8 Refreshing Gin Cocktails Perfect for Summer Sipping

Summer is the perfect time to unwind and beat the heat with a selection of refreshing gin cocktails. From classic concoctions to innovative twists, these tantalizing drinks are just what you need to elevate your outdoor soirées.

To help you get ready for summer sipping, here are eight refreshing gin cocktail recipes.

The Fresh Coast

• 1.5 oz Las Californias Citrico (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz Honey water
• .5 oz Lemon juice
• 1.5 oz Wheatgrass shot (can be subbed for ginger)

Add Las Californias Citrico, honey water, lemon juice and wheatgrass into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the ingredients are combined and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

This cocktail features Las Californias Citrico, a terroir-driven gin made with fig, apricot, lemon grass, citrus leaves and peels, almond and grape vines and leaves. By sourcing botanicals across two countries for its gin, Las Californias aims to unite the diverse landscapes of the region along the Pacific Coast connecting Mexico and the United States. If you don’t have this gin on hand, consider using another that prominently features citrus.

Iona Martini

• 2 oz Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth
• 1 pinch Edible blue glitter
• Lemon twist (expressed and discarded)

Stir gin and vermouth with ice until cold. Strain into a martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a pinch of edible blue glitter (stir it in) and express a lemon twist over the top and discard it.

This cocktail features Bombay Sapphire’s recently launched Murcian Lemon expression, made with hand-peeled Murcian Fino lemons harvested at the peak of ripeness. If you don’t have this spirit at the ready, try using your favorite citrus-forward gin.

Empress 75

• 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin (aggregated review here)
• .75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• .5 oz Simple syrup
• Sparkling wine
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Shake on ice and fine strain into a chilled flute glass. Top your cocktail with sparkling wine, garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.

This fizzy cocktail features Empress 1908’s rich indigo hue and grapefruit, herbal tasting notes. If you don’t have this gin ready, try another of your favorite citrus-forward gins.

Find out more about Empress 1908 in an interview we had with Victoria Distiller’s master distiller.

Petal Collins

• 1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire (aggregated review here)
• .75 oz Lemon juice
• .5 oz St Germain
• .25 oz Simple syrup
• 3 oz Club soda
• Garnish: Edible flower and lemon wheel

Build in a Collins glass and top with club soda. Garnish with an edible flower and a lemon wheel.

This cocktail, along with the accompanying Sunrise and Tonic and Iona Martini recipes originated from the Saw This, Made This Bombay Sapphire event in partnership with Baz Lurhmann. Read more about the event here.

This drink uses Bombay Sapphire’s London dry, a spicy, citrus-forward gin. If you don’t have this spirit on hand, reach for your favorite classic dry.

Minke Gin Sour

• 2 oz Minke Irish Gin (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• .5 oz Simple syrup
• 1 oz Egg white
• Garnish: Lemon wedge and lemon zest

Add all ingredients with ice into a shaker. Shake hard and double strain into a glass. Garnish with shaved lemon zest and a lemon wedge and serve right away.

Minke Irish Gin, crafted by Clonakilty Distillery in Ireland, draws inspiration from the Atlantic’s Minke whales. Using wild botanicals harvested from the local shoreline, including Rock Samphire, this gin features a silky texture from a whey base and a flavor profile of lavender, citrus, sea salt and fennel notes, culminating in a subtly salty and peppery finish.

If you don’t have this spirit at the ready, reach for your favorite sea-inspired gin such as Hendrick’s Neptunia, Gray Whale or Fundy. A classic dry will also do the trick.

Empress Layover

• 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz Elderflower cordial soda
• Garnish: Cucumber and rosemary

In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber and then add rosemary. Shake ingredients on ice and strain into a chilled Collins glass. Top with fresh ice, soda and garnish with a cucumber ribbon.

Grapefruit Gin Fizz

• 2 oz McQueen and the Violet Fog Gin (aggregated review here)
• 2 oz Grapefruit juice
• 2 oz Tonic water or club soda
• Garnish: Grapefruit slices

Pour gin and grapefruit into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain the gin mixture over a glass filled with ice and add tonic water. Garnish with slices of grapefruit and enjoy!

This cocktail features McQueen and the Violet Fog, a Brazilian gin with a complex herbal, citrusy and floral palate. McQueen and the Violet Fog also happens to be American rapper Wiz Khalifa’s favorite gin, which we think is pretty neat. If you don’t have this spirit at the ready, reach for your favorite floral gin.

Sunrise and Tonic

• 1 oz Bombay Sapphire (aggregated review here)
• .5 oz Grapefruit juice
• 1 oz Martini and Rossi Fiero
• 4 oz Fever tree Tonic
• Garnish: Grapefruit wheel

Build the ingredients in a balloon glass filled with ice. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel and enjoy!

Read next:

‘Distilled Without Borders’: Las Californias Gins Pay Homage to a Once Connected US and Mexico Region

Following the Success of Empress 1908 Gin, Victoria Distillers Debuts Elderflower Rose Expression

Debunking the Malaria Myth: Why Today’s Gin and Tonics Fall Short in Disease Prevention

Here at Gin Raiders, we do more than write about current events in gin and spirits. We are the only media property reviewing gins and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the gin world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of gin in your morning email, sign up for our Deal of the Day newsletter.