If you enjoy a classic Mojito but prefer gin to rum, the Southside could quickly become your favourite cocktail. It delivers the same refreshing character while allowing the botanicals of a good gin to shine through.
This is one of those cocktails that feels perfectly suited to warm evenings. It is crisp, vibrant, and packed with fresh flavours. Fresh mint provides cooling herbal notes, while lemon adds brightness and energy. Together they create a cocktail that feels lively and refreshing from the first sip to the last.
For our version, we prefer using a lemon syrup rather than a standard sugar syrup. The additional citrus character gives the drink greater depth and a sharper finish. It enhances the freshness of the cocktail without adding unnecessary sweetness.
Explorer's Gin works particularly well in a Southside. Its citrus and herbal botanicals complement the mint and lemon, creating a balanced and aromatic serve that remains light and approachable.
The Southside also carries a fascinating history. The cocktail emerged in the United States during the Prohibition era. During this period, the quality of available spirits was often inconsistent, leading bartenders to use citrus, mint, and sugar to improve flavour and drinkability.
One popular story links the cocktail to Chicago's South Side and the infamous Al Capone. While the exact origins remain debated, the association has become part of cocktail folklore.
Today, the Southside remains one of the great gin classics. Its combination of fresh mint, bright citrus, and botanical complexity has stood the test of time. More than a century after its creation, it remains every bit as refreshing, elegant, and enjoyable as it was during the Prohibition years.
Ease of Making: Easy
Glass Type: Coupe Glass / Martini Glass
Taste: Refreshing .
Recipe:
- 50 ml Explorer’s Gin
- 10 Mint leaves
- 15ml Lemon sugar syrup
- 30ml Fresh Lime juice
Make in Advance Lemon Sugar Syrup
- Equal measure caster sugar & water.
- Squeeze half lemon into the liquid.
- Warm until sugar is dissolved.
- Take off heat and allow to cool.
- You can add lemon rind to provide extra zestiness.
Method of Creating Cocktail
- Muddle mint leaves, lime juice and simple sugar syrup in cocktail shaker.
- If you do not have a muddler – add everything into the shaker.
- Add gin and lots of ice to the cocktail shaker and shake hard.
- Fill your glass with ice.
- Strain cocktail into your glass.
- Garnish with mint
