Tag: Gin Cocktail

Gin-based cocktails and gin cocktail ideas.

  • REVIEW| The Three Best Gins: It’s Gin O’Clock!

    REVIEW| The Three Best Gins: It’s Gin O’Clock!

    It’s official April is here, spring is here and yes that’s right so is British Summer Time!

    So now we get an extra hour of daylight each day, to indulge in all our spring debauchery. Now as much as we could be referring to what goes down on Hampstead Heath… We at THEGAYUK will try and keep our debauchery PG for now. Indeed we are talking about all the debauchery that goes down in beer gardens and parks across the nation. It’s time to swap the winter whiskey for a refreshing G&T and don’t worry if you don’t know your Hendrick’s from your Gordons, we’ve got your back. Here’s our Top 3 Gin Guide for Spring 2019, with tasting notes and all. You’ll be a gin pro in no time.

     

    1. Harahorn Norwegian Gin

    Yes, you did indeed read right, Scandinavians make gin! The first gin to be featured on the top list is our Norwegian entrant Harahorn gin. Named after the Harahorn mountain in Norway and depicting the ever daunting image of a hare with horns, this gin is definitely an all-around favourite. By far the smoothest gin in our list, Harahorn is definitely the one to go for if you’re new to the gin scene. It’s a simple but delightfully smooth gin, with a neutral palette. Pair with blueberries for a subtle berry infusion and a flower or two, you know for the aesthetic. After all, if it’s not on Insta did it even happen?

    Recommended For: Anyone new to gin, who want a safe first dip into the gin pool.

    Instagram @harahorngin

    2. Blue Bottle Dry Gin

    Second, on our list, is our Guernsey entrant Blue Bottle Dry Gin. Now, this gin is indeed something special and can safely be considered an artisanal masterpiece. The gin which is brewed in copper stills at the Three Fingers Distillery in Guernsey combines a mirage of botanicals to create a truly unique taste. This gin is definitely one for the seasoned gin lover. With their tagline “Look for beauty everywhere.”, it’s definitely a gin that you will keep you yearning for more. With new tastes and experiences awaiting you, at every sip.

    We recommend serving with a slice of grapefruit, to truly explore the subtle taste notes of this gin. Floral in nature, the juniper is enhanced by the bitterness of the grapefruit and the subtle undertone of vanilla comes through. The result, a truly unique tasting experience that will definitely have gin lovers hooked.

    Recommended For: The seasoned gin lover, who wants to experience something truly unique on the gin scene.

    Instagram @bluebottlegin

    3. Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Strength Gin

    Finally, the third and final entrant to our list is our English entry. Conker Spirit RNLI Navy Strength Gin hails from Dorset, England and is a gin that supports the life-saving work of the RNLI. The gin was created in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and for every bottle sold, £5.00 is donated to the charity, to support their lifesaving work. So you can enjoy a cheeky G&T while doing good, definitely a brand we can get behind! The gin itself is smooth and by far the sweetest gin in our list.

    Similarly to the Blue Bottle Dry Gin, we’d recommend serving this one with grapefruit. The sharpness of the grapefruit will ground the sweetness of the drink. Creating a truly indulgent citrus palette for you to enjoy. Perfect on a sunny spring day in the park! If you also enjoy a neat whiskey in winter, try this beauty with a squeeze of grapefruit juice on the rocks. Rare we like neat gin but this one is an exception to the norm.

    Recommended For: Those with a sweet tooth, who enjoy a sweet citrus kick.

     Instagram @conkerspirit

    So there we have it. You are now indeed prepared to enjoy that extra hour of spring sunshine and hit the bar/park to enjoy a freshly made G&T. Let us know your thoughts below if you get the chance to try one of our favourites above or if you think we missed any from the list. Enjoy the sun and experimenting with your new favourite gins!

    Photography: Georgia Faid @georgiafaid

    Edited by: Daniel Dvir @danieldvirhere

  • Top Summer Gin Recipes

    For all you gin lovers out there we’ve compiled a collection of five simple recipes, with the help of some friends, to get you through the long summer of outdoor dining and socials. Your soirée is guaranteed to become a much talked about success with these tempting tipples, especially when (like me) all you’ve served in the past has been a can of shop bought premix, garnished with a bit of left over celery leaf from last night’s salad. Enjoy.

     

    Hayman’s Lavender Lady

    The Lavender Lady is the Hayman’s take on the traditional sour White Lady cocktail. The egg white creates a silky mixture, which perfectly accompanies the honey and Cointreau. Top the cocktail with a sprig of Lavender, and sit back in the garden and relax.

    Ingredients:
    50ml Hayman’s London Dry Gin
    20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
    10ml of locally sourced honey or 20ml of honey water (see below)
    10ml Cointreau
    1 medium egg white
    Dash of orange bitters
    Sprig of lavender to garnish

    Honey water:
    Combine equal parts of honey and hot water
    Stir until mixed

    Method:
    – Add cubed ice to a cocktail shaker
    – Pour the Hayman’s London Dry Gin over the ice
    – Add all the remaining ingredients, except the garnish
    – Give all the ingredients a very hard shake and strain into cocktail glass
    – Garnish with a sprig of lavender

     

    British Bramble

    Langley’s English gin brings us the best of British with this take on the Bramble. Made using classic English gin, Langley’s No. 8, and premium British blackcurrant liqueur, British Cassis, this is a versatile drink that’s ideal to enjoy on a hot (or rainy) summer day. One sip and you’ll soon be foraging for more.

    Ingredients:
    60ml Langley’s No. 8 gin
    30ml Lemon Juice
    15ml British Cassis
    10ml of sugar syrup

    Method:
    – Pour Langley’s No. 8 gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into your shaker, half-fill with ice, and shake until ice cold.
    – Strain into a rock glass filled with crushed ice
    – Drizzle British Cassis over the top so it trickles through the ice
    – Garnish with fresh blackberries and a slice of lemon

     

    Coconut Ramos

    Mr Lyan says: “In the original recipe that inspired me, Ramos Gin Fizz, the drink was reputedly shaken for five minutes solid to get it to what was described as ‘drinking clouds’. Apparently, it took 18 bartenders standing in a line taking over from each other when their arms began to ache. In this recipe I’ve used a soda siphon – you ‘charge’ it with nitrogen and CO2 to whip air in!” Recipe from Ryan’s book: Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan & Friends. Images courtesy of Waitrose.com.

    Ingredients:
    250ml London Dry Gin
    120ml lemon juice
    150ml rice milk
    90ml Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Organic Coconut Cream
    150ml cold water
    120ml egg white
    50ml sugar syrup
    2 dashes orange blossom water
    1 dash rose water

    Method:
    – Whisk all the ingredients together and then add to a soda siphon.
    – Charge with one bulb of nitrogen and one bulb of CO2.
    – Pour into chilled flutes and garnish with candied ginger.

     

    Hayman’s Victorian Mojito

    Ingredients:
    50ml Hayman’s London Dry Gin
    25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
    20ml sugar syrup
    Premium tonic water or soda water
    Freshly picked mint leaves

    Method:
    – Fill a highball glass with cracked or crushed ice and a few fresh mint leaves
    – Pour in the Hayman’s London Dry Gin and let it run down over the ice
    – Add the lime juice and sugar syrup
    – Churn vigorously ensuring the ingredients are well mixed
    – Top with the tonic water or soda water
    – Garnish with a mint sprig

     

    Diamond Southside

    Mr Lyan says: “With lots of fruity flavours, this is a great summer cocktail – it’s light and really refreshing. Crushed ice is good for tempering sweet or sharp drinks.” Images courtesy of Waitrose.com.

    Ingredients:
    50ml London Dry Gin
    Splash of lime juice
    6 mint leaves
    30ml cloudy apple juice
    10ml rhubarb and lavender syrup*
    Strip of cucumber

    Method:
    – Build over crushed ice in a wine glass. Add more crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.

    *To make a flavoured syrup, bring one part water to two parts sugar to the boil. Turn off and add your flavours while the syrup is still warm. As the syrup cools it extracts the flavour from whatever you have added. Much like cooking, keep tasting until you have the right balance. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Pomegranate Gin

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Pomegranate Gin

     

    Add the rosemary and a drop of gin with a tablespoon of ice into a shaker and bash it about a bit. Add both fruit juices and the gin, and shake. Pour into a glass through a strainer and top with ice and a few pomegranate seeds if you have them.

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Elderflower Gin

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Elderflower Gin

     

    50ml gin

    30ml elderflower cordial

    100ml tonic

    1 lime wedge

    Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour over the gin, cordial and tonic. Stir & serve with a wedge of lime.

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Cherry Gin

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Cherry Gin

    In a glass, muddle together the cherries, simple syrup, and lemon until the cherries are a little bit squishy. Fill the glass with crushed ice, pour oven the gin and stir. Top up with soda water and garnish with a few more dried cherries. A good tip to remember in general is 30g of dried fruit counts as one of your 7-a-day.

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Southside

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Southside

    SOUTHSIDE

     

    Ingredients:

    Gin  (BUY NOW)

    Lime juice (BUY NOW)

    Lemon juice (BUY NOW)

    Soda water (BUY NOW)

    Mint leaves (BUY NOW)

    Sugar Syrup

    Fill a cocktail shaker (I didn’t actually have one so I used my protein shake cup!) with ice.

    Add the gin, lime, lemon, simple syrup, and mint leaves- shake it like a Polaroid for 10 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled glass, garnishing with mint.

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Greenall’s Negroni

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Greenall’s Negroni

     

    Perfect if you like:

    A fruity but sour gin-based drink with complex citrus flavours.

     

    Ingredients.

    20ml Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, (BUY NOW)

    20ml Campari Bitter, (BUY NOW)

    20ml Martini Rosso (BUY NOW)

     

    Method.

    Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled glass and stir. Garnish with an orange twist.

    Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin is available from: Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Master of Malt. RRP: £15.49 for 70cl. ABV 37.5%

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | BLOOM Gin French 75

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | BLOOM Gin French 75

    Perfect if you like:

    Good quality gin based cocktails with a bit of party fizz.

     

    Ingredients.

    25ml BLOOM London Dry Gin, (BUY NOW)

    25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, (BUY NOW)

    10ml sugar syrup (1 part water : 2 parts sugar),

    top with good quality Prosecco or Champagne (BUY NOW)

     

    Method
    Shake the first three ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with bubbles and garnish with pretty edible flowers.

    BLOOM London Dry Gin is available from: Amazon. Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Ocado. RRP: £24.00 for 70cl ABV 40%

  • COCKTAIL RECIPE | Blueberry Basil Gin

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Blueberry Basil Gin

    COCKTAIL RECIPE | Blueberry Basil Gin

    (C) CREDIT: Jordan Lohan

    Ingredients.

    ¼ cup blueberries (BUY NOW)

    4 torn / shredded basil leaves (BUY NOW)

    45ml gin (BUY NOW)

    10ml lime juice (BUY NOW)

    10ml simple syrup

    Lime, to garnish

     

    Method.

    In a shaker, muddle the blueberries, basil, simple syrup, and lime juice. Add crushed ice and gin, shake it. Strain it.

    Drop in as many blueberries as you like (think of those antioxidants!). Garnish with lime and more basil, if you like.

     


    Buy these ingredients.

    Gin

    Lime juice

     

  • COCKTAIL RECIPES | TERRIFIC TANQUERAY

    In anticipation of having a Halloween party this year, me and my partner-in-refined, Grace, got together for an evening trying and testing out some gin based cocktails. (more…)

  • COCKTAIL |Crimson Mist

    Crimson Mist

    Ingredients.

    15ml bottlegreen pomegranate & elderflower cordial

    50ml gin (I would use Tanqueray)

    60ml cranberry juice

    soda water, to top drink up with

     

    Method.

    Shake the ingredients together with ice and strain into a highball glass, topping up with soda water. Garnish with a fruit wedge or a curl of lime.