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New Delhi: Each year, on the second Saturday of June, World Gin Day is celebrated; this year it falls on June 14, 2025. It’s a day dedicated to honouring one of the world’s most loved and versatile spirits, gin. It began in 2009 as a small gathering of gin enthusiasts in Birmingham, UK, initiated by blogger Neil Houston. Over time, it has evolved into an international event celebrated in over 30 countries, now coordinated by Emma Stokes, also known as “Gin Monkey.”

As a day to celebrate the spirit and keep them always high, all you need are some gin-based cocktail recipes to impress your guests or be the best host at parties, or just sip by the evening a perfect glass of wine to raise a toast to the celebrations.

Gin-based cocktail recipes

Here are some of the best gin-based cocktails suggested by best mixologists to try at home.

1. Jay! Damn

A bold burst of botanical gin meets the luscious sweetness of fresh plum jam, brightened with lemon zest and a splash of lime. Jay! Caramba is a vibrant, fruit-forward cocktail that’s as lively as its name, refreshingly smooth with a citrusy zing, says mixologist Gopal Singh from Daisy Mae Cantine as he shares his secret for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 50 ml botanical gin
• 1 tbsp fresh plum jam
• 15 ml fresh lime juice
• 10 ml lemon zest syrup (or a few drops of lemon zest + sugar syrup)
• Ice
• Garnish: Lemon twist or plum slice

Method of Preparation:

1. Add gin, plum jam, lime juice, and lemon zest syrup into a shaker.
2. Fill with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled.
3. Fine strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist or a slice of fresh plum.

2. Lucha

Mixologist Rohti Rajput from Daisy Mae Cantina shares a spicy recipe to try at home, using gin, to create your summer even more chill. Spice meets citrus in Lucha, a fiery fusion of chilli-infused gin, zesty grapefruit mash, sharp lime, and fresh green chilli. It’s a punchy, palate-awakening cocktail that delivers a thrilling balance of heat and tang in every sip.

Ingredients:

• 50 ml chilli-infused gin (infuse gin with fresh red/green chillies for 24–48 hrs)
• 30 ml fresh grapefruit mash (or fresh grapefruit juice with pulp)
• 15 ml fresh lime juice
• 1–2 slices fresh green chilli
• Ice
• Garnish: Grapefruit wedge and green chilli sliver

Method of Preparation:

1. In a shaker, gently muddle a slice of green chilli.
2. Add chilli-infused gin, grapefruit mash, and lime juice.
3. Fill with ice and shake well.
4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
5. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and a thin slice of green chilli.

3. Cocoo Negroni

Ingredients:

• Cacao-infused Jin Jiji 45 ml
• Rosso Vermouth 15 ml
• Campari 15 ml

Method of preparation:

How to Make Cacao-Infused Gin:

1. Take 500 ml of gin and add 100 grams of cacao nibs
2. Sous vide at 60°C for 1 hour
3. Transfer to an ice water bath to cool, then strain and store

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Take cacao nib–infused gin and add it to a mixing glass.
2. Add Campari and Rosso, give it a nice stir, then pour it into a rocks glass over ice
3. Serve with a chocolate block as a garnish.

4. Kumon Highball

Ingredients:

• Kumaon & I Gin 60 ml
• Sencha Peach Cordial 22.5 ml
• Verjuice 22.5 ml
• Soda for top-up

Method of preparation:

How to Make Sencha Peach Cordial:

• Steep 100 g of sencha tea in 500 ml of hot water.
• Add 150 ml of peach purée and 20 g of citric acid.
• Stir well until fully mixed. Ready to use.

Making Verjuice:

• Soak 200 g of prunes in 400 ml of water overnight.
• Blend or press to extract juice, then strain.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Take a highball glass filled with ice and assemble all the ingredients directly in the serving glass.
2. Add Sencha Peach Cordial and Verjuice. Top up with soda and stir gently.
3. Paint the inside of the glass with peach gel as a garnish.
4. Serve and enjoy.