Aviation
45 ml Gin, 15 ml Maraschino liqueur, 15 ml Lemon juice, 7.5 ml Crème de violette, 1 Maraschino cherry
Photo: The Southside - kind of a gin mojito by davidgiesberg · CC BY 2.0 · All credits
Ingredients
- 50 ml Jigger The large side of a standard jigger, filled to the top: 50 ml, with 25 ml on the other side. Gin
- 20 ml Spoons A tablespoon and a teaspoon. Lime juice
- 15 ml Spoons A tablespoon. Simple syrup
- 6 leaves Mint
- 1 sprig Mint sprig (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Shake gin, lime, syrup and mint, then double strain into a chilled glass.
Method
- Put the mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker with the syrup and press them gently with a muddler - twice is enough.
- Add the gin, lime juice and ice, and shake for 10 seconds.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe, or over ice in a highball if the evening is warm.
- Slap a mint sprig against your palm and rest it on the rim.
Serve it
Southside
The Southside is what happened when a gin sour met a mint julep somewhere near Chicago, and there are two schools of thought about the rest: one says it was invented at the Southside Sportsmen's Club during Prohibition, and the other points out that gin drinks with mint were being made long before anybody thought to name one. The drink is old enough that both are probably right.
Getting it right
Mint is a herb, not a salad, and it turns bitter when it is beaten up. Press the leaves once or twice with the muddler, just enough to wake them, and stop - if the leaves are shredded the drink tastes like a lawn. Straining the mint out is the difference between this and a mojito, and it makes it a much prettier drink.
Tasting notes
Lime first, then a cool wave of mint, then a dry gin finish. It is bright and green and it goes down far too easily on a hot afternoon, which is exactly what it is for.
More Gin cocktails
Bee's Knees
50 ml Gin, 20 ml Lemon juice, 20 ml Honey syrup, 1 Lemon twist
Bramble
50 ml Gin, 25 ml Lemon juice, 12.5 ml Simple syrup, 15 ml Crème de mûre, 2 berries Blackberry