The Southside cocktail is a refreshing blend of gin, fresh mint, and citrus. It’s the perfect drink for any occasion, from casual evenings to elegant gatherings. I love it!
Some say the Southside cocktail, made with gin, citrus, simple syrup, and mint, originated during the prohibition era, while others claim it was created in New York City at the 21 Club. Wherever it may have started, we’re happy it’s here and excited to add it to our ever-growing list of cocktail recipes.
Our variation calls for lime for the citrus (other Southside cocktail recipes may call for lemon). I also love a few drops of aromatic bitters, but they are totally optional! For another gin cocktail, see our rosemary gin fizz!
Key Ingredients
- Gin: I recommend using a mid-to-high shelf gin. London dry gin (like Beefeater) has a clean flavor, while Plymouth gin is more aromatic. Choose one that suits your taste. If you enjoy more herbal gins like Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray, feel free to use it!
- Fresh Mint: You’ll shake the mint leaves with gin and ice, which releases their aromatic oils into the cocktail. This is similar to making a mojito, but we strain out the mint leaves for a cleaner look for the Southside cocktail.
- Simple Syrup: This balances the gin’s flavor. Here’s our homemade simple syrup recipe. Powdered sugar is a good substitute (and what we use for our gin fizz recipe).
- Lime or Lemon Juice: I love fresh lime juice, but lemon is classic and still very delicious.
Perfect Southside Cocktail
- PREP
- TOTAL
The Southside is a simple cocktail recipe with gin, mint, and citrus. We use simple syrup, but you can substitute powdered sugar. Add 1 teaspoon and then add more as needed.
You Will Need
2 ounces (1/4 cup) gin
6 fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
3/4 ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) simple syrup
3/4 ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) fresh lime juice
3 drops Angostura cocktail bitters, optional
Directions
1Add gin, mint leaves, simple syrup, lime juice, and bitters to a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels chilled and the mint leaves are a bit bruised.
2Strain into a glass with a few ice cubes. Garnish with more mint.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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This is so refreshing and perfect for summer. Thank you!
I could easily be missing something, but isn’t 1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons the same thing as just 1 1/2 Tablespoons?
In any event, thanks for putting this out there! Makes the heat a bit more bearable to contemplate such treats…
Hi Mark — Yes, it is the same.
Mint and lime can really make any drink amazing, can’t they? Love love love.
You also take such beautiful photos… I totally struggle with the white backgrounds. I think I need to work on my white balance?
Can’t wait to go back and look through some of your archives!
Oh yeah… this looks great and refreshing! My kind of cocktail! 🙂
🙂