It might be under a hundred today, but in the summer, I still want a cold and refreshing cocktail to sate my thirst, and this Gin Sorbet Cocktail ticks all the boxes. It’s easy to make, delicious to drink, and fancy enough that you can dress it up with a few simple garnishes to celebrate a summer win, or simply the arrival of the weekend.
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About the Gin and Sorbet Cocktail
One of my perfect summer cocktails to riff on is a sour. In this case, we take a basic gin sour or gimlet recipe and dress it up with a small scoop of sorbet. It gives the already refreshing gimlet a facelift and provides a great burst of sweetness and flavor as it melts.
Flavors in this Summer Gin Cocktail
The beauty of this cocktail is that variations you can make with different additions of infused simple syrup and flavored sorbets. I’m using raspberry here because of its gorgeous color as well as how the flavors melded with the citrus-forward gin I chose.
I’ve also made variations with a scoop of lemon sorbet, mango, and orange sorbet. They are all delicious, but I preferred lemon and raspberry with this combination of spirits.
I found that substituting rum for the gin makes a sour that’s full of tropical flavors with mango or pineapple sorbets. And if you’re a whiskey lover, well, orange and lemon sorbets thrive in this kind of cocktail.
How to Make a Gin and Sorbet Cocktail
The best part of this cocktail is how easy it is to put together. There are no crazy ingredients, and and it’s simple to make a beautiful garnish to drive interest in the cocktail. For this summer gin cocktail you’ll just need four ingredients:
- Gin
- Simple syrup
- Lime juice
- Raspberry sorbet
- Optional (splash of bubbles)
I strongly suggest making a fruit-infused simple syrup for this. Raspberry, blackberry or even lemon simple syrup add a touch of color and intense fruit flavors to the cocktail.
To make the cocktail, it’s a simple matter of creating the three-ingredient sour, adding a scoop of sorbet to the chilled glass, and straining the cocktail into the glass.
Add the gin, simple syrup, and lime juice to a shaker. Fill with ice and shake for 10-12 seconds. Add a scoop of sorbet to a chilled coupe glass, strain the cocktail into the coupe glass, and garnish it with a scoop of sorbet, a bit of lemon zest, mint, and a few raspberries.
What Gin to Use for this Sorbet Cocktail
Selecting a gin for this cocktail is largely a matter of what flavors you prefer with the sorbet you’ve chosen. If you prefer lemon sorbet, savory and juniper-forward gin tastes delicious. If you’ve chosen a fruity sorbet, a gin with a more gentle juniper presence and a touch of fruit flavor it in will shine as a combination.
I’ve used Empress 1908 gin, Brockman’s gin, Tanquery, and New Riff Wild Gin. All four make delicious variations on the cocktail.
Other Cocktails You Might Enjoy
- Popsicle Blueberry Bourbon Smash
- Bourbon and Bubbles cocktail
- Cherry Bourbon Milkshake
- Lavender gin cocktail
- Blueberry Ramos Gin Fizz Mocktail
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
Gin Sorbet Cocktail: Doctor’s Orders
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- ¾ oz simple syrup suggest fruit infused like raspberry, blackberry, lemon or peach
- ¾ oz lime juice
- 1 scoop raspberry sorbet
- Optional: sparkling wine topper
- Garnish: fresh or frozen raspberry, mint, and lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except sorbet in a shaking tin and fill with ice.
- Shake for 10-12 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass with a scoop of sorbet in it.
- Optional: top with sparkling rose wine.
Gin Sorbet Cocktail: Doctor’s Orders
Dress up your summer gimlet with a scoop of sorbet and a splash of bubbles to make a light and refreshing sip perfect for steamy summer days.
2 oz gin
¾ oz simple syrup (suggest fruit infused like raspberry, blackberry, lemon or peach)
¾ oz lime juice
1 scoop raspberry sorbet
Optional: sparkling wine topper
Garnish: fresh or frozen raspberry, mint, and lemon zest
Combine all ingredients except sorbet in a shaking tin and fill with ice. Shake for 10-12 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass with a scoop of sorbet in it. Optional: top with sparkling rose wine.
