Shake Things Up: Creative Ways To Drink Gin Without Tonic Water

When it comes to gin, most of us may think of the most classic of gin cocktails, the good old Gin and Tonic.

Now, as much as they are a nice drink during a hot day or after dinner, Gin and Tonic can get boring, with predictable taste. Are there ways to drink gin without tonic water?

Some of the easy cocktails for gin without tonic water are:

1. French 75
2. Georgia Gin
3. Gimlet
4. Cubata (Gin And Coke)
5. Gin And Sprite
6. Gin Rickey
7. Greyhound Cocktail
8. Straight Gin, On The Rocks
9. Smoky Martini
10. Southside

This article looks at ways to mix up easy, simple gin cocktails without too much fuss.

French 75

Tangy and bubbly, French 75 delivers some pop and fizz to your mouth as you sip it. It was created to commemorate French field guns, which suits the sensation perfectly!

To make a French 75, prepare the following:

• 1 part gin
• 1 part orange liqueur
• 1 part lemon juice
• ½ part sugar syrup
• Club soda

Start by bringing the gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice in a champagne flute. Stir even, and fill up the flute with a chilled club soda.

Georgia Gin

Perfect for summer, the Georgia Gin can be a refreshing, tangy drink to freshen the tongue during a hot day. It may work well as a digestif too.

To make Georgia Gin, prepare the following:

• 1 ½ part gin
• 1 part peach Schnapps
• 1 part orange juice
• Orange wedges for garnishing (optional)

Fill a shaker half-full with ice. Pour in the gin, schnapps, and orange juice. Shake until the shaker is cold to the touch. This means the drinks are very well chilled.

Strain the drink into a Martini glass. Finish up by garnishing with an orange wedge.

Gimlet

Prefer lime for your citrus instead of orange or lemon? Make a Gimlet then. A hidden classic, the Gimlet provides a citrusy, refreshing taste.

To make a Gimlet, prepare:

• 1 part gin
• ½ part lime cordial
• Lime slices for garnishing (optional)

Bring the gin and cordial together, and stir until well combined. Pour into a coupe glass, and serve with a slice of lime for garnishing. Shake the mixture in an ice-filled shaker if you prefer your drink chilled.

Cubata (Gin And Coke)

Before you brush this off, give it a try. There is a reason why Rum and Coke, and Whisky and Coke taste good. Coke works well with many spirits.

To make a Gin and Coke, prepare:

• 1 part gin
• 2 parts Coke
• Lime juice (optional)
• Lime slice as garnishing (optional)

Fill a rock or lowball glass half-full with ice. Combine gin and Coke. Squeeze in half a lime juice, and stir until even. Serve with a lime slice as garnishing.

Gin And Sprite

A refreshing soda on its own, Sprite is a good mixer for many clear spirits, including gin. The best thing is the gin cuts into the sweetness of the Sprite, bringing a very different taste to the whole drink.

To make Gin and Sprite, prepare:

• 1 part gin
• 2 parts Sprite
• Lime slice as garnishing (optional)

Fill a highball glass half-full with ice. Pour in the gin and Sprite. Stir slowly to avoid the bubbles rising too much, and add Sprite until the glass is almost full. Serve with a lime slice as garnishing.

Gin Rickey

This drink is refreshing, citrusy, and bubbly. It is named after a late 19th-century Democrat politician named Joe Rickey. Make this yourself, or order them at a bar to look sophisticated and cosmopolitan.

To make a Gin Rickey, prepare:

• 2 parts gin
• ½ parts lime juice
• Club soda
• Lime slice as garnishing (optional)

Fill a highball glass half-full with ice. Pour in the gin and lime juice. Pour the club soda in slowly while stirring. Continue until the glass is almost full. Serve with a lime slice as garnishing.

Greyhound Cocktail

You may have heard of the Greyhound Cocktail as a recipe made with Vodka, but it is also very common to see bartenders make it with gin instead. Instead of lime or lemon, Greyhound Cocktail uses grapefruit to deliver a citrusy and tangy taste.

To make Greyhound Cocktail, prepare:

• 1 ½ parts gin
• Fresh grapefruit juice
• Grapefruit slices as garnishing (optional)

Fill a rock or lowball glass half-full with ice, and pour in the gin and grapefruit juice. Stir to ensure an even mix while pouring the grapefruit juice until the glass is almost full. Garnish with grapefruit slices.

Straight Gin, On The Rocks

If you have a nice gin, there is nothing wrong with sipping it straight on the rocks. In fact, for some special, unique gin, this may be the perfect way to savor it.

To make your Gin On The Rocks, prepare:

• 2 parts gin
• 2-3 ice cubes

Add ice into a lowball or rocks glass. Pour gin into the glass, ensuring the gin touches the ice first. Swirl the glass slightly to release the aroma. Take a deep breath as you sip, and enjoy.

Smoky Martini (Whiskey and Gin)

Is a Martini starting to taste boring? Try making a smokier version with some whiskey. Some may prefer scotch, but smoky whiskey should do the job well.

To make a Smoky Martini, prepare:

• 2 ½ parts gin
• ½ part smoky whiskey (we recommend Johnnie Walker Double Black)
• Lemon twist for garnishing (optional)

Pour gin and whiskey into a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake until the shaker is cold to the touch. Strain the drink into a chilled, cold Martini glass, and serve with a lemon twist as garnishing.

Southside

Southside is essentially Mojito, with a twist. Instead of rum, you will use some gin instead. You may be pleasantly surprised by how well gin and mint combine!

To make a Southside, prepare:

• 2 ½ parts gin
• 1 part lime juice
• 1 part sugar syrup
• Some mint leaves

Combine gin, lime juice, and sugar syrup in a shaker with ice, and shake until the shaker feels cold to the touch. Strain the drink out to a chilled Martini glass. Add in mint leaves, and stir to combine leaves with the drink.

Final Thoughts

Gin and Tonic may be the classic go-to cocktail when it comes to gin, but it’s not the only option out there. From the sweet Georgia Gin to the tangy Greyhound Cocktail, the world of gin cocktails is vast and exciting.

So, next time you’re in the mood for a drink, why not try something different and experiment with one of these easy gin cocktails without tonic water? Who knows, you might find a new favorite!