The Gin Buck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Many of the best-mixed drinks are also the easiest, and the gin buck certainly falls into that category. All you need for this particularly refreshing choice is your favorite gin and ginger ale. The gin buck is one of the many great gin and soda highball beverages, and it comes together incredibly fast.

The beauty of the gin buck is in its simplicity and universal appeal. Some drinkers don't enjoy the dryness of a gin and tonic or the tartness of a gin rickey. The gin buck falls right in the middle, opting for the semisweet flavor of ginger ale. As a result, it's ideal for happy hour, dinner, or any time you want a quick and casual drink.

Three glasses of gin buck cocktails with lemon garnishes

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

"The botanicals in the gin are a perfect foil for the ginger. The mixture is light, herbaceous, and not too sweet. The balance of gin to ginger ale may want to be adjusted to taste. I prefer 5 to 6 ounces of ginger ale." —Tom Macy

Gin Buck cocktail with a lemon wedge
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 4 to 6 ounces ginger ale, or to taste

  • Lemon wedge, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for a gin buck cocktail gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Pour the gin into an ice-filled highball glass.

    Gin poured into a highball glass with ice

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Top with ginger ale.

    Gin topped with ginger ale in glass with a lemon alongside

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Garnish with the lemon wedge. Serve and enjoy.

    Gin buck garnished with a lemon wedge
    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga.

Tips

  • Nearly any gin works well in this drink. It's a perfect recipe to save money, and budget-friendly gins like Gordon's are a good choice. Or try the gin buck with a premium gin base such as Tanqueray or Aviation.
  • There are also many great ginger ales to try. Vernors is a classic choice, while Q Ginger Ale is a modern creation that's less sweet and explicitly designed for cocktails. You can also make your own ginger ale and have complete control over the flavor.
  • Try a variety of gin and ginger ale combinations. You might find that one brand of gin is best with one particular ginger ale or that another gin requires a little less soda.

Recipe Variations

  • Leapfrog: A gin buck with a splash of lemon juice. Add lime juice and it's called a dragonfly.
  • Switch to Irish whiskey, and you have an Irish buck (or whiskey and ginger).
  • The foghorn sometimes uses ginger ale instead of ginger beer. The recipe adds lime juice and is great with Old Tom Gin.
  • A classic gin highball, the gin fizz takes the sparkling drink to a new level. Try it with egg white to get an authentic taste of the classic drink.
  • A modern creation, the gin-gin mule pairs gin with ginger beer, along with the refreshing taste of fresh mint.
  • The Tom Collins uses club soda, adds simple syrup, and prefers lemon juice.

How Strong Is the Gin Buck?

As with all highballs, the gin buck is a relatively mild mixed drink. When made with 80-proof gin and 4 ounces of ginger ale, its alcohol content falls around 12 percent ABV (24 proof). Pour less soda or more gin, and it will be stronger. It's simply a refreshing cocktail without the heavy buzz.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
386 Calories
2g Fat
79g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 386
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 27mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 79g 29%
Dietary Fiber 19g 67%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 356mg 1,781%
Calcium 180mg 14%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 930mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)