There are plenty of refreshing ways to knock back a little gin in the summer months. Here are a few favorites. You choose the proportions.
- Gin and grapefruit juice over ice, garnished with mint leaves.
- Gin with a bit of cassis, over ice, topped off with seltzer and a lime wedge
- Equal parts gin and Aperol (an Italian orange bitter) over ice with an orange slice, topped with seltzer
- Gin and orange juice with a splash of grenadine (the real stuff, not high fructose corn syrup with red food coloring)
- Gin with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a bit of simple syrup and lots of seltzer
- Gin muddled with fresh mint, simple syrup and lime then topped off with seltzer
- Gin and limoncello with plenty of ice.
Songbird
Developed at Bar DeVille in Chicago, this cocktail may be new, but it’s got retro class. Goes well with diamonds.
1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz St-Germain
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry – a real one. From Italy. Yes, they’re expensive. But they are soooo worth it.
