South Side Cocktail Recipe
Gin, lime, sugar and mint shaken hard — a Mojito served up, or a Daiquiri made with gin.
- Category: New Era Drinks
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 22%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Gin60 ml (2 oz)
- Fresh lime juice25 ml (0.8 oz)
- Simple syrup20 ml (0.7 oz)
- Fresh mint leaves8 piece
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard to break up the mint.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Garnish
Mint sprig
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, it smells of lemon and lime peel, mint leaves a cooling finish and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Gin
- London dry gin: juniper up front, citrus and coriander behind it. Brand really does show here — Beefeater is sharp, Hendrick's floral, Tanqueray juniper-heavy.
- Fresh lime juice
- Freshly squeezed lime. Bottled lime tastes cooked and flat; one lime gives about 30 ml. If you have none, half lemon and half grapefruit juice comes closest.
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
- Fresh mint leaves
- The stem is bitter, so use the leaves. One clap between your palms before it goes in releases the oils and gives you the aroma without bruising it.
The Story
Claimed by both a Chicago speakeasy and New York's 21 Club; the mint was reputedly there to mask rough Prohibition gin.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a South Side mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a South Side?
- Roughly 22% ABV as served — in fortified-wine territory — plan it as a single drink.
- Can a South Side be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a South Side hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.