Mixers & Garnishes for the Best Gin Cocktails
Two Shores Gin is packed full of flavors, adding the right mixers and complementary garnishes will accentuate your favorite ones. Whether you want to highlight, contrast, or complement, the best gin cocktails are all about matching the right garnish and mixers to your botanicals.
Garnishing for the perfect gin Cocktail
Garnishes don’t just look great in a drink, they can add distinct flavors. For gin to be a gin it must include juniper and most have citrus so you can complement the drink with a citrus peel or slice. Two Shores Gin works with a variety of garnishes including dehydrated or fresh blood orange, rosemary, olives, or some dried jalapeno.
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FRUIT
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mixers for the best gin drink
grapefruit
With intensely concentrated acidity and faint bitterness, grapefruit pairs especially well with Two Shores Gin’s citrus notes and pre-existing grapefruit flavor. Try using Two Shores Gin in a Salty Dog - the classic combination of 2 oz. gin, 1-2 oz. of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, and a salted rim. The salt helps tone down the grapefruit’s inherent bitterness while boosting a sweetness sensation.
Soda
While a Gin and Tonic may be the most classic drink pairing, you shouldn’t overlook a Gin and Soda alternative. Some people prefer soda water as a mixer. Soda water has a clean, faint mineral fizz that allows the particularly flavorful gin to shine without overpowering the taste. Try Two Shores Gin with a squeeze of lemon and soda water for a lighter Tom Collins.
Vermouth
Tonic
Gin and Vermouth are a popular combo in a Gin Martini, but not all Vermouth are created equally. For example, when you make Gin Martini with Martini and Rossi’s, the relative sweetness brings out the juniper in Two Shores Gin.
Gin and Tonic is a classic gin cocktail. It dates back to British colonial rule in India when antimalarial quinine tonics were mixed with gin to go down easier. Tonic’s bitter quinine backbone and a touch of sweetener is the perfect foil for gin’s floral and spicy notes. These days, there are a range of tonics on the market, be they artisanal or mass-market.
Pineapple
Sweet, acidic, and slightly funky, pineapple isn’t just for tiki drinks. Two Shores Gin’s complex flavor can stand up to, and complement, the fruit’s tropical taste, while a splash of pineapple juice can liven up a simple gin and soda.
stelzer
Gin and Juice with a spritz? Now we’re talking. Grapefruit and lemon-flavored seltzers are obvious go-to's for creating gin mixed drinks, but experimenting with others can yield great results too. Blackberry seltzer, for example, provides the perfect balance of sweetness and tannic complexity to show off a good gin’s flavor range. You can even reach for your favorite White Claw!
LIME
Adding cucumber to your gin mixed drinks delivers a hint of grassy sweetness that doesn’t clot as some other fruit juices might. A natural hydrator, it makes a welcome addition to any long drink. Muddle a few slices in a Gin and Tonic for a refreshing hot-weather classic or even just peel a long ribbon of cucumber and use it to garnish.
cucumber
When it comes to lime and gin mixed drinks, we have to thank the ingenuity of the historically gin-soaked British navy. The backbone of a Gimlet and Gin Rickey, limes have been a natural companion to gin ever since the days of scurvy. Whenever possible, be sure to use fresh-squeezed lime juice for mixing, and remember that a little usually goes a long way -most cocktails use a 2:1 or even 3:1 gin-to-lime ratio, often with some simple syrup or liqueur for sweetness.
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