We enjoy a national day as much as the next person. They can be useful for jogging our memories or for trying new thing. But when it comes to World Gin Day, which falls annually on the second Saturday in June, we probably didn’t need the encouragement, truth be told. And yet, there it is, beckoning us to unscrew the bottle of mother’s ruin on the drinks trolley (distinguished as the frequently replaced bottle amid the port and brandy that have stood, untouched, for years). And who are we to resist the call to knock up a classic gin cocktail on the spirit’s very own dedicated day? It would be rude not to. To that end, we shall invite our dearest friends over to clink glasses with the finest summery concoctions contained within.

Here are five to try.

Gimlet Cocktail


Olive Magazine
Gimlet Cocktail

No gin enthusiast should ever be without a tried-and-tested trusty gimlet recipe. This one makes for the ultimate refreshing summer drink, giving zing to the gin via the addition of lime juice and syrup, as well as a sprig of fresh mint to garnish. We love that it’s light and that you need not have several obscure spirits lurking amidst your drinks cabinet arsenal to make it. Plus, it never fails to pep us up. Cin-cin. Find the recipe here.


Rhubarb And Ginger Cocktail


Delicious Magazine
Rhubarb And Ginger Cocktail

The great thing about gin is that it can really be anything you want it to be. In winter, it is warming; in summer, it is refreshing – it all depends on how you dress it up. We like this beautiful concoction which marries the two: it has ginger wine for warmth, rhubarb for an off-setting tartness, and a sprig of rosemary for a pleasingly aromatic addition. Find the recipe here.


Basilberry Smash


Advanced Mixology
Basilberry Smash

Do you wish to transport yourself to Italy by tasting its very essence in a glass? Who doesn’t, frankly? As they say, fresh basil is an excellent counterbalance to a botanical gin, making it taste as much of Ligurian idylls as it smells of such earthly paradises. Fresh, light, and bursting with flavour, we love the top up of sparkling water for a frothy tipple that will cool you down in an instant. Find the recipe here.


Grapefruit Gin Fizz


Taste.com
Grapefruit Gin Fizz

We’re all for a cocktail that looks as pretty as a picture and yet does not require the skills of a master mixologist to put together. Simply fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the gin, squeeze in a slice of grapefruit and then add the tonic water. Do find your prettiest glasses for this pale pink number – and don’t forget to finish it off with a sprig of rosemary. So aesthetically pleasing we can hardly bear to drink it. (We will somehow manage it, though.) Find the recipe here.


The Elder Sage


Idealist Foods
Elder Sage

Sage is a woefully underused herb, especially when it comes to making subtly flavoured cocktails. We love it brewed in a tea – but while we could drink gallons of that, it will never quite come close to stealing The Elder Sage’s crown for sheer deliciousness. Gin, St Germain, sage leaves and grapefruit juice: is there a happier combination on a summer’s day? As this foodie blog suggests, if you want to try a variant on this winner of a cocktail, do try the excellently named Wise Beekeeper, which is essentially the same recipe but made with sloe gin. Find the recipe here.

By Nancy Alsop
June 2022