamot bitters
½ oz vermouth blend
2½ oz gin
Lemon twist or green olive for garnish

Rolls-Royce Martini 

The Rolls-Royce martini was created by the famed American Bar at The Savoy hotel in London and is served at Temple Bar in New York City. It calls for both dry and sweet vermouth in addition to Bénédectine, a French herbal liqueur that complements the botanical notes of gin with its spicy palate. To make this cocktail, stir all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Then, strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Temple Bar is famous for its well-crafted martinis and stunning Art Deco-inspired décor. There, you can order a caviar bump to accompany any martini. We recommend you continue the tradition at home. Discover our favorite caviar brands here.

Ingredients

2 oz London dry gin
½ oz Dolin dry vermouth
½ oz Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth
¼ oz Bénédectine
Lemon twist for garnish 

French 75

A French 75 is an elegant cocktail typically comprised of gin, lemon juice, Champagne, and sugar. The bright citrus notes in Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, an elegant small-batch gin, make it a lovely choice for this drink. To make a French 75, shake all the ingredients, except for the Champagne or Prosecco, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain the mixture into a chilled straight-sided wine glass. Top it off with your choice of Champagne or Prosecco and garnish with a lemon twist. If you are using Prosecco or prefer a less sweet cocktail, you can half the sugar syrup or omit it entirely. 

Ingredients

2 oz Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru
3 oz Champagne or Prosecco
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ oz sugar syrup
Lemon twist for garnish

Read More: 20 Prosecco Cocktails, The Definitive Guide to Champagne and Sparkling Wine

White Negroni Highball

This cocktail is a variation of the White Negroni, a bitter cocktail with floral and herbal notes. It swaps Lillet Blanc with Dolin Blanc, a classic dry vermouth, and is topped with soda — so it’s refreshing without being overly sweet. First, stir all the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Then, strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Finally, insert a bar spoon into the glass and stir as you pour in the soda water. Garnish with a lemon wedge. 

Ingredients

1 oz Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin 
2 oz soda water
1 oz Suze
1 oz Dolin Blanc
Dash orange bitters
Lemon wedge for garnish

Glendalough Rose and Raspberry Fizz

This cocktail presents a beautiful harmony of floral and fruity notes. It is made with Glendalough Rose, a gin infused with rose and other botanical flavors. The floral notes make it a fantastic cocktail to enjoy in the spring or summer. This rich, vibrant drink is fairly easy to make. Just shake all the ingredients except the soda water in a cocktail shaker with ice. Then, strain into a tall glass with fresh ice. Add the soda and garnish with a raspberry and a sprig of mint. 

Ingredients

1½ oz Glendalough Rose Gin
½ oz raspberry syrup
½ oz Aperol
1½ oz soda water
Raspberry and sprig of mint for garnish 

Hugo Twist

The Hugo Twist is a popular cocktail that originated from northern Italy. It is delicately flavored with elderflower liqueur, its herbaceous palate making it the perfect aperitif. This recipe calls for Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon gin, which gives this cocktail a soft texture and more complex flavor profile. First, shake all the ingredients except for the Prosecco and soda water in a cocktail shaker with ice. Fine-strain the liquid into a wine glass filled with fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine and a splash of soda water. For garnish, add mint leaves and edible flowers. 

Ingredients 

1½ oz Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin 
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur 
¼ oz simple syrup
6 mint leaves
Sparkling wine
Soda water
Mint leaves and edible flowers for garnish

Azalea

The Azalea cocktail is the signature drink of the Masters Tournament, one of the four major golf professional championships. It is named after the flowers that sprawl across the famed Augusta National Golf Course, where the tournament takes place every year. The key component of this cocktail is pineapple juice, which gives it a sweet, tropical flavor that’s balanced with the tartness of grenadine. All you need to do to make this drink is combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake, and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and edible flower. 

Ingredients

2 oz Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
¾ oz lemon juice 
½ oz grenadine
2 oz pineapple juice
Lemon wheel and edible flower for garnish

Grapefruit and Rosemary Gin and Tonic

This cocktail is a fun, flavorful spin on the traditional gin and tonic. It incorporates Fresh Victor Grapefruit & Sea Salt, a popular cocktail mixer that will reinforce the bold citrus notes of gin, and is elevated by the woodsy flavor of rosemary. First, lightly muddle one rosemary sprig in a cocktail shaker and add in Fresh Victor, gin, and ice. Shake and strain into a wine glass filled with fresh ice. Finally, top with tonic water and garnish with a grapefruit wheel and another rosemary sprig. 

Ingredients

1 oz Fresh Victor Grapefruit & Sea Salt
1½ oz gin
4 oz tonic water
2 rosemary sprigs
Grapefruit wheel for garnish

Longitude Line

This cocktail is a delightful balance of sweet and sour. The rich botanicals of 135 East Gin and hibiscus syrup give it a lingering floral characteristic, juxtaposed with Akashi Tai Umeshu, a plum-infused sake. To make the Longitude Line, add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and pour into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with dried hibiscus flowers.

Ingredients

1 oz 135 East Gin
⅓ oz Akashi Tai Umeshu
⅓ oz hibiscus syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz egg white or aquafaba
Dried hibiscus flowers for garnish.

Read More: The 10 Best Bottles of Luxury Sake

Seventy One Gin Golden Martini

The Golden Martini from Seventy One Gin is an excellent nightcap. The Netherlands-distilled gin is named after the 71 days it rested in different types of casks, each infused with a range of botanicals sourced from Siberia, Albania, and Ecuador. This recipe requires few ingredients, allowing the spirit’s rich notes to shine through. First, fill a mixing glass with the gin, vermouth, and ice. Second, stir slowly until the mixture has chilled. Then, strain the liquid into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Ingredients

2⅓ oz Seventy One Gin
2 tsp Dolin Dry Vermouth
Grapefruit twist for garnish

Mediterranean Gin and Tonic

Transport yourself to a dreamy olive grove with the Mediterranean gin and tonic. Gin Mare is distilled from olives, thyme, rosemary, and basil, giving it a complex, herbal flavor profile with a bitter finish. This earthy cocktail is best enjoyed in the summer as an aperitif. To make it, pour all the ingredients over ice into a glass of your choice and garnish with a rosemary sprig. 

Ingredients 

1½ oz Gin Mare
6 oz premium tonic water 

Goodbye Roses

Goodbye Roses is a fruity cocktail conceived by Danny Meyer’s Manhatta former mixologist Cameron Winkelman. It is a delightful combination of Iichiko Saiten Shochu, Japan’s native spirit, and Cocchi Rosa, an Italian aperitif red wine — along with pomegranate, lemon, and rose flavors. First, combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake, add ice, and then shake again. Double-strain the mixture into a glass and garnish with a pinch of dried rose petals. 

Ingredients

1 oz Iichiko Saiten Shochu
¾ oz Cocchi Rosa
½ oz gin
½ oz Giffard Pamplemousse
1 oz lemon
¾ oz grenadine
¾ oz egg white
Dried rose petals for garnish

Upper Eastside

Another drink that’s native to New York City is the Upper Eastside, created and served by Peak with Priceless, a fabulous restaurant on the 101st floor of 30 Hudson Yards. If you enjoy fresh cocktails with cucumber, mint, and lime flavors, then this is the drink for you. Add all the ingredients except for the Champagne to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with the Champagne. Garnish with a cucumber slice that’s dusted with grated nutmeg. 

Ingredients

1½ oz Fort Hamilton Gin
¾ oz fresh lime
1 oz Champagne
¾ oz cucumber 
¾ oz mint syrup
Cucumber slice and grated nutmeg for garnish

Lychee Martini

The Lychee Martini, affectionately called “lycheetini,” has Japanese roots and is a very popular cocktail. It can be made with gin or vodka, but the botanical notes in the former spirit enhance the rich, sweet flavor of lychee. To make this recipe from Chica & The Don, first squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a mixing glass. Second, combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with fresh lychee fruit. 

Ingredients

1¾ oz gin
¼ oz cane syrup
¼ oz sake
½ oz lychee liqueur
1 oz lychee juice
½ lemon
Lychee fruit for garnish

Luogo Spritz

A summer cocktail staple, the Luogo Spritz is a spin on the classic Aperol Spritz. It highlights the richness of blood orange, which, in turn, balances the sweetness of the St. Germain Elderflower liqueur. To make this cocktail, add all the ingredients except the rosé Champagne and soda water into a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain over ice into a wine glass. Top it off with the rosé Champagne and soda water. Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice. 

Ingredients

1 oz Malfy Blood Orange Gin
½ oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
2 oz rosé Champagne
½ oz Aperol 
½ oz blood orange juice
Dehydrated orange for garnish 

Gin Gimlet

The Gin Gimlet is a well-balanced cocktail that’s both tangy and sweet. Geoffrey Zarkarian’s recipe is easy to make and absolutely delicious. First, add the gin, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Using a bar spoon, stir the liquid until it is cold. Strain into a chilled glass or a glass filled with ice, depending on your preference. Garnish with a cucumber wheel or lime wedge.

Ingredients

¾ oz fresh lime juice
2 oz gin
¾ oz simple syrup
Cucumber wheel or lime wedge for garnish

The Botanist Courtside Collins  

The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is produced on the Isle of Islay, an island off the coast of Scotland that’s famous for its peated whiskies. This gin is distilled with 22 handpicked botanicals native to Islay, such as berries, peels, seeds, and barks. The Botanist Courtside Collins is one of the brand’s signature cocktails. It was created to celebrate a pickleball win as part of its partnership with Major League Pickleball. The lemon juice in this drink beautifully pulls out the juniper and citrus flavors in the complex spirit. First, add all the ingredients except for the soda water to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice and top it off with the soda water. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a mint sprig.

Ingredients

2 oz The Botanist Dry Islay Gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
2 oz soda water
Lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish

Vesper Martini

The Vesper martini is known as the drink of choice for the iconic James Bond. It contains gin, vodka, and Lillet Blanc, an apéritif made from a blend of Bordeaux wines and fruit liqueurs, which is then aged in French oak barrels. To make this sophisticated gin cocktail, shake or stir all the ingredients over ice and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Ingredients

3 oz Fords Gin
1 oz vodka
½ oz Lillet Blanc
Lemon peel for garnish

Salt and Pepper Martini

Another gin cocktail available at Temple Bar is the Salt and Pepper martini, which was invented by Michael McIlroy, the establishment’s co-owner. This rendition of a dirty martini calls for celery bitters, blanc vermouth, Manzanilla sherry, (a fortified, dry white wine)and Giffard Piment d’Espelette(a chili liqueur that adds a hint of heat). Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Then, stir the mixture until it is chilled, before straining it into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Sweety Drop pepper.

Ingredients

2 oz Fords Gin
8 dashes celery bitters
½ oz blanc vermouth
½ oz Manzanilla sherry
¼ oz Giffard Piment d’Espelette 
2-3 drops saline solution 
Sweety Drop pepper for garnish

Read More: The 5 Main Types of Wine You Should Know, White Wine 101: A Beginner’s Guide to White Wine

Nolet’s Silver Aviation Spritz 

An Aviation is a classic gin cocktail, characterized by a purplish blue hue and fruity flavors. This recipe is for a spritz version, carrying all the sweet, floral qualities of gin and Crème de Violette, a violet flower-infused liqueur. First, add all the ingredients except the Champagne or sparkling wine into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a class with fresh ice and top with your choice of sparkling wine. Garnish with a sprig of lavender.

Ingredients

¼ oz Crème de Violette
1 oz Nolet’s Silver Gin
¼ oz Maraschino Liqueur
¼ oz fresh lemon juice
Champagne or sparkling wine
Lavender for Garnish

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