The Southside is a classic cocktail with slightly mysterious origins, tangled up in both Prohibition era Chicago and New York’s speakeasy scene. Combine gin, mint, citrus, and a touch of sugar, and you get something that manages to feel both refreshing and properly structured at the same time.
A little history, if you’re curious
Was it Chicago’s South Side, Al Capone’s old stomping ground? Was it the Southside Sportsmen’s Club on Long Island? Or could it have started at the 21 Club, one of the great New York speakeasies, run by Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns? Cocktail historians still argue about it, and honestly, I love that. One story that has stuck with me is that Capone’s gang was working with rougher, poorly made Prohibition gin, and the mint and sugar were there to make it drinkable. Whatever the truth, it worked, because we are still drinking it today.
The Southside showed up in print in Hugo Ensslin’s “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” as the Southside Fizz, made with a splash of soda water and a combo of lemon and lime juice. Harry Craddock also gave it a nod in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Most bars these days skip the fizz and the lime, but it is a lovely variation if you want one. The Southside now sits proudly among the International Bartenders Association’s official “New Era Drinks,” which is a nice bit of validation for a cocktail that started out hiding bad booze.
How it compares
It shares some DNA with a Mojito, but the Southside is cleaner and more spirit driven since there is no rum funk or soda water diluting things. Think of it as the Mojito’s sharper, more grown up cousin.
What goes into a Southside
Here is a list of everything you need for making a Southside:
- Gin: The only spirit in this cocktail is gin. I love a London Dry Gin here, the same style that makes a Gin Martini or Gimlet so good, but use whatever favorite gin you have on hand.
- Fresh mint leaves: Fresh mint is key to a good Southside. It gives you the right flavor and aroma, so do not skip it for dried.
- Fresh lemon juice: Lemon juice adds the bite you need and keeps it from turning too sweet.
- Simple syrup: Just the right bit of sweetness to balance everything out.
- Garnish: A fresh sprig of mint is perfect.
What tools you need to make a Southside
You will need a cocktail shaker for this one! Grab a jigger, a barspoon, a strainer, a fine strainer, and a martini glass or chilled coupe glass.
🍸Top Tip(le): Here are a few ways to give this delicious cocktail a unique flair:
- Fizz it up: Add a splash of club soda for a Southside Fizz.
- Make it royale: Add a touch of prosecco or champagne for a Southside Royale.
- Go silky: Add a few drops of egg white and shake extra hard for a softer, frothier texture, straight from the official IBA spec.
- Spice it up: Swap in a spiced gin or a blend of gins.
- No gin on hand: Use vodka instead.
- Grapefruit twist: Replace the lemon juice with grapefruit juice for extra color and flavor.
- Agave swap: Replace simple syrup with maple or agave syrup.
- Non-alcoholic version: Use soda water or club soda instead of gin.
If gin is your spirit of choice, you are in good company here. I have a soft spot for a properly made Gin Martini, and if you like your gin drinks sharp and citrusy like this one, a Gimlet is worth a try too.
Why Lush Life Loves It
I adore the Southside because it proves a cocktail does not need a long ingredient list to be memorable. It is just gin, mint, lemon, and a bit of sugar, and somehow that is more than enough. There is something so satisfying about a drink with this much history behind it still tasting completely fresh every single time.
Here is the recipe
Southside
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 5-6 mint leaves depending on how much mint you want!
- Garnish: mint sprig
Instructions
- Place the mint and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.
- Muddle
- Then add the gin and simple syrup
- Add ice
- Shake, shake, shake
- Use a fine mesh strainer and strain into a coupe
- Garnish with a mint leaf
