The ultimate cocktail guide for those who love flowers AND gin

This is the article you always hoped we would write! The ultimate guide to making gin cocktails with botanicals!

Here are some recipes that will knock your socks off, with some inspiration from our gorgeous book The Cocktail Garden by Adriana Picker and Ed Loveday, and our trusty Four Pillars Guide to Gin Drinks.

Racquet Club - from "The Cocktail Garden"

Ingredients

4 slices of cucumber
A handful of diced watermelon
45ml (1.5 fl oz) gin
15ml (0.5 fl oz) elderflower cordial
30ml (1 fl oz) lime juice
Sparkling white wine
Sprig of mint to garnish

Method

Muddle the cucumber and watermelon in the bottom of a shaker. Add the gin, cordial and lime juice and shake with ice. Pass through a small fine-meshed strainer into a collins or tall glass with fresh ice, and top with sparkling wine. Site gently, and garnish with the mint.

Bloody Jasmine Negroni - from Four Pillars

Ingredients

20 ml bloody shiraz gin
20 ml Campari
20ml dry Curacao or Cointreau
20ml fresh lemon juice
1 dash orange bitters

Method

Strain into a chilled compete glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Source @fourpillarsgin

Summer G & T - from "The Cocktail Garden"

Ingredients

1 finger lime
30ml (1 fl oz) gin
100ml (3.5 fl oz) Tonic water
Sprig of Shiso to garnish

Method

Cut the finger lime in half. From the ends, gently squeeze the lime "caviar" into a large wine glass as if squeezing a tube of toothpaste. Add the gin, tonic, and some ice and stir gently. Garnish with the shies.

nb. Shiso - (also know as perilla) is a Japanese herb that is part of the mint family. The serrated leaves come in green and red. It's super aromatic and great in cocktails whenever you want to amp up the freshness. I think this cocktail would perfectly suit our Changing Seasons Gin.

Cumquat and Elderflower Collins - from "The Cocktail Garden"

Ingredients

3-4 Cumquats
45ml (1.5 fl oz) gin

15ml (0.5 fl oz) Elderflower liqueur such as St Germain (or elderflower cordial)
20ml (0.75 fl oz) lemon juice
60ml (2 fl oz) Soda water
Sprig of mint to garnish

Method

Gently muddle the cumquats in the bottom of a shaker, being careful not to pound too much (or you'll end up with an overly bitter drink without the subtle flavour of elderflower or the botanicals in the gin). Add ice and the remaining ingredients, except for the soda water and mint, and shake. Pass through a small fine-meshed strainer into a collins or tall glass containing fresh ice and top with soda water. Store, and garnish with the mint.