Southside cocktail recipe

This Southside cocktail has all the sweet and sour freshness of a mojito, but it's made with gin instead of rum. 

It's still a great choice for summer sipping, and because gin is such an on-trend tipple at the moment, most of us probably have a bottle somewhere in the drinks cupboard already. Plus it's a great alternative for guests who don't like rum. We used Herno gin, but use any good quality one you have. Apart from that, there are only three other ingredients: lime, sugar syrup and of course, mint. You can multiply the quantities as need and shake them all together in the cocktail shaker.

Ingredients

• 50ml Herno Gin
• 25ml lime
• 15ml sugar syrup
• Sprig of mint plus an extra leave for garnish
• Coupe glass

Method

1. Add the Herno gin, lime juice, sugar syrup and mint to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.
2. Double strain into your glass and garnish with mint leaves.  

Top tips for making a Southside cocktail

Fill your glass with ice to chill it or pop it in the freezer for 5 mins. Don’t do this if your glasses are really delicate, however, as they may break.

Can I used dried mint in this cocktail?

No, it doesn't work. Fresh mint is best but you could use a mint syrup such as this one by Monin

How can I jazz this cocktail up a little more?

Add soda water to this cocktail to make a Southside fizz. It’s a little more refreshing and can be served in a highball or flute. 

Why do you need to use a good quality gin this cocktail?

This is a short cocktail, with a high proportion of spirit to mix, which means the gin is one of the dominant flavours. The sugar syrup and mint will not mask the harsher flavour of a cheaper gin, so it's best to go for the best you can afford. We like to use Herno gin but any premium gin would make a good addition to the cocktail. 

Where did the Southside cocktail come from?

It’s difficult to trace back the cocktail’s exact origins but some people think it was created in Chicago’s southside while others claim it came from a Long Island recreational club called the Sportman’s Club.

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