MAKE THE BEST OUT OF STAYING AT HOME. YOU CAN ORGANIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE, LEARN TO COOK A NEW DISH, AND START THOSE DIY PROJECTS YOU’VE BEEN PUTTING ON HOLD. THERE’S PLENTY OF THINGS TO DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY. IF STAYING IN FOR A DATE NIGHT IS ON YOUR LIST, DON’T WORRY, THE DRINKS ARE ON US!
Beer is comfortable, and wine is familiar, but what about when you want to add that next level of class to your Friday night? Surprise your partner with some elegant, simple to make, exceptionally handcrafted cocktails.
We’ve rounded up five of our favorite gin cocktails to elevate your evening and conversations. You don’t need special equipment or hard-to-find mixers to whip up these luxurious cocktails, but they will surely impress your date. Win-win. If you need to stock up your home bar in a pinch, we offer next-day contactless delivery on all orders. Head to our online store, and we’re sure you’ll find the perfect gin for your date night: https://drinkpaperlantern.com/shop-online/
Pink G&T
For your opening scene, create a delicate and refreshing early pre-dinner drink with our Pink G&T recipe. For a special evening, a little color will breathe new life into this trusted go-to. A splash of Aperol will turn your cocktail just a little bit pink and add a bit of bitter to balance the sweeter notes from the tonic. Garnish with a grapefruit slice and serve in a Copa glass if you have one. A red wine glass works too!
30ml Paper Lantern Gin
10ml Aperol
5ml or a dash of lemon juice
Tonic of your choice
Garnish: grapefruit slice
FRENCH 75
Champagne drinks are considered by some non-enthusiast to be girly drinks. Not so for the French 75. This cocktail isn’t your gentle brunch mimosa. Named after a WWI 75mm field cannon, this potent tipple is perfect for an evening celebration. Make a fancy drink to match the mood – dust off those Champagne flutes you keep for NYE and put them back into your regular rotation by giving the classic French 75 a go.
30ml Paper Lantern Gin
20ml Lemon Juice
15ml Simple Syrup*
Champagne or Prosecco top off⠀
Garnish: Rosemary & Cherry
Glassware: Champagne Flute
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute and float champagne over the top. Don’t forget to garnish with a lemon twist.
* To make a simple syrup, add equal parts sugar and water to a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Let cool and transfer. The syrup can be refrigerated up to a month and used in many other cocktails and mocktails.
BASIL SMASH
Basil is that classic herb that grows so abundantly during hot weather, but you can only make so much pesto, so what do you do with all those leftover leaves? We found this herbalicious beauty and took it out for a test drive at one of our Paper Lantern events. We quickly ran through all of our basil with this definite crowd-pleaser. You may end up making more than one, so be sure you have plenty of basil handy! Muddle the leaves, lemon juice, and simple syrup together before you do some vigorous shaking. Double strain into ice-filled rocks glass and serve with some more basil leaves as a garnish.
45ml Paper Lantern Gin
20ml lemon juice
20ml simple syrup
Six basil leaves (or more to taste)
Garnish: Basil leaves or lemon slices
LEMONGRASS GIMLET
The gin gimlet is a nearly perfect drink. It is simple, balanced, and delicious. We approached this masterpiece of cocktail dominance with the reverence it deserves, adding in subtle Asian twists while ensuring we keep that beautiful play between sour and sweet. The result is relaxed and refreshing, perfect for Singapore summer nights…
50ml Paper Lantern Gin
15ml lime juice
15ml lemongrass syrup*
*6 (Thai) basil leaves
Garnish: Crushed black pepper
Glassware: Cocktail glass
Combine all the ingredients, including the six basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain and garnish with crushed black pepper.
* To make the lemongrass syrup, heat 1L sugar, 1l water, and six lemongrass stalks over medium heat. Do not boil. Strain, cool, and transfer the syrup to a bottle or jar. Include six fresh lemongrass stalks to maintain the flavor.
GIN SPRITZ
If you favor bright bitter cocktails, then this Gin Spritz should lift your spirits instantly. A cross between a Negroni and Americano, it has a complex flavor profile that’s best enjoyed with a bar of dark chocolate on the side. The perfect nightcap after that sumptuous dinner.
30ml Paper Lantern Gin
50ml Rosso Vermouth
50ml Campari
150ml Prosecco
Garnish: Orange & lemon slices
Glassware: Rocks glass
Add all ingredients in a mixing glass with lots of ice and stir. Serve in a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with orange and lemon slices.
