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Cocktail History
The Southside is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created in the 1800s and named for Southside Sportsmen’s Club in Long Island, New York. According to historians, the bar was a popular spot for rich men who traveled to the island from the city to hunt, fish, and drink, and it’s believed that minty cocktails, including this one made with dry gin, citrus, simple syrup, and mint, were the most popular ones at the time.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a type of gin made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol that has been infused with flavor through redistillation without artificial ingredients or colors. We used Broker’s Premium London Dry Gin because it’s versatile and high proof. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Mint Leaves: This is an herb. We used fresh Mojito mint.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Southside features a refreshing herbal aroma and the taste of citrus from the initial sip all the way through the swallow followed by the lingering coolness of mint.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Not sure which recipe is getting bumped, but this one is definitely in our Top 10 Favorite Cocktails now! Although similar to the Mojito and Gimlet, the Southside calls for a slightly stronger London Dry Gin that helps the cool flavors come forward, as opposed to how the rum in a Mojito makes more of an individual flavor impact. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it again, so at least Kendall will be having a couple of these tonight.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cocktail was an early favorite for Kendall, and although I didn’t make many for myself at the time, I certainly loved it too. The combination of lime and mint calls back to another favorite classic, the Mojito, but the substitution of gin gives it a strong herbal note, which I love. Although the template is fairly basic and other drinks over the years have done it possibly better (like the Eastside), this one stands out as a staple at our bar.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The first time I ever tasted this recipe, it became an instant favorite, and I went on to drink essentially nothing but Southsides for a good six months, if I had to guess. I’ve since grown out of its simple mint and citrus template a bit and crave more complexity than it offers me now, but it’s still a damn good classic cocktail that has absolutely earned its place it cocktail lore. I love how refreshing and gin-forward it is and will probably always consider it a favorite gin drink even if I do prefer variations over the original these days.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add mint leaves and simple syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently.
Add gin, lime juice, orange bitters, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Add mint leaves and simple syrup to a shaker.
Muddle gently.
Add gin, lime juice, orange bitters, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
Find collections of cocktail glassware and bartending tools we recommend for your home bar in our Amazon shop.
More Classic Cocktails
If you like this cocktail recipe, here are a few other classics we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Lime Margarita: A tequila cocktail made with triple sec, lemon juice, lime juice, agave syrup, salt, and a lime slice
Mojito: A rum cocktail made with simple syrup, lime juice, soda water, mint leaves, and a mint sprig
White Lady: A gin cocktail made with triple sec, lemon juice, and egg white
Aviation: A gin cocktail made with maraschino liqueur, crème de violette liqueur, lemon juice, and a cherry
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