What to Mix with Gin (15 Best Mixers for Gin)
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If you’re wondering what to mix with gin, you can sit back and relax—The Mixer UK has got you, boo. From classics like tonic water and bitter lemon to niche options like Earl Grey tea, there is a gin mixer out there with your name on it. Now go forth and find your favourite!
1. Tonic water
Tonic water has a fascinating history with medicinal origins. Several centuries ago, quinine, a bitter compound derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, was discovered by indigenous people in South America and used to treat fevers. Europeans later adopted it as a remedy for malaria.
In the early 19th century, British officers stationed in India began mixing quinine with water, sugar, and citrus to make the bitter taste more palatable. This eventually evolved into the type of tonic water we know today. The botanical complexity of gin blends harmoniously with this mixer’s mild bitterness, while its carbonation adds vibrancy, resulting in a well-rounded, refreshing drink.
DID YOU KNOW? For gin to be legally classified as gin, juniper must be its dominant flavour. This berry gives gin its signature piney, aromatic taste. Other botanicals are added for complexity, but juniper is the star of the show, especially in London Dry Gin, like Bulldog Gin. However, each brand has its unique recipe, offering subtle differences in aroma and flavour.
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2. Bitter lemon
Okay, so let’s get to the bit about what is good to mix with gin other than tonic water. Bitter lemon is a carbonated beverage featuring the zesty tang of lemon and a pleasant bitterness. When paired with a dry gin like Bulldog Gin, the bitterness of this lemon drink harmonises with the gin’s botanicals, enhancing the overall taste. The citrusy undertones also complement the juniper-forward nature of dry gin, resulting in a satisfying and complex drink.
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3. Vermouth
There are two different types of vermouth, namely sweet vermouth and dry vermouth. Each of these fortified wines has a very distinct flavour profile. Generally clear or pale yellow in colour, dry vermouth is light and airy, with well-integrated floral, fruity, and herbal notes. It is a popular choice for drinks like the classic Gin Martini because it enhances the flavours of the spirit while imparting a very subtle nuance of its own.
Learn more: Everything You Need to Know About Vermouth
4. Ginger beer
Drinks made with ginger beer are the ultimate thirst quencher for hot days, but the fiery flavours are also great to warm you up on colder evenings. This mixer’s bold spiciness and hints of sweetness complement dry gin’s botanical complexity. The contrast of flavours creates a lively and balanced cocktail, where the juniper notes of gin blend harmoniously with ginger beer’s kick, resulting in a refreshing and enticing drink.
5. Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice typically tastes tart and slightly tangy, with a natural acidity that’s balanced by a touch of sweetness. It has a distinct fruitiness that’s often described as both refreshing and slightly astringent. The flavour can vary depending on the type of cranberries used and any added sweeteners, but overall, cranberry juice tends to have a bold, bright taste that’s both invigorating and uniquely characteristic, making it a great mixer for gin.
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6. Soda water
Soda water, also known as carbonated water or sparkling water, has a clean and neutral taste with a subtle effervescence. It’s essentially water that has been carbonated, creating tiny bubbles that give it a pleasant fizziness. Its flavour is very mild, making it a versatile mixer for gin cocktails like the Gin Rickey, in which it is often used to add carbonation without altering the taste of other ingredients.
7. Orange juice
Orange juice has a bright and refreshing taste with a sweet and tangy flavour profile. It’s characterised by its natural citrusy sweetness and pleasant acidity. The taste can vary depending on factors like the type of oranges used (e.g., navel, Valencia), their ripeness, and whether the juice includes pulp. Overall, orange juice offers a delightful combination of sweetness and acidity, making it a popular and invigorating choice for a morning drink, as well as a versatile mixer in cocktails like Snoop Dogg’s Gin & Juice.
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8. Lime juice
Lime juice has a distinct and zesty taste, characterised by its bright acidity and pronounced citrus flavour. It’s tangy with a hint of bitterness, and its flavour is more intense compared to other citrus fruits. Lime juice can vary in taste depending on the type of lime used (e.g., Persian limes, Key limes) and its ripeness. It’s commonly used to add a vibrant and refreshing kick to a wide range of dishes, cocktails, and beverages, contributing a zesty and slightly tart element that balances and enhances flavours in gin cocktails.
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9. Grapefruit juice
If you are pondering what to mix with gin instead of tonic and happen to enjoy a bit of subtle bitterness in a drink, may we suggest fresh grapefruit juice? Grapefruit juice has a unique and complex taste profile, characterised by its refreshing tartness, slightly bitter undertone, and natural sweetness. The flavour can vary based on the variety of grapefruit used (e.g., white, pink, or red) and its ripeness.
Some people might find it more sour or bitter than other citrus juices, but this bitterness can be tempered with the right balance of sweetness. Overall, grapefruit juice offers a distinct combination of tanginess and a subtle bittersweetness, making it a refreshing and versatile ingredient to pair with spirits like gin.
Go, go, grapefruit! 12 Easy Grapefruit Cocktails Recipe to Try
10. Pink lemonade
Pink lemonade typically has a sweet and fruity flavour that’s similar to regular lemonade but with a subtle twist. It’s often a bit sweeter and can have hints of berry or fruit flavours, which give it its pink colour. The exact taste can vary depending on the recipe, but generally, pink lemonade offers a pleasant balance of sweet and tart. It’s a popular and refreshing beverage that’s perfect for hot days or as a playful twist on classic lemonade, making it a great option to pair with gin.
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11. Pineapple juice
Pineapple juice has a tasty tropical flavour that’s both sweet and tangy. It’s characterised by its rich sweetness, which comes from the natural sugars in the fruit. The tanginess of pineapple adds a pleasant acidic note that balances this bright sweetness. The taste can vary slightly depending on the ripeness and variety of pineapple used, but overall, pineapple juice offers a refreshing and vibrant profile that pairs very well with the herbaceous notes in gin.
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12. Apple juice
Apple juice has a naturally sweet and fruity taste, characterised by the pleasant sweetness of ripe apples. Depending on the variety of apples used and any additional processing, the taste can range from mild and slightly tart to rich and intensely sweet. It often carries a refreshing and crisp quality reminiscent of the fruit itself, making it a popular and enjoyable mixer for juniper-tinged gin.
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13. Cola (Coke)
Coca-Cola, often referred to as “coke”, has a distinct and complex flavour profile. It’s characterised by a combination of sweetness, caramel notes, a hint of acidity, and a touch of spiciness. The specific formula of Coca-Cola is a closely guarded secret, but its flavour is a mix of various ingredients, including carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (or sugar), caramel colour, phosphoric acid, natural flavours, and caffeine.
The result is a unique taste that balances sweetness with a slightly tangy and almost earthy quality from the caramel and spices. The carbonation adds a lively fizziness, enhancing the overall drinking experience. Coca-Cola’s flavour is iconic and has become recognisable worldwide, making it a popular and classic mixer for all kinds of different spirits.
14. Earl Grey tea
Tea cocktails are very popular at the moment, and we love the combination of Earl Grey and dry gin in particular. The Earl Grey MarTEAni is a unique variation on the classic Gin Sour Cocktail. It combines 45ml Earl Grey tea-infused gin, 20ml fresh lemon juice, 30ml simple syrup, and one egg white. The gin is infused with a quarter cup of Earl Grey tea leaves for two hours to impart its flavour, strained, and used in the cocktail afterward.
15. Cucumber
Cucumber juice has a light and refreshing taste that’s mild, clean, and slightly watery. It has a subtle sweetness and a mild cucumber flavour, and frequently has a cooling, refreshing sensation. The taste is delicate and less intense compared to other fruit juices, making it a popular choice for creating light and hydrating beverages.
Gin cocktails like the Cucumber Martini also often incorporate muddled cucumber. Muddling is a gentle method to crush fruits and herbs to release their flavour, where blending or crushing would be too harsh. The easiest way to muddle a cucumber is to partially peel it first. Cut it into manageable chunks, place the chunks into a cocktail shaker or mason jar, and crush gently with the back of a rolling pin or muddler.
There are so many options to play with! And if you like playing around with cocktails and inspiring drinks as much as we do, sign up for our newsletter to join the fun.
