Southside Recipe: How to Make Al Capone’s Favorite Gin Cocktail
This sweet-and-sour cocktail is made with gin, mint, lime and simple syrup. While its exact place of birth remains uncertain, the Southside is popularly associated with Al Capone. (Photo: Marker Photography/Pixabay)
The Southside is a Prohibition-era cocktail that effortlessly combines gin, mint, simple syrup and citrus. Born out of the need to mask the rough taste of homemade bathtub gin, this classic drink’s two most popular origin stories suggest it was first made in either Chicago’s South Side district or the Southside Sportsmen’s Club on Long Island.
Beyond its uncertain beginnings, there’s popular speculation that the drink was favored by famous bootlegger Al Capone, whose influence extended over Chicago’s South Side. According to Mental Floss, Capone’s gang regularly drank a harsher gin that needed additional sweetening to make it enjoyable, leading to the preference for the Southside cocktail.
Common riffs of the minty drink include the Southside Fizz, which incorporates a hearty splash of soda water, and the International Bartenders Association’s version, which proposes adding egg white for a silkier texture.
Let’s make a Southside!
Southside Cocktail Recipe
- 2 oz Gin (recommendations here)
- 3/4 oz Fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz Simple syrup (1:1 ratio of sugar to water)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Garnish: Mint sprig
Start by muddling a few fresh mint leaves at the bottom of a shaker. Then, add the gin, fresh lime juice and simple syrup to the shaker and fill it with ice. Shake well for about 10 seconds before straining the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!
Read next:
Sipping History: How to Make Oppenheimer’s Signature Martini
The 5 Best Gins We Tasted in January 2024
Here at Gin Raiders, we do more than write about current events in gin and other booze-related news. 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.
Follow The Daily Pour:
About The Daily Pour
Founded by Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate drinking guide for the modern consumer, covering spirits, non-alcoholic and hemp beverages. With its unique combination of cross-category coverage and signature rating system that aggregates reviews from trusted critics across the internet, The Daily Pour sets the standard as the leading authority in helping consumers discover, compare and enjoy the best of today's evolving drinks landscape.
