Gin Cocktail Recipes

Your guide to easy DIY drinks to suit all occasions – even your lazy days.

Last Updated: 9 June 2017

A night out with your friends may hold plenty of surprises, and who knows; you might just catch a glimpse of your secret crush. But nothing beats a night of fun indoors with your mates and some cold ones. So if you in the mood to spice up your time indoors, why not make your own cocktails and the best part of it is: you get to control the amount of alcohol that will go into your DIY drinks.

Now you might be wondering where to start to get your spirits up (no pun intended), here are a few recipes you could use:

Cool classic: Gin Fizz

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml gin
• 30ml lemon juice
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 1 tsp sugar
• 20ml lightly whipped egg white (optional)
• Chilled soda water (quantity to taste)

METHOD

Shake up the gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, sugar and egg white (if using) in a cocktail mixer with a little ice and strain into a glass half-filled with ice cubes. Top up with the soda water and enjoy with your friends.

Gin & Mint

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml gin
• Two tender sprigs of fresh mint, washed
• 1cm thick slice fresh cucumber, quartered
• 100m chilled elderflower cordial (not concentrate)
• Small mint sprig and thin lemon slice to garnish.

METHOD

Pour in the gin, and add mint and cucumber pieces in the bottom of a cocktail mixer or glass jug. Stir for a minute, squashing down the mint and cucumber with the back of a table spoon to bruise them well and release their juices. Strain into a tall thin glass or plastic tumbler containing a couple of ice cubes. Finally, decorate with mint and lemon and you ready to indulge in this delicious gin cocktail.

Lemongrass Fusion

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml gin
• 30ml lime and lemongrass cordial concentrate
• 4cm long piece lemongrass, outer layer peeled
• 2cm square piece fresh ginger root, peeled
• 150ml ginger ale (Schwepps works perfectly)
• Slice of lime to garnish

METHOD

Slice the lemongrass and ginger into pieces and bruise them with the back of a tablespoon. Put them, and any juices from them, into a cocktail mixer with some ice, and add the gin and cordial. Shake well then strain into a glass or plastic tumbler with more ice in it. Top up with ginger ale. Decorate with a thin half-slice of lime and enjoy.

Apricot Passion

INGREDIENTS

• 30ml gin
• 2 tsp apricot glaze or sieved apricot jam
• 30ml passion fruit juice drink (Liqui-Fruit is fine)
• 10ml lime juice

METHOD

Pour the gin over the apricot glaze in a glass with a little crushed ice in it, and stir very well until the apricot is more or less dissolved.  Add the passion fruit juice drink and lime juice and stir further, add more crushed ice, then serve with a straw.

Bramble- Blackberry liqueur and gin

INGREDIENTS

• 40ml gin
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 15ml blackberry liqueur
• 15ml lemon or lime juice
• Blackberries to garnish

METHOD

Pour all the liquid ingredients into a thick tumbler half-filled with ice and stir gently. Finish by decorating it with a perfect blackberry or two.

When you are done trying out these easy to follow cocktail recipes, all that's left for you to do is have a jol with your tjommies and feel proud that you are now your own personal "Pro" Cocktail-mixer.

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Make your own floral and botanical inspired cocktails at this DIY workshop.

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By Garth Prins
Source: Telegraph.co.uk 
Images: Wikimedia Commons

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Gin is a national past time, so we've developed an overview of Gin Distilleries in and around Cape Town. Do you love making your puddings? Then you should check out recipes for winter warming desserts.

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Tractor rides, roosterkoek and kids fun while celebrating apricots at the Appelkoos Fees.

AC Hotel Cape Town has live music and a happy hour every Thursday and a weekly Sunday roast.

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