Toast the new season with these sharp and bright gin cocktails

Spring is the time for flowers, spritzes, and — if you ask me — gin cocktails. Alright, I’ll admit that practically every time of year is for gin cocktails in my opinion, but it’s a spirit especially suited to the arrival of warmer weather and bluer skies. One of the great things about gin is its versatility, as you can find gins made with a huge range of botanicals, from savory vegetables and herbs to sweet fruits to unusual spices. That also means that small craft gin brands can differentiate themselves with unique botanical flavors — and that you can make interesting, complex cocktails with just a few ingredients.

The Gin Gimlet is the ideal vehicle for showing off the flavors of craft gins like Coppercraft Gin, as it contains just gin, lime juice, and sugar. It’s a simple yet delicious combination that allows the spirit to shine. But you also get more esoteric cocktails, like one below which combines gin with blood orange liqueur.

Artisanal Gimlet

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Coppercraft Gin
• 75 oz lime juice
• .5 oz simple syrup
• 1 lime wheel, garnish

Method:

1. Combine the Coppercraft Gin, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake well and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
3. Garnish with a lime wheel.

No Blood No Foul

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz of Coppercraft Gin
• 1 oz Thatcher’s Organic Blood Orange Liqueur
• .5 oz Lillet
• 1 oz orange juice
• .25 simple syrup
• Dehydrated orange wheel, garnish

Method:

1. In a shaker tin with ice, add all the ingredients and shake until chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.