Gin cocktails you've never heard of, but really need to try

Looking to do something a little different with your Gordon’s? Want to tweak your Tanqueray and Tonic? Make something other than a Martini? Well you’ve come to the right place. Here’s our low-down of the best gin cocktails you’ve probably not heard of, but really need to try.



Warday’s Cocktail

Taken from the classic Savoy Cocktail Book, this drink deserves to be brought back into public consciousness.

Ingredients
1 Teaspoonful Chartreuse (the traditional recipe calls for green Chartreuse, but yellow would work well too)
1/3 Vermouth
1/3 Dry Gin (we like herbaceous gins to counteract the apple flavouring in the Calvados, like Sipsmith)
1/3 Calvados or Apple Brandy

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.



Bijou

Photo: Didriks (CCL)

This is basically a Negroni which swaps red vermouth for green Chartreuse. The name (the French word for ‘jewel’) is said to represent the jewels for each of the drinks’ components (diamonds for gin, rubies for red vermouth, and emeralds for the green Chartreuse).

Ingredients

50ml gin
25ml Green Chartreuse
50ml Martini Rosso
1 dash bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass.



Death in the Gulf Stream

Rumoured to be Ernest Hemingway's hangover cure. While we’re not convinced it’s the best way to treat a sore head, it’ll certainly give you one.

Ingredients

Peeled zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1 teaspoon simple syrup (or a teaspoon of sugar will do)
100ml of gin (the traditional recipe calls for genever, but you could substitute it for a heavy-juniper gin such as Death’s Door or Langley’s No. 8)

Shake all ingredients with ice, pour into an ice-filled glass, churn, and top with more ice.



Monkey Gland

Photo: ChodHound (CCL)

This one is hard not to like – even by those who aren’t big gin drinkers. First created in the 1920s, it’s said to be named after a medical procedure from the time involving male genitalia and, erm, monkeys.

Ingredients

5 parts gin
5 parts fresh orange juice
1 part grenadine
1 dash absinthe

Combine gin, orange juice, grenadine, and absinthe in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.



Suffering Bastard

Originally named the ‘Suffering Bar Steward’ after the poor, hungover chap who invented it, this is a beauty of a drink which, with the healing powers of limes and ginger, will melt away any suffering.

Ingredients

2 parts bourbon
2 parts gin
2 parts ginger ale
1 part lime juice
2 dashes bitters

Add the bourbon, gin, lime and bitters to an ice-filled glass, and top with ginger ale.