5 Classic Gin Cocktails To Enjoy This Ginuary

This January, why not rise a glass to celebrate Ginuary with these classic gin cocktails?

Most of you will be familiar with Dry January (which means, no alcohol for the entire month of January). But have you ever heard of Ginuary?

If not, this is your chance to learn about this increasingly popular event and how you can join in.

What is Ginuary, and how do you participate?

As most will have guessed, Ginuary combines the words gin and January and refers to a month-long celebration of all things gin.

Ginuary was established in 2012 and while there are no given rules how to approach the month, it’s meant to enjoy gin on each day of January. In whatever form you prefer. A classic gin tonic, a gin cocktail, or gin incorporated in food like for example a gin marinated salmon.  

Despite being a gin lover, and hardly turning down a refreshing gin tonic, I am not planning to commit on a daily gin-based cocktail this month. On the contrary, I absolutely support drinking with moderation and thus not drinking alcohol on a daily basis.

That said, I am pretty sure there will come the opportunity to mix up a gin cocktail along the way. Whether that is this month or over the remaining eleven of the year.

Five classic gin cocktails to celebrate Ginuary in style

With the gin boom still nowhere ending, the number of new, innovative gin-based cocktails is seemingly countless. But sometimes, you simply need one of the classics. Don’t you agree?

Below, I have rounded up five of the all-time classic gin-based cocktails. Except the Gin Fizz, all require few basic ingredients and are mixed up quickly.

Negroni

What can one say about the Negroni that has not been said? This classic Italian cocktail made of equal parts gin, red vermouth, and Campari said to be invented by Count Camillo Negroni in Florence in the 1920s has gained its place in history as one of the most popular pre-dinner cocktails globally.

Serves 1

50 ml gin
50 ml red vermouth
50 ml Campari

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled then strain into a cocktail glass with ice (for the most iconic look, add only one large ice cube).

Garnish with an orange wheel or orange zest.

Cranberry French 75

Harry’s New York Bar in Paris is to be blamed when it comes to inventing many classic popular cocktails. This one is an all-time favourite, not least because it’s so simple to mix. Plus, it contains champagne. So, who could resist?

In its purest form, the classic French 75 consists of gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice, topped up with champagne. But just like all popular cocktails, there are now countless variations. This one is one of my favourites for a French 75 winter version.

Serves 1

50 ml gin
15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
15 ml cranberry juice
15 ml simple syrup
Champagne

In a shaker filled with ice, add gin, cranberry juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake until well chilled, then strain into a champagne glass.

Top with champagne.

Aviation Cocktail

Combining gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and crème de Violette, the Aviation Cocktail gained popularity when the aviation area just started at the turn of the 20^th century. While all but forgotten since the one ingredient essential for the drinks striking look was no longer on the market in the past few decades, the Aviation cocktail has made a strong comeback with crème de Violette once again available.

Serves 1

60 ml gin
15 ml maraschino liqueur
1 tablespoon crème de Violette
20 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled then strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Ramos Gin Fizz

Invented by Henry Charles Ramos, in 1888 in New Orleans, this is one of the  longest-lived popular gin cocktails.

To make this delicious gin cocktail, you need some persistance, however. To get the lovely, silky texture right, it needs vigorous and extended shaking. You also need a longer list of ingredients then for most other gin cocktails.

Needless to say, it’s all worth it.

Serves 1

60 ml gin
20 ml simple syrup
15 ml heavy cream
15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 dashes orange flower water
1 fresh egg white
club soda

Add all ingredients except the club soda to a shaker without ice. Shake for around 10 seconds. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for another 15-20 seconds until well chilled.

Strain into a cocktail glass.

Pour some soda water into the shaker and ‘clean’ the two halves by pouring it back and forth between them. This picks up the remaining cream and egg white. Top up the glass with the club soda from the shaker.

Gimlet

The easiest of all classic gin cocktails. Just gin and cordial, you can call the Gimlet reason why such classics like the Margarita or Daiquiri actually exist.

Dating back to the 19^th century, the drink was born out of the necessity to preserve juice for longer journeys by adding small quantities of neutral spirits. Later on, the juice would be preserved by adding sugar rather than alcohol, thus creating what we know today as juice cordial.

While you can use any cordial to make a gimlet, combining gin and cordial at a ratio of 1:1, if you want to make the Gimlet in its most classic way, it’s gin, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup at a ratio of 2:1:1.

Serves 1

60 ml gin
30 ml freshly squeezed lime juice
30 ml simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled then strain into a cocktail glass with or without ice.

Do you have a favourite gin cocktail? Let me know in the comments below.