Southside - The Most Underrated Gin Cocktail You Should Be Drinking!

Southside Cocktail

We recently polled 500+ gin lovers from around the globe to determine what the best gin cocktails are. There were a few gin cocktails that were expected to rank highly but they narrowly missed out on featuring on the 20 Best Gin Cocktails list. The Southside missed out by only a few votes yet we strongly think it deserved to land in the top 10.

The Southside recipe is a go to cocktail here at our bar and distillery. If a guest is unsure of what they’re in the mood for, the Southside is most often the answer. The cocktail is bright and citrusy with fresh herbaceous notes and never ceases to impress people.

The cocktail is quite versatile so it works with most styles of gin. The citrus component means it will pair well with juniper-forward, citrus or Asian-inspired gins, whilst the fresh mint means it can be paired with a more herbaceous gin. Alternatively, a bold Navy-strength gin will stand up nicely.

If you like Gimlets or Mojitos then the Southside is like a cross between the two.

Brief History

The Southside was first referenced as a “South Side Fizz” in Hugo Ensslin’s Recipes for Mixed Drinks. The recipe was listed simply as “Made same as Gin Fizz, adding fresh mint leaves” but over time the fizz aspect has fallen out of fashion and it’s now commonly served up, without soda water. Many bartenders skew toward either lemon or lime juice for their Southside, but I’ve split the citrus component between the two and called for a half measure of each, which is also more true to Hugo’s written recipe.

There are several references noting the creation of the Southside to the 21 Club in New York, a bar that showcased the cocktail for several decades. The famous bar opened 8 or more years after Hugo’s first mention of the South Side Fizz so it’s most likely that the 21 Club popularised the drink rather than created it.

Southside Cocktail Recipe

• 60 ml gin (we recommend Tom Yummy Gin)
• 22.5 ml simple syrup
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml lime juice
• 4–6 mint leaves

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients
2. Shake with ice for 10-12 seconds
3. Double strain into a chilled stemmed cocktail glass

Double straining is a must for the presentation of this drink otherwise you’ll end up with a glass full of shredded mint.

Want to riff on the Southside?

Try these alternatives…

1. Use lime juice as the only citrus and remove the mint will results in a Gimlet
2. Change the mint to basil to make a Basil Gimlet
3. Serve it over ice in a tall glass with a dash of soda for a Southside Fizz