A cold gin and tonic is a pretty perfect thing: There's the herbal bite of the gin, the zing of the lime, the fizz of the tonic. There are a bunch of ice cubes clinking around in a tall glass. You can drink it through a straw. It makes us want to be barefoot. And who are we to mess with a perfect thing? BUT: While we love the classics, it's just as much fun to try new things. Go ahead, reach for the gin—but try one of these instead of your tried-and-true G&T. (And if you just can't shake the G&T habit, we've got a fresh play on that, too.)
Mix things up with some of the cocktails below:
Drinking with a crowd? Try a big batch of easy-drinking gin punch.
Bowery Punch by Food52
Mother's Ruin Punch by Kenzi Wilbur
Boozy Watermelon Rosemary Lemonade by piccantedolce
Booze-heavier gin cocktails, like the Negroni, make proper apertifs. These ones are citrusy and bright without being too sweet.
Last Word by Erik Lombardo
The Gin Hound by JRDsquared
The Negroni by Erika Kotite
The Pessimist's Requiem by ProfPessimist
Darkness At the Edge of Town by fiveandspice
Pull out the highball glasses for these fresh, cold, seltzer-topped drinks, which highlight gin's cooler herbal notes.
Lemon Lavender Gin Rickey by Samantha Weiss Hills
Lotus Cocktail by drinkoftheweek
Rosemary Gin Cocktail by Amy Stafford @ A Healthy Life For Me
Minty Orange Gimlet by Rebecca Firkser
Hosting a happy hour? Don't forget the snacks!
See what other Food52 readers are saying.