Gin is the most forgiving spirit to mix with, which is why it turns up in so many classics. You do not need a shelf of liqueurs or any real skill to make a proper gin cocktail at home. A few of the best are built from three ingredients or fewer. Here are the ones worth learning first, roughly in order of how easy they are. If you have not settled on a gin style yet, our guide to How to Taste Gin is worth reading first.
Gin and tonic, done properly
Everyone thinks they can make a gin and tonic, but a great one is better than the version most of us throw together. Use plenty of ice, more than feels right, because a full glass melts slower and keeps the drink cold and crisp. Pour a generous measure of gin, top with a fresh tonic, and stir once. Match the garnish to the gin. A citrus-forward gin loves grapefruit, a classic London Dry takes a wedge of lime, and a spicier gin often prefers orange. That single choice makes a bigger difference than the brand of tonic.
The negroni
Three ingredients, equal parts, and one of the best drinks ever built. Pour one part gin, one part Campari and one part sweet vermouth over ice, stir until cold, and serve over a big cube with a twist of orange. It is bitter, deep and grown-up, and it takes about thirty seconds to make. If it is too bitter for you at first, nudge the vermouth up a touch until it suits your taste. It also scales up beautifully, so you can batch a jug for guests and pour as you go.
The gimlet
A gimlet is gin and lime in their simplest, sharpest form. Shake a good measure of gin with fresh lime juice and a little sugar syrup over ice, then strain into a chilled glass. It is tart, clean and refreshing, and it takes almost no effort. Adjust the syrup to balance the lime until it tastes right to you, since limes vary in how sour they are.
The Tom Collins
Think of this as a longer, fizzier cousin of the gimlet. Build gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup over ice in a tall glass, top with soda water, and stir. It is long, bright and easy to drink on a warm afternoon, and because it is built in the glass there is nothing to shake or strain.
The martini
The martini has a fussy reputation it does not deserve. Stir a good measure of gin with a smaller measure of dry vermouth over plenty of ice until properly cold, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist or an olive. The only real skill is stirring long enough to chill and dilute it correctly, so do not rush that part. Keep the vermouth in the fridge once opened, because it does not last forever.
A few things that help
Fresh citrus is the one rule worth keeping. Bottled juice will let down every drink on this list, so squeeze lemons and limes to order. Make a batch of sugar syrup ahead of time with equal sugar and hot water, and keep it in the fridge. And use good ice, since it is doing more work than you think. If you are starting a home bar from scratch, our guide to How to Build a Home Bar Without Spending a Fortune covers exactly what to buy.
Taking a cocktail with you
A pre-batched cocktail travels well if you leave out the fizz and the ice until you arrive. A negroni or a martini mix carries perfectly in our Flight Flask, which holds up to 100ml and pours cleanly when you get there. It turns a walk, a picnic or a friend's garden into somewhere you can serve a proper drink.
Learn these five and you will rarely be stuck. Gin does most of the work, and the rest is just balance and good ice.
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