How to Make the Southside

The Southside (or a South Side) is cool, refreshing, and perfect for any time. With the combination of mint, lemon juice and gin, its freshness and zing make this classic cocktail so popular!

Otherwise known as the Gin Mojito, Gin Daiquiri or even Gin Mint Julep, the Southside is among those cocktails that begin with one version and morphed into another. Like most cocktails, it might have been invented in one place or another.

Was it Chicago’s South Side, the haunt of Al Capone? Was it the Southside Sportsmen’s Club on Long Island? Or could it have been at the 21 Club, one of the great speakeasys set up by Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns in New York City. Let the cocktail historians battle that one out, while we enjoy the Southside.

We do know that the Southside showed up in Huge Enslinn’s book “Recipes for Mixed Drinks” under its other version the Southside Fizz. All he added to the classic Southside cocktail recipe was soda water. Still, he also had a combo of lemon juice and lime juice. Harry Craddock also included the South Side Fizz as author of the Savoy Cocktail Book.

There is endless confusion, but now most bars would make it without the fizz and lime juice.

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What goes into a Southside?

Here is a list of everything you need for making Southside:

• Gin: The only spirit this cocktail is gin. Although I prefer a London Dry Gin, you can choose whatever favorite gin you have available or the highest quality gin you have.
• Fresh Mint leaves: The addition of fresh mint is key to making a Southside. Using a fresh mint leaf ensures you get the right flavor and aroma as well.
• Fresh Lemon juice: Lemon Juice adds the bite you need and stops it from being so sweet!
• Simple syrup: Sugar syrup adds the right right bit of sweetness.
• Garnish: A fresh sprig of mint is perfect.

What tools you need to make Southside

You’ll 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 for this Southside recipe.

• Step 1: Firstly, add fresh mint leaves and lemon juice to the cocktail shaker. Muddle the two ingredients using a muddler to release the essential oils of the mint leaves, but not too hard.
• Step 2: Now pour in gin and simple syrup. Add ice cubes.
• Step 3: Shake, shake, shake!!
• Step 4: Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fresh sprig of mint or one fresh mint leaf
• Step 5: Bottoms up!

• 🍸Top Tip(le): Here are a few ingredients that you can add or replace to give this delicious cocktail a unique flare:
  • Fizz it up: Add that splash of club soda and make a Southside Fizz
  • Make it royale: Make a Southside Royale by adding a touch of prosecco or champagne
  • Spice it up: You can also replace London Dry Gin with spiced gin or use a combination of gin.
  • Vodka: So, if you don’t have gin at hand, use vodka instead.
  • Grapefruit juice: You can take this drink to the next level by replacing lemon juice with other citrus fruit juice. I prefer you give grapefruit a try. It adds so much flavor and adds a little color to this drink.
  • Agave syrup: Replace simple syrup with maple or agave syrup.
  • Non-alcoholic version: If you want to enjoy alcohol-free Southside, add soda water or club soda instead of gin.

Where to find more classic gin cocktail recipes

Here are a few of my favorites:

• How to Make a Great Negroni
• How to Make the Dry Gin Martini
• How to Make the Gin Sour
• How to Make a Tom Collins

 Plus more sour recipes here

Here is the recipe!

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