Easy Gin Drinks: 9 Recipes to Make at Home

You do not need a crowded shelf to make good gin drinks at home. Gin, fresh citrus, a carbonated mixer, ice and one aromatic garnish are enough to create several distinct serves. The real controls are proportion, temperature and dilution.

This guide covers nine practical recipes with exact measures. Each makes one drink. Drink responsibly: this content is for adults of legal drinking age. Never drink and drive, and always provide water, food and alcohol-free choices.

The basic gin highball formula

• 45–50 ml gin;
• 15–25 ml fresh citrus;
• 100–150 ml tonic, soda or ginger ale;
• one aromatic garnish;
• ice to the top of the glass.

1. Classic gin and tonic

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 120 ml chilled tonic, citrus peel and plenty of ice.

Method: fill the glass with ice, add gin and slowly pour tonic down the side. Stir once and express the citrus peel over the drink.

2. Strawberry and basil gin and tonic

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 2 strawberries, 3 basil leaves, 15 ml lime juice, 100 ml tonic and ice.

Method: gently press one strawberry with lime, then add gin and ice. Top with tonic and garnish with the remaining strawberry and basil. Do not pulverize the herb.

3. Passion fruit gin and tonic

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 30 ml passion-fruit pulp, 10 ml simple syrup, 15 ml lime, 100 ml tonic and ice.

Method: shake everything except tonic with ice, strain over fresh ice and top with tonic. Add syrup gradually because fruit and tonic sweetness vary.

4. Gin Mule

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 20 ml lime, 10 ml simple syrup, 100 ml ginger beer or ginger ale and ice.

Method: build in an ice-filled highball and stir gently. Ginger ale is often sweeter, so reduce the syrup when needed.

5. Easy Tom Collins

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 25 ml lemon, 15 ml simple syrup, 80 ml soda and ice.

Method: shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, top with soda and stir once.

6. Gin Sour

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 25 ml lemon, 20 ml simple syrup and ice. For foam, use 20 ml pasteurized egg white or a cocktail foamer according to its label.

Method: shake hard with ice and strain. If using foam, shake without ice first, then again with ice. Prefer pasteurized egg white for food safety.

7. Cucumber gin soda

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 4 cucumber slices, 20 ml lime, 10 ml simple syrup, 100 ml soda and ice.

Method: gently press two cucumber slices, add gin, lime, syrup and ice, then top with soda. Garnish with the remaining cucumber.

8. Grapefruit and rosemary gin

Ingredients: 50 ml gin, 50 ml grapefruit juice, 10 ml simple syrup, 70 ml soda, rosemary and ice.

Method: build over ice, top with soda and use rosemary only as an aromatic garnish.

9. Simple Negroni

Ingredients: 30 ml gin, 30 ml sweet red vermouth, 30 ml red bitter aperitif, ice and orange peel.

Method: stir with ice for 20–25 seconds and strain over a large cube. This is a short, bitter and spirit-forward drink; serve it slowly with food and water.

What tools are worth having?

A jigger improves these drinks more than a large accessory collection. A shaker helps with citrus recipes, while a sturdy sealed jar works for initial tests. Fill glasses with solid ice for better temperature control.

Affiliate disclosure: the clearly identified block below may feature home-bar tools related to these recipes. DrinkBooking may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Compare specifications, reviews, price and availability on the retailer's page.

Build the rest of the occasion with the free DrinkBooking ritual creator, or read the guide to building a practical home bar.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best gin-to-tonic ratio?

Start with one part gin to two or three parts tonic: 50 ml gin and 100–150 ml tonic. Adjust for the gin's strength and the tonic's sweetness.

What can I mix with gin besides tonic?

Soda, ginger ale, ginger beer and fresh citrus all work. A Tom Collins, Gin Sour or cucumber gin soda requires no tonic.

Can gin cocktails be prepared ahead?

Gin, citrus and syrup can be combined for a few hours under refrigeration. Add ice, herbs and carbonated mixers only when serving.

Next step: try the classic gin and tonic and the Tom Collins side by side. They demonstrate how tonic, soda, citrus and sugar change the same base spirit.