Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

London Lemonade

London Lemonade cocktail surrounded by lemons and green leaves

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

As far as cocktails go, it doesn’t get much simpler than the London Lemonade. This two-ingredient drink combines gin and lemonade, a duo that you can rely on any time of year, but one that’s especially helpful when the mercury begins rising during the hot summer months.

If you’re wondering about the cocktail’s origin, well, there’s no elaborate backstory. “London” refers to the drink’s base spirit, as gin is closely associated with the U.K. (If you really want to stay on theme, use a London dry gin.) But the real key here is to use freshly squeezed lemons for the lemonade. That will add the desired tartness and rich citrus kick you want. Of course, if you’re pressed for time, store-bought lemonade can be a handy substitute.

Gin is the classic choice for this cocktail, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. Want to make it with vodka? Now you’ve got a Russian Lemonade. Prefer bourbon? Great, mix yourself a Southern Lemonade. The possibilities abound, but all of them result in you quaffing an icy cold glass of spiked, thirst-quenching lemonade.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 4 ounces fresh lemonade

  • Garnish: lemon wheel

Steps

  1. Fill a rocks glass with ice, then add the gin and lemonade and stir briefly to combine.

  2. Garnish with a lemon wheel.