The bar
In earlier times a gin cocktail was gin plus fortified wine, citrus, syrup, bitters, fruit or herbs — shaken, stirred, built over ice, or hot. Today there are more than 10,000 recipes. These are a few of ours. Please enjoy responsibly.
Vol. I — The bar — Hammer & Son
In 1886 bartender Thomas Stuart at the Savoy mixed gin and Noilly Prat to his own measures. Using Navy Strength lets you add more vermouth and still keep the king of cocktails as dry as you like.
Choose your own measures, stir with ice and serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist, only.
Signature drink at the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia for a gang of journalists, the Clover Club, meeting every Friday afternoon in the late 1800s.
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice for 30 seconds and double strain into a chilled martini glass.
Florence, 1919, Caffè Casoni. Count Camillo Negroni asked Fosco Scarselli to strengthen his Americano by adding gin rather than soda.
Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice and stir well. Garnish with an orange twist.
Hugo Ensslin, Hotel Wallick, New York. His recipe used violet liqueur. The version most accepted today is Gary Regan’s, from The Joy of Mixology.
Shake with ice for 15 seconds and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Dick Bradsell, Fred’s Club, London, 1984 — in memory of blackberrying on the Isle of Wight.
Shake gin, lemon and syrup; strain into a rocks glass of crushed ice and pour over crème de mûre. Garnish with lemon and a mint leaf.
In 2009 Hardeep Singh Rehal from bar 1105 in Copenhagen won the Danish Cocktail Championship with this drink, inspired by traditional Nordic ingredients.
Crush cucumber and raspberries first. Shake all ingredients and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with raspberries and cucumber.
Jörg Meyer of Le Lion, Hamburg — named drink of the summer 2008 by bartenders worldwide.
Muddle basil vigorously with the gin first. Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass with ice. Garnish with basil.
François Monin won the Geranium Gin Cocktail Competition in 2010 at the Blanch House in Brighton.
Shake with ice and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with rose petals and lavender.
Régis Célabe, Hotel Édouard 7 in Paris, known for vegetable juices, made this signature for Geranium Gin in 2009.
Shake with ice for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with crushed fresh pepper.
Oriental ingredients against the crisp citrus and juniper of the gin.
Blend the first ingredients, strain into a cocktail glass with ice, and top with sparkling water. Garnish with coriander and lime.
Super fresh and fruity. Inspired by Forbidden Fruit, a classic gin ingredient from 1920.
Shake and strain into a large wine glass with ice. Garnish with half a strawberry.
A hot tea toddy for a cold day.
Pour gin, syrup, honey and vanilla sugar into a cup and stir. Add the hot tea. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Sweet, dry and spicy, with three liquids sitting on top of each other.
Pour Galliano into a shot glass, drop a thin layer of Tabasco on top, then gently pour Geranium Gin without breaking the line. Drink it all in one.
Popular after Schweppes launched Indian Tonic in 1875. We all have a personal favourite. A few simple guidelines.
Use a large glass — highball, lowball or a wine glass, Barcelona style. Mix to your own measure. Literally anything goes, as long as it tastes good and looks nice.
For adults 18+. A spirit of Hammer & Son.
