Food & Drink

5 Great Gin Cocktails to Try This Spring

Courtesy Bombay Sapphire

There are plenty of ways to enjoy gin year-round, but we have to admit that our favorite season is spring, when fresh herbs and fruits and tons of ice make for some intriguing concoctions.

Over the last six months we’ve tasted gin cocktails in half a dozen countries, from bartenders like Naren Young of Dante New York and Brenda Terry from the Tampa Yacht Club, and from competitions including the annual program to search for Bombay Sapphire’s Most Inventive Bartender.

We’ve collected some of our favorites, and looked at them longingly waiting for the weather to break. Now that it almost has, you should join us in enjoying some of these delicious cocktails.

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1 / 5

Al Fresco Spritz

The Al Fresco Spritz from Naren Young (Dante New York) is a nice afternoon drink especially if you’re having a small group over, because the proportions are very easy to scale up. It combines staples of the spring cocktail world with just a bit of vermouth for depth and really turns out nice for a brunch alternative to those mediocre mimosas.

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin
6 oz. Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth
3 oz. St Germain
1 oz. lime juice
Perrier and Prosecco

Build and stir. Top with Perrier and Prosecco. Pour 11 oz. of the batch into a mixing jug. Add 1 oz. lime juice. Pour over lots of ice into the pitcher. Garnish with green grapes, lime wheels, kiwi wheels, starfruit, green apple slices, cucumber slices.

2 / 5

Blueberry Collins

Higballs are about to be your favorite again. We know a bad Tom Collins can be too tart and lack depth, which is why we love this Blueberry Collins. It’s a bright and lively cocktail that utilizes fresh berries to add depth. It’s also simple to put together with a few ingredients already on hand.

1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 part lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
A handful of blueberries
1 bar spoon blueberry preserve
Club Soda

Combine Bombay Sapphire and fresh blueberries, muddle well. Add blueberry preserve and muddle again. Add lemon juice and simple syrup, shake with ice and strain well into a Collins glass over ice. Top off with club soda.

3 / 5

Zatar Tomatoes

A beautiful, simple up-style drink meant to take advantage of an early harvest of one of our favorite little fruits: the cherry tomato. This recipe from Annie Williams, Bombay Sapphire’s 2017 Most Imaginative Bartender, takes some prep work ahead of time with the infusion, but it’s very much worth it.

1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire
1.25 oz za’atar infused dolin blanc
1.5 yellow cherry tomatoes
4 drops saline solution

Muddle tomatoes and saline. Add other ingredients, stir, and double strain. Garnish with pickled cherry tomato.

4 / 5

The Silk Journey

This is our pick for evening sipping while the weather sorts itself out. Somewhat like a mule, this cocktail leans on the subtle spice of ginger beer to bring together all the ingredients. But unlike a simple Moscow version, this one is packed with fresh and herbal flavors that play really well no matter which season it appears to be outside.

2 oz Bombay Sapphire East Gin
3/4 oz Fresh Lime juice
1/2 oz Pomegranate syrup
2 oz Oolong and mandarin tea
Ginger Beer

Shake and serve over ice, topped with ginger beer. Garnish with large orange zest.

5 / 5

Swan Song

We’re big fans of the Aviation as a cocktail, and of the Manhattan. Swan Song, a recipe courtesy of Brenda Terry (Tampa Yacht Club), is a mindblowing blend of the two. It’s a perfect achievement of our three biggest criteria for a good drink: great flavor, beautiful presentation, and a lot of things working in perfect unison. This cocktail is just that: a lot of great flavors that all play nice together down to the very last drop.

2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 oz tarragon infused Martini & Rossi Extra Dry
1/4 oz lemon cordial
3-4 dashes Homemade “bricky” bitters (green cardamom pods, dried lavender, allspice, and anise bitters)
Lavender spray

Combine all ingredients and stir in a mixing glass. Pour into a martini or coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist and a cherry.

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