Why are so many classic cocktails built on London Dry Gin? Because this bold, complex and aromatic spirit is so marvellously versatile. Here are five recipes that will always be on trend.
Smooth enough for a Martini, yet rich, balanced and perfect for a G&T, our award-winning, quintessential London Dry Gin is our pride and joy. Perfectly suited to the Classic Sipper, why not Smith Your Sip to discover exactly what kind of sipper you are, and find a host of easy-to-make recipes that can be shaken and stirred at home.
1. G&T
A drink of satisfying simplicity, use our London Dry Gin to make a quintessential expression of this time-honoured cocktail.
- 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 150ml Fever-Tree tonic water
- Lime twist, to garnish
Fill a highball glass with ice and pour over the gin. Top off with premium tonic – we use Fever-Tree – and garnish with a twist of fresh lime for the perfect sip.
While the recipe is simple, the construction of this London Dry Gin cocktail is hotly contested. How much ice should you use? What’s the best gin-to-tonic ratio? Is lemon or lime better for the garnish? And which glass should you use to serve a G&T? Explore these crucial questions and more in our guide to how to make the perfect gin and tonic.
2. MARTINI
This is another classic cocktail that has attracted its fair share of cocktail-making controversy, with master bartenders and amateur mixologists alike debating the merits of shaken, stirred, dirty or dry serves.
Understand some essential Martini terminology and you’ll always know what to order at the bar. And, when it comes to making the perfect Martini, take the time to learn more about its essential components – from the garnish to the vermouth.
- 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 10-15ml dry vermouth
- Lemon twist, to garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the vermouth and stir for a few seconds. Add the gin to the mixing glass and stir briskly for 50 turns. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
3. RICKEY
Long before London Dry Gin cocktails like the G&T and the Martini rose to mainstream prominence, the Gin Rickey was busy gracing bars in drinking establishments across the country. Invented in the late 1800s, a time now considered to be a Cocktail Renaissance, this simple serve features on our list of the 30 easy gin cocktails that every aspiring home bartender should try.
- Two lime wedges
- 40ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- Sparkling water
Fill a glass with ice and squeeze in the lime wedges. Add Sipsmith gin and top with sparkling water. Stir and serve.
Looking for more easy-to-make ginspiration? In our cocktail book – SIP – we celebrate the beauty in simplicity with 100 gin cocktails, each with just three ingredients.
4. NEGRONI
Bracingly bitter and herbaceously complex, yet deliciously refreshing, this classic Italian aperitif has enjoyed something of a revival in recent years.
- 25ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 25ml sweet vermouth
- 25ml Campari
- Orange twist, to garnish
Fill a mixing glass with ice and the first three ingredients before stirring 20-25 times until it is delightfully diluted. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and then garnish with an orange twist.
Fill a mixing glass with ice and the first three ingredients before stirring 20-25 times until it is delightfully diluted. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and then garnish with an orange twist.
5. GIMLET
Traditionally made with lime cordial, we think a sweet-and-sour Gimlet is even better with freshly squeezed lime juice.
- 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
- 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 20ml sugar syrup
- Fresh slice of lime, to garnish
Combine the gin, lime juice and sugar syrup with some ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well before straining into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh slice of lime.
If this zesty serve has inspired you to explore more citrus gin cocktails, you’ll find plenty of recipes featuring our Lemon Drizzle Gin, which is made with sun-dried lemon peel and lemon verbena, and zingy Zesty Orange Gin that’s packed with fresh orange peel.
Finally, don’t forget to share your London Dry Gin creations on social media and tag us @sipsmith so we can see your classic cocktails.
