Images generated with AI · Text AI-assisted, editorially reviewed
Gin · Shaken
A short, cold gin cocktail with lemon, sugar, and fresh mint. It goes into the glass without soda, keeping it bold. You'll smell the mint before you even taste it.
As of: · Historic gin-mint family
The first impression is mint, coming through the nose. Then lemon arrives on the palate: clearly tart, but tempered by the sugar syrup. Behind it stands the gin with its juniper and botanicals. Mint and gin pull in the same direction, so the drink feels green and fresh rather than fruity. 60 milliliters of gin to 30 milliliters of lemon makes for a strong sour. It's cold, short, and dry on the finish. Add the egg white and the surface turns foamy, giving the drink a softer feel without changing the flavor.
The South Side is an aperitif. Drink it before a meal when you want something cool and dry. It's strong: 60 milliliters of gin sit in a small glass that empties quickly. Anyone who likes mint and already knows gin will love it. As a first cocktail in life, it's a bit too sharp.
What matters
After shaking, strain the drink through a fine strainer as well. Otherwise small dark mint fragments will float on top and the clear sour will look cloudy. The leaves go into the shaker whole—there's no need to crush them. Vigorous shaking releases plenty of mint aroma. Egg white is a matter of taste: it creates foam and a softer texture on top, but changes the flavor very little.
The South Side belongs to a small family of gin-mint drinks. Its longer relative is called the South Side Fizz. Both share the same core: gin, citrus, sugar, and mint. The difference is the soda. With soda it becomes a tall fizz; without it, it stays the short cocktail you see here. Where the name comes from is unclear. Several stories circulate in the US, and none of them is considered proven. We won't present any single one as the true origin.
In the same direction
Four ingredients in equal parts: gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc and lemon. Lillet Blanc is an aromatised wine. A dash of absinthe adds anise and herbal notes. The result is a taut, refreshing sour.
Zum RezeptA Gin Sour with ten basil leaves in the shaker. Lemon and sugar syrup balance each other out, while the herb gives the drink its aroma and a green note. Double-strained, it arrives clear in the glass.
Zum RezeptFour ingredients in equal parts: gin, green herbal liqueur, cherry liqueur, and fresh lime. This creates a short, bold drink that tastes sweet, sour, and herbal all at once. Remarkably complex flavor for so little effort.
Zum Rezept