Green Gin Giant Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/13/21
JKF in NYC's Green Gin Giant Cocktail Recipe

Amy Neunsinger / The Image Bank / Getty Images

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

Filled with ingredients that are fresh from the garden, the green gin giant is a spectacular cocktail. The drink combines the fresh tastes of lime, mint, basil, and cucumber, and pairs them with the distinct taste of Hendrick's Gin and a little elderflower.

You will need to make a basil simple syrup, but that is very easy. Simply use about 1/4 cup of torn basil leaves for 1 cup of simple syrup and let the herb steep in the syrup until it cools. It's a useful sweetener for a variety of summertime cocktails.

Also, the use of Hendrick's Gin is strongly encouraged. That signature cucumber note of the gin begs to be mixed with fresh cucumber and is a perfect complement to herbs as well.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lime

  • 5 to 6 fresh basil leaves

  • 5 to 6 fresh mint leaves

  • 3 cucumber slices

  • 1 teaspoon ​basil simple syrup

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur

  • 2 to 3 ounces ​grapefruit soda, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, squeeze the lime juice and drop the lime in. Add the basil, mint, cucumber slices, and basil syrup, then muddle well.

  3. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, and grapefruit soda and fill the shaker with ice.

  4. Shake and pour everything into an old-fashioned glass.

  5. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • For the grapefruit soda, try either Villa Italia from Trader Joe's or Q Grapefruit. There are many other great grapefruit sodas out there to choose from as well. Just be sure to match the soda's quality to the rest of the drink.
  • Reserve the soda to fill the glass after straining if you prefer. Shaking carbonated beverages can cause them to lose some sparkle.
  • Either fresh or dried mint can be used for this drink. While fresh herbs are often recommended, some people prefer the flavor of the dried herb.
  • Tearing the mint and basil leaves before adding them to the shaker will wake up their flavor.
  • St. Germain is the best-known and easiest to find elderflower liqueur, though there are other nice options on the market.

Recipe Variations

  • Try another type of soda instead of grapefruit. Lemon-lime sodas would be excellent here, and ginger ale always makes a nice drink. You could even freshen it up with sparkling lemonade.
  • If you're not into gin, vodka makes a nice substitute in this recipe.
  • You can also try a cucumber-flavored vodka that you make at home. Effen Vodka makes the flavor. Brands like Ketel One and Svedka blend the flavor with other fresh tastes like mint and lime. All of these options are perfect for the green gin giant.

How Strong Is a Green Gin Giant?

The green gin giant is pleasantly flavorful and about the same strength as the average cocktail. It will shake up to somewhere around 18 percent ABV (36 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
255 Calories
0g Fat
28g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 255
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 8mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 34mg 172%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 364mg 8%
*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.)

Recipe Tags: