Recipe Roundup

23 Essential Gin Cocktails for Happy Hour Tonight

Grab a bottle and get mixing.
Photo of two glasses of a classic gin and tonic one with a lime wedge and one with an orange slice and more lime wedges...
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo

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We have dozens of gin cocktails on the pages of Epicurious, but the list below is the right place to start if you’re looking to taste the absolute essentials. Perhaps you’re ready to dial in your personal favorite gin & tonic and martini—or you’re curious about other classic cocktails and the many delicious riffs that bartenders have created in recent years (saketini, anyone?). The best gin drinks can be bracing and boozy or light and refreshing, stirred or shaken, frozen or fizzy. There’s something for summer, fall, winter, and spring. Below you’ll find a selection of the best gin cocktail recipes around, coming to your personal at-home happy hour soon.

Looking for more drink ideas? Check out our interactive cocktail recipe finder. Wondering how strong that gin drink is? Try our ABV calculator.

  • Two clover club cocktails made with raspberry syrup gin and egg white in coup glasses.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert
    1/23

    Clover Club

    Sipping gin cocktails means sipping on history—this frothy, tart, classic drink is sweetened with raspberry syrup, which goes back before the days of grenadine. Making a batch also means you can whip up the world's best pink lemonade, too.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    2/23

    Dry Martini

    We've said a lot about the martini before, so we'll keep this brief: Martinis are the kind of drink that you want to play around with. Start with this basic recipe, then adjust to your own taste, adding more dry vermouth (or even blanc vermouth!) if desired, trying out different gins, and garnishing with an olive, or three, or a lemon or grapefruit twist. Anchovy and olive? Sure. Just don't shake it, please. But on a hot day, don't be afraid to drink your gin martini on the rocks. When you're ready to go further afield, try the Tuxedo No. 2 and the Obituary. While you're at it, try a Martinez, too—this version is adjusted for a London Dry gin, so you don't have to seek out sweeter Old Tom. 

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    3/23

    Ramos Gin Fizz

    Shaking up this old-school gin cocktail is a true workout—but it’s worth it for the lovely frothy texture that you get from the egg white.

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  • Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
    4/23

    The Most Refreshing Gin and Tonic

    The most important thing to remember when you're making gin and tonics is that every ingredient should be as cold as possible. The bubbles stay in longer that way—and one one wants a flat G&T.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    5/23

    Negroni

    This classic Italian aperitivo calls for equal parts gin, Campari, and vermouth. A pretty easy formula to remember! But if you like your drinks on the dry side, try pouring in a little extra gin. This is a great pre-dinner sipper—but on a truly hot day, you might want to whip up this frozen version.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
    6/23

    Last Word

    Make this tart and fragrant equal-parts cocktail once, and you likely won't need to peek at the recipe again.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    7/23

    French 75

    Make a toast with this fizzy and tart drink. A French 75 can be made with cognac, but the gin version tastes perfectly festive, herbal, and fresh.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    8/23

    Gin Rickey

    The gin rickey keeps it simple. Just gin, club soda or seltzer, and fresh lime juice. Get that seltzer maker fizzing!

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  • Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh
    9/23

    Gimlet Cocktail

    Once prescribed as a medicinal tonic to sailors in the British Royal Navy, this classic cocktail stands the test of time.

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  • 10/23

    Gin-Gin Mule

    This modern classic cocktail brings together a refreshing combination of ingredients—herbaceous mint, tart lime, spicy ginger, and crisp, bright gin. Does a copper mug make it more delicious? Maybe not, but it's still fun to sip from one.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    11/23

    Slippery When Wet

    If the only bottle in your liquor cabinet is a bottle of gin, you can still make this refreshing and well-balanced drink. The secret ingredient is a touch of yogurt, which gives it acidity and creaminess.

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  • Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo
    12/23

    Remember the Alimony

    Think of this as a Negroni that's softened a bit—rather than Campari, it's made with vegetal Cynar, and rather than sweet vermouth, it calls for crisp, dry fino sherry. It's an easy gin cocktail that's definitely worth adding to your repertoire. 

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  • Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo
    13/23

    Corpse Reviver No. 2

    Corpse Revivers are a classic family of cocktails meant for daytime sipping. Hair of the dog, and all that. This eye-opener pairs herbal gin with a dash of anise-scented absinthe, fragrant Cointreau, and bitter, fruity Cocchi Americano. Shake it up well, then strain into a chilled stemmed cocktail glass.

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  • Photo by Andy Sewell
    14/23

    Southside

    Fresh mint and gin are meant to be together; all they need is a touch of lime. When the humidity is really climbing, though, we also like to add a muddled cucumber for an even more cooling beverage.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    15/23

    Bittersweet Symphony (Gin and Aperol Cocktail)

    If you find the Negroni a little intense, try this softer version, which is made with orangey Aperol instead of Campari. Herbaceous Punt e Mes gives a balancing bitterness that makes this gin cocktail particularly delicious.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    16/23

    Cucumber Gin Cocktail

    Wondering which refreshing cocktail to pair with spicy Thai food? This softly herbal drink gets a touch of savory, citrusy flavor from makrut lime leaves.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle
    17/23

    Bee's Knees

    Gin and fresh lemon juice, sweetened with a touch of honey instead of simple syrup. For the easiest mix, loosen the honey with a few drops of water before shaking your heart out. You can serve this one with a lemon twist garnish for even more lemony appeal.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    18/23

    White Negroni

    Made with gin, bitter Suze, and aromatic Lillet, this 3-ingredient aperitif is easy to make at home. Want to lighten it up a bit? Try it in a tall glass with a tonic water topper.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt
    19/23

    Spiked Ginger-Lemonade Soda Can Cocktail

    No need for special cocktail glasses here—this refreshing drink, made with fresh lemon and dosed with spicy Angostura bitters, is served right in the can of ginger beer.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    20/23

    Casino Cocktail

    This easy gin cocktail is essentially an Aviation with orange bitters instead of Crème de violette. We like the swap a whole lot.

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  • Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    21/23

    Champagne Punch with Ginger, Lemon, and Sage

    Gin is right for any season, but we especially love how wintry it feels in a sparkling Champagne punch. Here, it meets up with an aromatic mixture of sage, lemon, and ginger—making a fancy block of ice with citrus wheels for an impressive presentation.

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  • Photo by Jason Varney
    22/23

    Gin Basil Smash

    And here's your summer move, the perfect gin cocktail for the time that backyard gardens offer a plentiful basil harvest. Muddle the leaves gently for the best flavor—and feel free to experiment with a mix of herbs if preferred.

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