3 Gin Cocktails Every Bartender Must Master

If you didn’t know it already, the cocktail world is booming. Ever since the cocktail renaissance of the early 2000s, mixology has been a big deal.

From Tacoma to Tampa, there are cocktails and bars littered throughout the country where talented, creative bartenders are mixing up classic and contemporary drinks.

If you want to be known as a bartender worth your salt, many classic drinks should be perfected first. Lucky for you, there are countless cocktails that not only feature simple ingredients, but are very easy to make without a full bar and an advanced degree in mixology.

And while we could easily write about the slew of easy-to-make classic drinks featuring whiskey, rum, tequila, and vodka, today is gin’s time to shine. If you’re a fan of the juniper-based, herbal, and botanical spirit, you should know how to make a handful of drinks. This includes the Gin & Tonic, Negroni, Gimlet, and more.

If you only learn how to make one gin cocktail perfectly, make it a Gin & Tonic. At its most basic, it’s a highball cocktail featuring gin and tonic water. Sure, you can add a squeeze of lime, but it doesn’t get much simpler than that.

Gin & Tonic

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Gin
• 4 oz. of Tonic Water

Preparation

1. Add ice to a highball glass.
2. Pour in gin and top with tonic water.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.

There’s no wrong time for this herbal, botanical, bittersweet cocktail. Made with London Dry Gin, Campari, and sweet red Vermouth, it’s a classic Italian cocktail you need to add to your repertoire.

Negroni

Ingredients

• 1 oz. London Dry Gin
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Sweet Red Vermouth

Preparation

1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour in the London dry gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
5. Garnish with an orange peel.

When it comes to simple gin-based cocktails, it’s difficult to beat the Gimlet. Made simply with gin and sweetened lime juice (or fresh lime juice and simple syrup), it’s a fresh, boozy, juniper, and citrus-driven cocktail you’ll want to drink all year long.

Gimlet

Ingredients

• 2 ½ oz. London Dry Gin
• ½ oz. Simple Syrup
• ½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice

Preparation

1. In an ice-filled shaker, pour in the London dry gin, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice.
2. Shake the ingredients vigorously to combine.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with a lime wheel.
5. Enjoy.