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SpiritsHigh confidenceStandard, well-documented spirit category.

Gin

Gin is a neutral grain spirit redistilled with juniper berries and a supporting cast of botanicals such as citrus peel, coriander, and angelica root. Styles range from bone-dry London dry to softer, more floral contemporary expressions. Its botanical complexity makes it one of the most versatile spirits behind a bar.

juniper-forwardbotanicaldryaromatic

Common uses

  • base spirit for stirred classics
  • base spirit for shaken sours
  • pairs with tonic for a simple highball

Buying & storage

Keeps more or less indefinitely: Alcohol is preserving it. An open bottle keeps for a very long time, though aromatics do fade slowly.

Buying: London dry styles are the safest all-purpose choice; save more floral or citrus-heavy gins for cocktails that showcase them

Storage: keeps indefinitely, store upright away from light

In depth

Understanding gin

How it is made, where it comes from, what it pairs with, and how it behaves in an alcohol-free drink.

How it's made

Gin is a neutral spirit redistilled with botanicals, of which juniper must be dominant for the product to be called gin at all. London Dry — the style most cocktail recipes assume — requires all flavour to come from that redistillation, with nothing added afterwards but water; sweetened and coloured styles are made differently and behave differently in a drink.

Origin

Originally a Dutch/English botanical spirit, juniper-forward by regulation.

What it pairs with

Juniper's resinous edge sits naturally with citrus, cucumber, and anything herbal or floral — elderflower, basil, mint. It fights with heavy cream and with rich tropical fruit, which is why almost no classic pairs gin with coconut or banana.

In alcohol-free drinks

  • No direct replacement exists — botanical alcohol-free spirits approximate the aroma but not the weight or dry finish
  • In a gin and tonic, tonic's quinine and carbonation carry more of the drink than people expect, which is why the alcohol-free version works better than most substitutions
How to build a balanced mocktail →

Recipes

Cocktails containing this ingredient

A Negroni in a rocks glass with a large ice cube and orange peel"Negroni served in Vancouver BC" by Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

Negroni

Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, built over ice — bittersweet, bracing and impossible to mistake for anything else.

bitterstrongdry
easy5 mingin
A Martini in a chilled glass with a lemon twistPhoto by Taryn Elliott on Pexels

Martini

Gin and dry vermouth, stirred to a razor-cold clarity — the most argued-over cocktail in the book.

strongdryherbal
medium5 mingin

Tom Collins

Gin, lemon and sugar, shaken and lengthened with soda — a tall, easy-drinking summer standby.

refreshingsoursweet
easy5 mingin

French 75

Gin, lemon and sugar, shaken and topped with sparkling wine — a Champagne cocktail with a genuine kick.

sourrefreshingdry
medium5 mingin
A Gimlet in a coupe glass with a pale green tint and a lime wheel garnishPhoto by alleksana on Pexels

Gimlet

Gin and lime cordial, stirred cold and clean — a short, tart classic with naval roots.

sourdrystrong
medium4 mingin
A Long Island Iced Tea in a tall highball glass, dark amber with a lemon wedgePhoto by Andrius on Pexels

Long Island Iced Tea

Five spirits, citrus and a splash of cola — deceptively smooth for how strong it actually is.

strongsoursweet
medium6 minvodka

Bramble

Gin and lemon over crushed ice, drizzled with blackberry liqueur — a modern British classic.

sourfruitysweet
medium6 mingin
A pale pink Clover Club in a coupe glass with a frothy top and raspberries on a pickPhoto by long zhang on Pexels

Clover Club

Gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white, shaken to a pale pink froth — a pre-Prohibition classic.

sourfruitycreamy
medium6 mingin

Aviation

Gin, maraschino and a whisper of violette, shaken with lemon — pale purple and quietly complex.

sourdryherbal
medium5 mingin
A tall, reddish-pink Singapore Sling in a hurricane glass garnished with pineapple and a cherryPhoto by Dextar Studio ™ on Pexels

Singapore Sling

Gin, cherry liqueur, herbal liqueurs and juice, topped with soda — a layered, tropical classic.

fruitysweettropical
advanced8 mingin
A Corpse Reviver No. 2 in a chilled coupe glass with a lemon twistPhoto by Dextar Studio ™ on Pexels

Corpse Reviver No. 2

Gin, triple sec, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice in an absinthe-rinsed glass — a sharp, citrus-forward classic.

sourdryherbal
advanced6 mingin

Bee's Knees

Gin, honey syrup and lemon juice shaken bright and citrus-forward — a Prohibition-era classic.

soursweetherbal
easy4 mingin
A Gibson cocktail in a chilled glass garnished with a pickled cocktail onion

Gibson

A Martini in every way but one — dry gin and vermouth, stirred cold, finished with a pickled cocktail onion instead of an olive or twist.

strongdryherbal
medium5 mingin
A Last Word cocktail in a coupe glass, pale green and clear

Last Word

Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime — a Prohibition-era puzzle that somehow balances four loud ingredients perfectly.

herbalsourstrong
medium5 mingin

Southside

Gin, lime and mint, shaken hard and strained up — a Prohibition-era cousin of the mojito with no soda to hide behind.

refreshingsourherbal
easy5 mingin
A Vesper cocktail in a chilled glass with a lemon twistPhoto by Engin Akyurt on Pexels

Vesper

Gin, vodka and Lillet Blanc, shaken hard — the literary Martini variant with a name and backstory all its own.

strongdryherbal
medium5 mingin

White Lady

Gin, triple sec and lemon juice, shaken with egg white for a silky, pale, citrus-forward sour.

sourstrongfruity
medium5 mingin

Gin Fizz

Gin, lemon and sugar, shaken cold and topped with soda — light, fizzy and gone in a few sips.

sourrefreshingfruity
easy5 mingin

Gin Rickey

Gin, lime and soda water, built over ice — dry, sharp and deliberately unsweetened.

sourrefreshingdry
easy3 mingin

Gin Basil Smash

Gin, lemon and a fistful of basil, muddled and shaken hard — a modern classic built entirely on fresh herb aroma.

herbalsourrefreshing
medium6 mingin

Ramos Gin Fizz

Gin, citrus, cream, egg white and orange flower water, shaken at length into a tall, silky, cloud-like fizz.

creamysourfruity
advanced10 mingin

Twentieth Century

Gin, Lillet Blanc, white crème de cacao and lemon — a 1930s cocktail built on an unlikely pairing of citrus and chocolate.

sourstrongdry
medium5 mingin
A Cold Brew Negroni in a rocks glass, dark red-brown over a large ice cube

Cold Brew Negroni

The classic gin, Campari and sweet vermouth Negroni, joined by a measure of cold brew coffee for a roasted, bittersweet edge.

bitterstrongdry
easy5 mingin

Fog Cutter

Gin, rum and brandy shaken with citrus and orgeat, finished with a sherry float — a deceptively strong tiki multi-spirit classic.

strongfruitysour
advanced7 minrum
A Gin and Tonic in a highball glass with a lime wedge and bubbles risingPhoto by Toni Cuenca on Pexels

Gin and Tonic

Gin and tonic water over ice with lime — a bittersweet, botanical two-ingredient classic.

bitterrefreshingherbal
easy2 mingin

Martinez

Gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters, stirred — the richer, older drink the Martini came from.

strongsweetherbal
medium4 mingin

Bronx

Gin with both vermouths and a squeeze of orange juice — the third of the old New York borough cocktails, and the friendliest.

fruityherbaldry
easy4 mingin

Stand-in

Where gin is a recommended substitute

Recipes that name it as a swap for something else, with what it replaces.

Swap it

Possible substitutions

Vodka

Spirits

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Related ingredients

Vodka

Spirits

Dry Vermouth

Liqueurs

Tonic Water

Mixers