Bartenders do not ask "what cocktail do you want?" They ask "how are you feeling?" Try it. You have one bottle of gin. Pick the mood, get the drink.

"I just want something easy."

Gin and Tonic

  • 50 ml gin
  • 150 ml tonic water, very cold
  • Lots of ice
  • A wheel of lime or a strip of grapefruit peel

Build it in a tall glass over ice. Pour the tonic slowly down a spoon to keep the bubbles. That is the whole trick.

"I want something bitter and grown-up."

Negroni

  • 30 ml gin
  • 30 ml Campari
  • 30 ml sweet vermouth
  • An orange peel

Equal parts, stirred over ice for about 20 seconds, strained over a large ice cube. Twist the peel over the top so the oils land on the surface.

"I want to feel sharp and quiet."

Dry Martini

  • 60 ml gin
  • 10 ml dry vermouth
  • A lemon twist or an olive

Stir with plenty of ice until the outside of the glass frosts, then strain into a chilled glass. Keep the glass in the freezer first if you can.

"I want it sour and bright."

Gimlet

  • 60 ml gin
  • 20 ml fresh lime juice
  • 15 ml sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and hot water, cooled)

Shake hard with ice for 10 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe. Fresh lime only. The bottled kind makes it taste flat.

"I want something long, sunny and fizzy."

Tom Collins

  • 45 ml gin
  • 25 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 15 ml sugar syrup
  • Soda water to top

Shake the first three with ice, strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, top with soda. A lemon slice on top, and it is a summer afternoon.

No measuring jug?

A tablespoon is about 15 ml, so two tablespoons is roughly 30 ml. A standard shot glass is usually 25 or 30 ml, but check yours.

The zero-proof version

Swap the gin for a non-alcoholic gin alternative, or simply use more tonic or soda with a sprig of rosemary, a slice of cucumber and a strip of grapefruit peel. The mood still works.

Recipes are classic, widely used proportions. Adjust to taste. Please drink responsibly.