Delicious on its own or in many cocktails, gin gives you plenty of choices when it comes to tasting. Discover 5 recipes that are as tasty as they are easy to make at home.
1. The Gin & Tonic
It’s hard to miss this cocktail with a definite British accent. Although it has gained unprecedented popularity in recent years, its origins go back to the 18th century. It was at this time that King William launched a major colonial campaign that took the English to India. One drank tonic, quinine being used to treat malaria. The soldiers added gin and a little sugar to make it taste better…and thus created Gin & Tonic!
How to prepare it?
Pour 4cl of Franc Tireur gin over ice and add 8cl of London Essence tonic. A zest of orange or lemon and you’re done.
2. The Gin Fizz
Back to the 18th century, which, decidedly, saw the birth of several famous cocktails. And here again, this drink has been designed for medicinal purposes. Sailors who were fighting scurvy needed to make up for a vitamin C deficiency. To deal with this problem, Admiral Wilson had the ingenious idea of having them drink gin with a little lemon. Back on dry land, they improved the recipe with sugar and soda water to obtain the Gin Fizz we enjoy today.
How to prepare it?
In a shaker, shake 6cl of Mont Blanc gin, 4cl of lemon juice, 2cl of cane sugar syrup and ice cubes. Pour into the glass and top up with 12cl of fresh sparkling water before garnishing with a lemon peel.
3. The French 75
It’s easy to guess, this cocktail has French roots. Its invention dates back to the 19th century but many theories surround it. One thing is sure, its name comes from Harry MacElhone, barman of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. It is just after the First World War that he baptizes this beverage French 75. It is a tribute to the 75, a gun of the French army that was widely propagated.
How to prepare it?
Mix in a shaker 2cl lemon juice, 1cl cane sugar syrup and 3cl Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru gin with ice cubes. Pour into the glass and add 8cl of Champagne. Finish with a lemon peel placed gently on top.
4. The Dry Martini
An inevitable creation that James Bond is not the only one to ask for. And you may not know it, but it was developed in France. The honor of your neighbors across the Channel is still safe because it is an English bartender working in the Opera district made it in 1904. It then gained popularity during Prohibition, as gin was faster to produce than whiskey.
How to prepare it?
Whether shaken or mixed, the base is the same: 5cl of Isle of Harris gin and 2cl of Vermouth Dry in a chilled glass. Enhance with a green olive or a lemon peel. Simple but terribly effective.
5. The Negroni
A quintessential Italian aperitivo, balanced and bitter. This mixture was thought up in 1919 at Caffè Casoni in Florence. Count Camillo Negroni, who had traveled extensively in the United States, asked the bartender Fosco Scarzelli to suggest his version of his favorite cocktail, the Americano. So he swaps the soda water for gin, and the lemon for a slice of orange. The Negroni was born.
How to prepare it?
Pour 2cl of Four Pillars Spiced Negroni gin, 2cl of red vermouth and 2cl of Campari directly into the glass over ice. Toss, add two orange slices and serve.
