Lots of people shy away from attempting making cocktails at home, assuming that they must be complicated or require lots of unusual ingredients. Well, we’re here to tell you that there is nothing to fear! Many of the best cocktails only need a few ingredients, including very common, inexpensive items you can get in any shop or online!
Here, we’ve chosen eight delicious gin cocktails that require a grand total of THREE ingredients - including the gin! Not only are they easy to shop for, they take just minutes - maybe even seconds - to whip up! So what are you waiting for? Here’s to cocktail happy hour - at home!
Negroni
With its deliciously complex flavour, the Negroni is a cocktail that’s deceptively simple to make; with a ratio of 1:1:1, it’s actually difficult to bungle! Just make sure to invest in a good vermouth for optimum results. We love the Negroni as an aperitif - it pairs brilliantly with savoury snacks.
The Negroni is deceptively easy to make!
25ml dry gin
25ml Campari
25ml sweet vermouth
Method: Fill a short rocks glass with ice and pour all the ingredients over the ice. Stir gently for a good minute, until the drink is well chilled. Optional extra: garnish with a slice or twist of orange peel.
Elderflower & Lemon Martini
This zingy, slightly sweet and delicately floral elderflower and lemon martini makes for a delightfully refreshing twist on the classic recipe. This ginny tipple makes the perfect summer cocktail, especially as it only needs three ingredients!
An elderflower and lemon martini is a delicately floral, citrus take on the classic drink
50ml gin
25ml elderflower cordial
Juice of half a lemon (or to taste)
Add the gin, elderflower cordial and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker packed with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Optional extra: add 25ml of vermouth for a stronger martini with an added layer of flavour. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
French Kiss
You may well already be familiar with the famous gin-and-champagne classic cocktail, the French 75, but have you tried this fabulously pretty raspberry, gin and champagne version? It’s a fabulous party crowd-pleaser, and so easy to make!
A sparkling raspberry French Kiss tastes as good as it looks!
25ml gin (or to taste)
15ml raspberry liqueur*
Champagne or prosecco, to top up
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the gin and pink raspberry liqueur. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled champagne flute (or two), then top up with champagne. Optional extra: Garnish with a few raspberries or rose petals.
*You can use raspberry syrup instead of liqueur if you prefer a less potent drink!
Chocolate Toffee Martini
This creamy, boozy, chocolatey concoction is perfect to serve as a decadent dessert cocktail when your best gin pals come round for dinner! With only three ingredients, it’s much easier than baking a cake!
Try this indulgent, sweet chocolate cocktail in place of dessert
50ml toffee gin*
30ml chocolate cream liqueur
15ml Amaretto
Add ice, toffee gin, chocolate liqueur and Amaretto to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour the contents of the shaker in a chilled martini glass. Optional extra: dip the edge of the glass in melted chocolate and press into chocolate sprinkles to create a chocolatey rim for your cocktail glasses!
*You could use shop-bought toffee gin liqueur, or why not try making your own homemade toffee gin at home using our easy recipe?
Martinez
This beautiful cocktail - dark, strong and slightly sweeter than a standard Martini - is thought to be the precursor to the classic tipple we all know and love today.
A Martinez is a sophisticated alternative to the classic Martini
40ml gin
20ml sweet vermouth
10ml maraschino liqueur
Stir all the ingredients in a mixing glass with lots of ice for about 20 seconds (or use a cocktail shaker) and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Optional extras: Add a dash of Angostura bitters before straining. Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry or twist of orange peel.
Pink Paradise
Gin and grapefruit are classic bedfellows - now take the edge off the tartness by adding just a little sweetness for a refreshing cocktail that’s yummy all year round!
This simple gin-and-grapefruit cocktail is an ideal thirst-quencher
40ml gin
Freshly squeezed juice from half a grapefruit
1 tsp honey
Squeeze the juice from one half of the grapefruit into a glass and add gin and honey. Stir well. Add ice and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
Orange Blossom
A lovely, fruity twist on the classic Martini, the ratios in this recipe can be adjusted to suit your own taste to have it more ‘wet’ or ‘dry’! Works particularly well with citrus-forward gins.
Gin, orange juice and vermouth make for a magical combination
25ml gin (or to taste)
25ml sweet vermouth
25ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Build your drink over ice in a mixing glass. Stir to combine and strain into your chilled Martini glass. For extra colour and flavour, try using blood oranges. Optional extra: garnish with a slice of orange peel.
Limoncello Grapefruit Cocktail
Lemon, gin and grapefruit - these three classic flavours all combine in this deliciously zingy, slightly tart, slightly sweet, refreshingly citrus cocktail.
Fans of limoncello will love this easy gin cocktail
50ml gin
25ml Pallini Limoncello
35ml grapefruit juice
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add your first three ingredients. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Use pink grapefruit juice to guive your cocktail a pretty rosy hue.
Optional extra: Garnish with a slice of lemon.
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