These days most restaurants and bars have so many enticing cocktails, and it’s hard to know what to choose. One way is to narrow it down by your favorite spirit. Is it rum? Tequila? Bourbon? For many people, their spirit of choice is gin.
Usually made from a neutral grain and flavored with juniper berries, gin has a signature botanical, herbal taste that pairs well with so many flavors, making it one of the best spirits for cocktail concoctions. We’ve found some of the most flavorful, creative, and tasty gin cocktails, perfect for happy hour, brunch or to kick off a dinner date. These drinks offer innovative flavor profiles, with some of them being variations on classic gin cocktails like the gin martini, negroni, gimlet, and French 75.
Lavender Fields at Ada’s on the River
Purple-hued and served in a martini glass, this charming drink is comprised of Gray Whale gin, lavender, and chamomile. The lavender and chamomile highlight the herbal flavor of the gin, and fee foam, a new, egg-free foam, adds a frothy touch to the cocktail. The beverage is as delicious as it is pretty. 3 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria
Golden Hour at Alice Cocktail Bar
Made with Bombay dry gin, Japanese citrus fruit yuzu, honey, and chrysanthemum, this beverage is a stunning orangish pink in color, reminiscent of a magnificent sunset (hence the name). It comes adorned with a white, gin-infused chrysanthemum flower, adding to the beauty of the beverage. It’s light, refreshing, and the chrysanthemum’s herbal taste is just the right complement to the gin. 724 King St., Alexandria
May Collins at Joon
Cool and invigorating, this gin cocktail includes Malfy lemon gin, Cointreau, and a lambrusco float. Served over ice in a highball glass, the Cointreau provides a bold orange flavor which enhances the citrusy notes of lemon gin, and the lambrusco brings sweetness and a lovely pink hue to the top of the beverage. A jaunty sprig of mint finishes off the drink. 8045 Leesburg Pk., Ste. 120, Vienna
Salt + Pepper Gimlet at Kismet Modern Indian
The gimlet is classic gin cocktail. At Kismet the gimlet takes an exceptional twist by pairing pepper-infused gin with lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup. The gin will tickle your tongue and lends just the right amount of fun to the original creation. 111 N. Pitt St., Alexandria
A Cat Called Thyme at Salt
This gorgeous formation combines gin with pomegranate and pear, bitters, and both thyme and sage, which is eventually topped off with sparkling crémant and lemon. It’s fruity, woody, bright, and bubbly all at once. 1201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Black Emperor Negroni at Songbird
We all love a good negroni, but Songbird takes the classic Italian concoction to a new level with an Asian twist. Japanese Roku gin is combined with herbal Punt E Mes vermouth, tart Campari, chocolate bitters, lapsang souchong — which is a black tea — and lemon oil. It’s bitter but balanced, with decadent smokey, oaky undertones. Served with a single large ice cube, this is something you will want to sip and relish. 10940 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
Feature image of Golden Hour at Alice Cocktail Bar courtesy Attapong Khemarerk Ampon
This story originally ran in our September issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
