Southside Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Southside is often described as a gin mojito served up, and that is close: gin, citrus, sugar and fresh mint, shaken hard and fine-strained into a coupe. Recipes disagree on whether the citrus should be lime or lemon; lime is the more common modern choice and gives a sharper, greener drink, while lemon is softer. Its origin is the subject of several competing stories, none of them proven.

Mint is the ingredient that goes wrong. Pounding it releases chlorophyll and bitterness; tearing or shredding it leaves dark flecks in the drink. The best approach is to put the leaves in the shaker and let the ice do the work: a hard shake bruises the mint just enough to release its oils, and a fine strainer catches every fragment. Use bright, fresh spearmint with no wilted or brown leaves.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) London dry gin
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lime juice — strained; or lemon for a softer drink
• 22 ml (¾ oz) simple syrup (1:1)
• 6 to 8 fresh spearmint leaves — plus a sprig for garnish
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking

Method

1. Chill the coupe in the freezer or with ice water.
2. Put the mint leaves in the bottom of the shaker. Press them once or twice gently with a muddler or the back of a spoon, just enough to bruise them; do not grind them.
3. Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup to the shaker.
4. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds. The ice will finish releasing the mint oils.
5. Double-strain into the chilled coupe through the fine strainer so no bits of leaf reach the glass. The drink should be pale green-tinged and clear of flecks.
6. Slap a small mint sprig between your palms to release its aroma and float it on the drink.

Tips for success

• Pick mint leaves from the top of the stem. They are the most tender and the least bitter.
• Store mint like a bouquet in a glass of water in the fridge, loosely covered with a bag, so it stays crisp for several days.
• If you want a stronger mint presence, add more leaves rather than muddling harder.

Substitutions

Lime juice

Lemon gives a gentler, rounder drink; lime is sharper and more aromatic. Both are used in published recipes.

Gin

White rum turns it into something close to a mojito served up. Vodka makes a cleaner but plainer drink.

Simple syrup

A 2:1 rich syrup at 15 ml gives more body. Mint syrup can replace both the syrup and the leaves for convenience, though fresh leaves taste brighter.

Variations

Southside fizz

Strain the shaken drink into a chilled highball over ice and top with 60 ml soda water. Garnish with a large mint sprig.

Southside with cucumber

Add 2 thin cucumber slices to the shaker with the mint for a cooler, garden-fresh version.

Troubleshooting

It tastes grassy or bitter

The mint was over-muddled or included stems. Use leaves only and bruise them lightly; let the shake do the rest.

Green flecks float in the drink

Strain through a fine mesh strainer every time. The shake inevitably breaks some leaves.

The mint flavor is faint

The leaves may be old or few. Use 8 fresh leaves and shake a little harder.

Storage

Serve immediately; mint aroma fades quickly. Keep fresh mint stems in water in the refrigerator and use within about 4 to 5 days.

Safety notes

Each Southside holds roughly 1.4 U.S. standard drinks from 60 ml of 40% gin (one standard drink is about 14 g of alcohol). Serve only to adults of legal drinking age, and make sure nobody drives after drinking.