When spring is in the air and the fields and hedgerows are in full bloom there’s nothing we like more than celebrating the new season with lots of gorgeous gin cocktails - especially if we can enjoy them outside among all of the abundant flowers and grasses that spring procures.
These six fabulous gin cocktail recipes are all full to the brim with bright, floral delight that makes them the perfect gin drinks to enjoy in spring.
Orange Bee’s Knees
“This classic Prohibition-era cocktail encapsulates the scent of Spring with the product of the amazing work that bees do, honey. It brings bright floral tones to a gin sour style of drink, whilst giving a gentle and smooth mouthfeel. You can play around with different styles of honey, to capture different floral flavours or even infuse the honey with your favourite garden herb for a Mediterranean twist.
Our twist on the Bee’s Knees cocktail uses orange juice to give an extra layer of sweet citrus flavour that pairs really well with the floral notes of the Honey.”
Ingredients
50ml gin
2 tsp honey
20ml lemon juice
10ml orange juice
Orange peel or thyme, to garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a Coupette or a Martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel.
Negroni Bianco
“This is a more delicate version of the Negroni cocktail, using white vermouth instead of sweet vermouth. White Vermouth - or Vermouth Bianco as you might find written on some Italian bottles - is usually made with more floral and fruity styles of grape than the ones used for sweet vermouth and is also aromatised with zesty fruits and floral botanicals. Combined with an aromatic gin and the bitter-sweet French liqueur, it makes for a perfect aperitif to sip during springtime and perhaps paired with some savoury tapas!”
Ingredients
30ml Gin
30ml white vermouth
30ml Suze (available online)
Thyme sprigs and grapefruit peel, to garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients in a mixing glass full of ice and stir until chilled down. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a large grapefruit peel.
French 75
“This classic, elegant and sophisticated cocktail is how I would like to kick spring off after a long winter spent indoors. The French 75 is the most popular celebration cocktail, perfect for any occasion. It brings refreshing citrus notes together with a slightly tart fruitiness from the Champagne, all bonded together with aromatic and piney juniper aromas of the gin. ”
Ingredients
35ml gin
15ml simple syrup
15ml lemon juice
Champagne, to top
Method
Add the gin, simple syrup and lemon juice to a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a flute or a champagne saucer and garnish with a lemon peel.
English Garden
“Elderflower, apple and gin combined in a drink are a perfect representation of a classic English Garden, bringing together delicate floral and refreshingly crisp notes in an easy-drinking cocktail. It’s perfect for a Spring brunch outdoors with friends.”
Ingredients
50ml gin
20ml elderflower syrup
10ml lime juice
75ml apple juice
Cucumber and lime, to garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a Highball glass over ice and garnish with a cucumber slice and lime wheel.
Rose Milk Punch
“This is a classic Milk Punch with added rose water, which gives a fresh floral aroma to the drink. It looks like such a small tweak but the rose water will convert the drink from a winter cocktail to a smooth and delicate spring tipple. It’s gentle and velvety, with a soft mouthfeel and a very pleasant aftertaste. You can try it with your choice of milk and, for a dairy-free alternative, I would recommend almond milk, as it pairs very well with the rose.”
Ingredients
50ml gin
15ml vanilla syrup
100ml milk
1 drop of rose flower water
Elderflower and raspberries, to garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a small goblet glass and garnish with an edible flower.
Spring Vesper
“Spring it’s also the start of Rhubarb season and this is a cocktail that incorporates the beloved vegetable into the classic Martini loved by James Bond, the Vesper. It adds some fruity and earthy notes to the drink, with a touch of bitterness coming from both the Lillet Blanc and the Rhubarb Bitters.”
Ingredients
45ml rhubarb gin
15ml vodka
15ml Lillet Blanc
2 dashes Rhubarb Bitters (available online)
Lemon peel, to garnish
Sugar, to rim the glass (optional)
Method
If you are rimming the glass with sugar for an extra sweet kick, dip the glass in gin and then in sugar and leave to dry.
Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake for a few seconds. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
Rhubarb Gin: There are plenty of rhubarb gins, including those on our online shop, but if you like to make your own, this is the perfect time to do it so.
Just infuse 200g of fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped, in a Kilner jar with 250ml of London Dry Gin and leave to infuse for three days in a cool dry place, shaking it once a day. Strain the liquid out and add 10ml of simple syrup to balance the tartness without adding too much sweetness to the gin. Store it in a cool dry place for up to a month.
These cocktails can also be found in Stylist magazine, watch out for that special spring feature coming soon. In the meantime, check out even more great spring cocktail recipes by clicking this link.
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