You don’t have to live in Los Angeles to have a laid-back day with an ice-cold Gin & Juice.
I’m a rock ‘n’ roller by nature. Loud guitars, big drums and thundering bass over infectious melodies and snarling attitudes is where my musical spirit resides. But a good song is a good song is a good song, and so on. No matter what the genre is, if the music is honest and gives me a good time, I’m all in. While rock and punk might be my bread and butter, hip-hop, R&B, and the blues are also styles that stir my soul. In elementary school, I had no idea who Aerosmith was until one of my favorite groups, RUN-DMC, told me about them with their crossover hit, “Walk This Way”.
And in high school, there was a plethora of both East and West Coast hip-hop that got nerdy kids like me excited, especially the sounds of New York City’s Wu-Tang Clan, and out in Los Angeles, Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg. I remember discovering cats like N.W.A. and Eazy-E when I was a skater kid in junior high, alternating between being educated by The Clash and Ice Cube. It was exciting, having these bombastic and disparate musical styles fill my head while opening my mind to new worlds that existed right here on our own planet.
And tonight’s cocktail, the Gin & Juice, will be familiar to anyone who got yelled at to turn their CD player down by their parents in the 1990s. And by that, I mean all of us who grew up during that era will be well-versed in the following prose:
“Rollin’ down the street, smokin’ indo, sippin’ on gin and juice
Laid back“
So as you mix up your own Gin & Juice this evening, while putting Doggystyle on for good measure, just remember to keep your mind on your money, and your money on your mind.
What Is The Best Gin To Use In A Gin & Juice?
As someone who fondly remembers the music video for this cocktail’s namesake, I’m going to make it official… only Tanqueray London Dry gin makes an authentic, Death Row Records approved Gin & Juice. It’s also name-checked in the song. The legendary spirit, which originated in 1830, is a high-proof liquor that is dry, balanced and mixes beautifully in a number of cocktails, including this one.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dry gin
- 4 ounces pineapple juice or your juice of choice
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup
- Club soda to top
Instructions
- Add dry gin, fruit juice, and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake well until thoroughly chilled, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Top with a splash of club soda and stir gently.
Nutrition
WHAT GLASSWARE IS USED?
Grab a rocks glass or two, if you’re having company, and fill them with ice before pouring your cocktail in.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST JUICES THAT GO WITH GIN?
Some of the more popular juice pairings for the Gin & Juice cocktail are orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, strawberry and mango.
Similar Cocktails To The Gin & Juice
I find myself sipping on other spirits on their own, and by that I mean “neat”, no mixer or chaser. Whiskey, bourbon, rum, vodka, tequila… but surprisingly, not gin. And the only time I’ve noticed this happening was in the Dead Reckoning entry of the “Mission: Impossible” film series, when actor Shea Whigham was seen sipping Tanqueray No. 10 straight on the Orient Express. Here are some cocktails that give the spirit a prominent role.
- Pink Gin – One of author Ian Fleming’s favorite indulgences.
- Gin Buck – Gin and ginger ale make a pretty good team.
- Alaska – Gin joins with a little Yellow Chartreuse in this potent combo.
- Hanky Panky – Gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca can be found in this classic cocktail.
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