Southside
Ah warm weather, it’s spectacular. You’ve got your beach trips, your backyard grilling, your cool drink sipping while sitting on the porch. While we technically do none of these things, I certainly do enjoy thinking about them. That cool drink however, we do sip those — just not on the porch. Let’s change things up with something a little different, the Southside!
One of my go to warm weather sipper drinks is the good ol’ Tom Collins. It’s also a great drink to order at a bar where you’re not wholly sure the quality of the drink slinger behind the counter. When it comes to gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and a touch of club soda, it’s pretty hard to get it wrong.
The Southside is what I like to think of as a southern twist on the Tom Collins. As the Kentucky Derby recently ran, I’m sure many of you out there made a Mint Julep or 15 to celebrate (any excuse for a cocktail is a great excuse). Typically, for us, that means some leftover mint. What to do with that leftover mint? A Southside!
Here’s what you do: take that mint and make yourself a mint simple syrup. Yessir. For those of you who’ve just happened upon us and aren’t sure what a simple syrup is, it’s one-part water to one-part sugar combined, boiled and cooled. When making a mint edition, take your water and your sugar, add mint, bring to a boil, pull off the heat and let cool. Now you’ve got your mint simple syrup.
Now, as we’re combining a Tom Collins and a Mint Julep, you take your mint simple syrup from the julep and the gin from the Collins and add lemon juice. Bing!
This is tasty, refreshing, amazing and everything you want in a nice summer sipper.
For our straight up Southside, we’re putting it up (in a fancy martini glass), but you can tweak it to your heart’s desire. Say you’d like some bubbles, then take the recipe below and add it to a Collins glass and top it with club soda. Bam! You’ve not got a Southside Fizz. Or if you’re feeling a little fancy, make like you’re going to make a Southside Fizz, except replace the club soda with champagne — you my friend are in Southside Royale country. Yup, a minty French 75.
What I’m trying to say is, if you’re looking for a new summertime sipper, give the Southside a go!
Let’s do.
- 3 oz. gin
- 1½ oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz. mint simple syrup
- Mint
- Glass type: cocktail
- Make your mint simple syrup.
- Fine, in case you didn't read above: one-part sugar, one-part water, handful of mint.
- Boil.
- Cool.
- Now, combine that with your gin, fresh lemon juice and ice in your cocktail shaker.
- Shake.
- This is a cool weather sipper, shake for cold.
- When you're sufficiently satisfied with how cool it is, stop and pour into your cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a mint leaf.
- Because yes, it should look good.
- Drink your refreshing beverage!