13 Refreshing Gin Cocktails for Springtime Sipping

As spring arrives and nature begins to bloom, it’s a perfect moment to transition from the cozy comforts of winter to the lively spirit of the season. What better way to celebrate this time of renewal than with a refreshing cocktail or two?

From light, fizzy libations to floral and herbal concoctions, here are 13 gin drinks perfect for springtime sipping!

Lychee Rose Gin Spritz

• 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin (aggregated review here)
• 0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Rose jam
• 2 oz Soda water
• 4 pieces Lychee
• Garnish: Lemon juice

Muddle lychee in a shaker. Add ice and lemon juice; mix well. In a glass, add rose jam and fill it with ice cubes. Pour the lychee mixture into the glass and add soda. Float Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin on top. Garnish with lemon juice and enjoy!

Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin offers tasting notes of orris root, rose and fragrant black tea, supported by a hint of beetroot. If you don’t have this expression already, reach for your nearest earthy, floral gin.

Hampton 75

• 0.5 oz Gin (we recommend a classic dry)
• 1 oz Hampton Water Rosé
• 0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup
• Splash of club soda
• Garnish: Lemon twist

Add gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, Hampton water and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a champagne flute. Top with club soda, and garnish with a lemon twist.

This drink highlights Hampton Water Rosé, a wine brand co-owned by Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi. If a bottle isn’t nearby, try using another fruity, dry rosé.

The Pink House Boat

• 0.5 oz Sausalito Liquor Co. Marin Coastal Gin
• 0.75 oz Aperol
• 0.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 0.75 oz Lemon juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup (or slightly less agave syrup)

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously with two handfuls of ice cubes for about 20 seconds, or until your fingertips feel chilled. Strain the mixture over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and sip away!

This cocktail features Marin Coastal Gin from Sausalito Liquor Co., which spotlights seaweed as a key botanical. If you don’t have this spirit on hand, reach for your favorite savory and citrusy gin.

The Moonraker

• 1.5 oz Gin (we suggest an old tom)
• 0.75 oz Amante 1530
• 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz Green tea simple syrup
• 3 Cucumber rounds

Gently build in a coupe glass, starting with the cucumber slices on the bottom, and enjoy.

Amante 1530 is an amaro combining the aromas of Italian citrus, ginger and honeysuckle. If it’s not already in your home bar, this cocktail can still be whipped up using your favorite red bitter liqueur.

There & Back

• 1 oz Aviation American Gin (aggregated review here)
• 1 oz Krogstad Aquavit
• 0.75 Thai Basil Syrup (recipe below)
• 0.75 Coconut syrup (recipe below)
• 1 oz Lime juice

In a cocktail shaker, add gin, Krogstad Aquavit, Thai basil syrup, coconut syrup and lime juice. Add ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with fresh Thai basil, and serve.

This cocktail includes Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation American Gin, which can be substituted for your favorite spicy, citrusy modern gin in a pinch.

Coconut Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of desiccated coconut in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce quickly to simmer for about 10–15 minutes. Strain using a fine-mesh sieve into a food-safe container. Use within 7 days.

Thai Basil Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of fresh Thai basil in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10–15 minutes. Double strain into a food-safe container using a fine-mesh sieve. Use within 7 days.

Glendalough Rose Martini

• 1.5 oz Glendalough Wild Rose Gin (aggregated review here)
• 0.5 oz Dry vermouth
• 0.5 oz Elderflower liqueur
• Garnish: Rose petal

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until very cold. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a rose petal (or lemon twist).

If you don’t have Glendalough Wild Rose Gin, consider another rose-forward gin like Atian Rose or Bloom Jasmine & Rose. If you can’t find a rose gin at all, simply select a gin you love and try adding a small splash of rose water to this cocktail.

The Salty Sailor

• 2 oz Joseph Magnus Vigilant Navy Strength Gin (aggregated review here)
• 0.75 oz Fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup
• 0.25 oz Green Chartreuse
• Pinch of sea salt
• Garnish: Lime wheel

Fill a shaker with ice. Add gin, lime juice, simple syrup, Green Chartreuse and sea salt. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy!

This recipe features Joseph Magnus Vigilant Navy Strength Gin, which can be substituted for another spicy high-proof gin if it’s not on hand.

Blackberry Negroni

• 1.5 parts Gray Whale Gin (aggregated review here)
• 1 part Campari
• 0.75 part Cocchi Dopo Teatro
• 6 Fresh Blackberries

In a cocktail glass, muddle four blackberries. In a mixing glass, combine gin, Campari and Cocchi Dopo Teatro. Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture from the mixing glass into the glass with the muddled blackberries. Garnish with the remaining two blackberries.

Combining sustainably sourced and wild-harvested botanicals, Gray Whale Gin presents tasting notes from sea kelp, almonds, mint, Persian lime, fir and juniper. If you don’t have this spirit within reach, try using your favorite savory or citrusy gin.

French Blonde

• 1 oz Gin (we recommend a classic dry)
• 0.5 oz Elderflower liqueur
• 2 oz Lillet Blanc
• 2 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
• A few dashes of lemon bitters

Shake together all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and enjoy!

If you don’t have Lillet Blanc, this recipe can be made with your nearest sweet white vermouth.

Mumm Sparkling Spring Fizz

• 1 part Malfy Arancia, chilled (aggregated review here)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 4 parts Mumm Sparkling Brut Rosé
• Garnish: Cracked cinnamon stick, Meyer lemon wheel

Build ingredients in a glass, garnish and enjoy!

Malfy Arancia is an Italian orange-flavored gin and can be substituted for another citrus-forward offering. And if you don’t have Mumm Sparkling Brut Rosé, swap it for your favorite bubbly rosé.

The Perfect Gimlet

• 2 oz Gin (we suggest something floral)
• 1 oz Homemade lime cordial (recipe below)
• Garnish: Lime slice or twist

Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the gin, fresh lime juice and lime cordial to the mixing glass. Stir the ingredients gently for about 20–30 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime slice or twist.

Homemade Lime Cordial Recipe, Created by Jeffrey Morgenthaler

• 250 g Sugar
• 8 oz Hot water
• 1.5 oz Fresh lime juice
• 1.5 oz Freshly grated lime peel
• 1 oz Citric acid

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Strain with a fine strainer, then bottle and refrigerate.

The Portland Tiki

• 1.5 oz Aviation American Gin (aggregated review here)
• 0.75 oz Lime Juice
• 0.75 oz Coconut syrup (recipe below)
• 0.75 oz Orgeat
• 0.25 oz Lavender syrup (recipe below)

In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lime juice, coconut syrup, orgeat and lavender syrup. Add ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a dried lavender sprig, and serve.

This mixed drink features Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation American Gin, which can be swapped out for your preferred modern gin with a spicy, citrusy profile if needed.

For Coconut Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of desiccated coconut in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce quickly to simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Strain using a fine-mesh sieve into a food-safe container. Use within 7 days.

For Lavender Syrup: Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of lavender sprigs in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a quick boil, then let simmer for ~20 minutes. Double strain into food food-safe container using a fine mesh sieve. Use within 7 days.

Fid Street Gin’s Hydration Therapy

• 1.5 oz Fid Street Gin
• 0.75 oz Elderflower liqueur
• 0.25 oz Coconut syrup
• 0.75 oz Lemon juice
• 2.5 oz Soda water
• 2 Cucumber slices
• Crushed ice
• Garnish: Basil leaf and cucumber wheels

Add all ingredients except soda water to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Pour into a glass and add soda water. Top with ice, cucumber wheel and a basil leaf.

Fid Street Gin, the first gin crafted on Maui, draws inspiration from Honolulu’s Victorian-era influences and the historic Fid Street, now lower Nu’uanu Avenue. It blends traditional London Dry gin elements with locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients, such as Maui Gold Pineapple. If you don’t have a bottle of Fid Street at the ready, reach for your favorite tropical, fruity gin.

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