Gin and Ginger Ale Cocktail Recipe

Name: Gin and Ginger Ale Cocktail
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Cocktails
Ingredients: 2 oz gin; 4 oz ginger ale; lemon for garnish

Drinks | Food

Gin and ginger ale make an absolutely delicious combination! Learn how to mix a simple Gin Buck cocktail, and find out our favorite extras to make a gin and ginger even better.

There’s nothing like a refreshing, cool gin cocktail. And when there’s ginger ale in the mix, it’s even better!

This gin and ginger ale cocktail is a perfect base cocktail for remixing and experimenting with. Read on to find out our two favorite recipes for enjoying a Gin and Ginger!

And if you want some other great cocktail ideas using gin, be sure to try our delicious Bee’s Knees Cocktail and the Gin Rickey. They’re each a very different take on gin but so delicious! And scroll to the bottom of this post for more cocktail recipes!

Also, I’d love for you to sign up below for my VIP group, where I’ll send more of my very best DIYs, recipes, and ideas straight to ya:

Gin and Ginger Ale Cocktails

Gin and ginger ale is a perfect cocktail combination, as the sweetness of the ginger ale balances the flavor of the gin. If a Gin Rickey is too tart for you and a gin & tonic is too dry, this might just be your go-to highball cocktail!

It’s a classic cocktail for good reason — the simplicity of the ingredients makes it pretty much fool-proof.

It is easy enough for even novice mixologists to make, which makes it perfect for creating a quick cocktail at home any time.

You can mix it up in singles, or even in larger batches for a gathering or party and it holds incredibly well. So let’s make some!

Using Lemon Vs. Lime in a Gin and Ginger

A classic, traditional gin and ginger ale cocktail is actually called a Gin Buck! If, that is, it’s served with lemon wedge. If you serve your cocktail with a lime wedge, it’s traditionally known as a Gin and Ginger.

Add a splash of lemon juice to your Gin Buck and now you can call it a Leapfrog. Add a splash of lime juice instead and you’ve got yourself a Dragonfly.

See where we’re going with this? The gin and ginger ale combination is a great base to start experimenting with, and adding variations to create different cocktails.

Ginger Ale Vs. Ginger Beer

Cocktails with gin and ginger ale can be elevated easily by substituting ginger beer instead!

When comparing ginger ale and ginger beer, you’ll find that ginger beer tends to have more spice to it, and a more intensely “ginger” flavor. It’s a more intense, full, strong flavor.

Ginger beer is actually brewed over a few days with real ginger, which gives it the spice and strong flavors. Ginger ale is most often a type of carbonated water with ginger syrup added.

If you take your Gin and Ginger with lime and substitute ginger beer instead, you’ll be drinking a Foghorn (gin, ginger beer, and lime wedge).

Ingredients for a Gin and Ginger Ale Cocktail Recipe

You only need a few simple ingredients to make your own Gin Buck or Gin and Ginger Ale cocktail!

Gin – For a cocktail like this one, you can experiment using varying types of gin. A London dry is a great place to start. If you branch out into other more aromatic gins, I recommend erring on the side of something citrusy, rather than floral.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own gin like we have done in the past! It’s pretty fun.

Ginger Ale – There are many ginger ales to choose from! The taste of your ginger ale can really affect your cocktail, so choose your favorite. Boylan’s ginger ale has a citrusy flavor that works will with a Gin Buck. And Canada Dry is a simple and easily accessible choice that will yield a perfectly lovely cocktail.

Fresh Citrus – As with any cocktail recipe, I recommend fresh citrus and citrus juice!

How to Make a Gin Buck Cocktail

Now let’s make you one!

Ingredients

2 oz gin
4 oz ginger ale
lemon for garnish
ice

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in 2 oz of gin.
Fill the glass with 4 oz of ginger ale.
Add a lemon wedge for garnish if desired.

More Ideas to Try

If you like this cocktail, be sure to check out our other most popular cocktail posts — I think you’re gonna love these.

Have fun! Be sure to give us a review below if you try out and love our Gin Buck recipe! xoxo