The gins we've reviewed run from 41.2% ABV (Plymouth Gin) to 47.3% (Tanqueray London Dry Gin). Pick the stronger bottle and the same recipe pours noticeably more alcohol. Every recipe below names a gin we've reviewed, and the table at the end shows the standard drinks in each.
1. Dry Martini
Gin and dry vermouth, stirred very cold. Ask five people for the ratio and you'll get five answers; four to one is a good start.
Recipe: 2 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin, ½ oz dry vermouth (Dolin Dry), 1 dash orange bitters. Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled glass, express a lemon twist.
2. Negroni
Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. It's the easiest great cocktail to remember.
Recipe: 1 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica). Stir with ice, strain over a large cube, garnish with orange peel.
3. Gimlet
Gin, fresh lime and simple syrup, shaken hard. It's sharp, cold and easy to make at home.
Recipe: 2 oz Plymouth Gin, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz simple syrup. Shake hard with ice, double strain into a chilled coupe.
4. Tom Collins
A gin sour topped with soda in a tall glass. It's the drink to make by the pitcher.
Recipe: 2 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, ¾ oz simple syrup, 3 oz soda water. Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice, strain into a tall glass over ice, top with soda.
5. Bee's Knees
Gin, lemon and honey syrup. Make the syrup two parts honey to one part warm water so it mixes cold.
Recipe: 2 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ¾ oz honey syrup. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe.
6. Last Word
Equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino and lime. It's herbal, sweet and sour at once.
Recipe: ¾ oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin, ¾ oz green Chartreuse, ¾ oz Luxardo Maraschino, ¾ oz fresh lime juice. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe.
7. Southside
A gin gimlet shaken with fresh mint. Think of it as a mojito for gin drinkers.
Recipe: 2 oz The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz simple syrup, 6 mint leaves. Shake with the mint and ice, double strain into a chilled coupe.
8. Corpse Reviver No. 2
Gin, Lillet, orange liqueur and lemon in equal parts, with an absinthe rinse. The name hints at the morning after.
Recipe: ¾ oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin, ¾ oz Lillet Blanc, ¾ oz Cointreau, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, absinthe rinse. Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, shake the rest with ice, strain in.
9. Gin Fizz
A gin sour with egg white and a splash of soda. The foam rises above the glass if you shake it long enough. Use pasteurized egg whites.
Recipe: 2 oz Plymouth Gin, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ¾ oz simple syrup, ¾ oz pasteurized egg white, 1 oz soda water. Dry shake, shake with ice, strain into a glass, top slowly with soda.
10. Clover Club
Gin, raspberry syrup, lemon and egg white. Use pasteurized whites, and fresh raspberries for the syrup if you can.
Recipe: 2 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz raspberry syrup, ¾ oz pasteurized egg white. Dry shake, shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe.
11. White Lady
Gin, orange liqueur and lemon: a gin sidecar, essentially. Crisp, and stronger than it looks.
Recipe: 2 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin, ¾ oz Cointreau, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe.
12. Gin Rickey
Gin, half a lime and soda, with no sugar at all.
Recipe: 2 oz Hendrick's Gin, ½ oz fresh lime juice, 4 oz soda water. Build over ice, squeeze in the lime, top with soda.
13. Martinez
A sweeter cousin of the Martini: gin, sweet vermouth and a little maraschino. A softer gin like Plymouth suits it.
Recipe: 1½ oz Plymouth Gin, 1½ oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica), ¼ oz Luxardo Maraschino, 2 dashes orange bitters. Stir with ice, strain into a chilled glass, express an orange twist.
14. Hanky Panky
A sweet-vermouth Martini with a spoonful of Fernet-Branca on top. The bitter herbs make it.
Recipe: 1½ oz The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, 1½ oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica), ¼ oz Fernet-Branca. Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, express an orange peel.
15. Elderflower Collins
A Tom Collins sweetened with elderflower liqueur. A cucumber-and-rose gin like Hendrick's leans into it.
Recipe: 1½ oz Hendrick's Gin, ½ oz St-Germain, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, 3 oz soda water. Shake gin, St-Germain and lemon with ice, strain over ice, top with soda.
Does the Gin You Choose Change the Drink's Strength?
Yes. A Tom Collins made with Plymouth Gin at 41.2% is 1.37 standard drinks. Made with Tanqueray London Dry Gin at 47.3%, the identical recipe is 1.58, about 15% more alcohol in the same glass. Over three rounds that adds up to roughly an extra 0.6 standard drinks.
A US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol (NIAAA). The table uses the gin named in each recipe.
| Cocktail | Pure alcohol | Standard drinks | Drinks per 750 ml bottle of the base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Martini | 1.03 oz | 1.7 | 12 |
| Negroni | 0.82 oz | 1.4 | 25 |
| Gimlet | 0.82 oz | 1.4 | 12 |
| Tom Collins | 0.95 oz | 1.6 | 12 |
| Bee's Knees | 0.83 oz | 1.4 | 12 |
| Last Word | 1.01 oz | 1.7 | 33 |
| Southside | 0.92 oz | 1.5 | 12 |
| Corpse Reviver No. 2 | 0.78 oz | 1.3 | 33 |
| Gin Fizz | 0.82 oz | 1.4 | 12 |
| Clover Club | 0.83 oz | 1.4 | 12 |
| White Lady | 1.25 oz | 2.1 | 12 |
| Gin Rickey | 0.83 oz | 1.4 | 12 |
| Martinez | 0.95 oz | 1.6 | 16 |
| Hanky Panky | 1.03 oz | 1.7 | 16 |
| Elderflower Collins | 0.72 oz | 1.2 | 16 |
Pure alcohol is each pour multiplied by the ABV on our review of that bottle, plus: Dolin Dry 17.5%; Campari 24% (US bottling; check your label); Carpano Antica 16.5%; green Chartreuse 55%; Luxardo Maraschino 32%; Lillet Blanc 17%; Cointreau 40%; Fernet-Branca 39%; St-Germain 20%. Bitters dashes and syrups are left out. One standard drink is 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol (NIAAA). Ice and shaking add water, not alcohol, so dilution does not change these figures.