Gin Daisy (Jerry Thomas Style)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 18.3% ABV ∙
The Gin Daisy is a genever-based sour of citrus, orange liqueur, and syrup, shaken and topped with a splash of soda water. Malty and full-bodied, it turns bright and tart on the tongue, with a fizzy lift softening a syrupy finish that lingers.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 4 ingredients with ice: Oude genever 45 mlCognac orange liqueur (e.g., Grand Marnier) 15 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Top with a splash of Soda water
- Garnish with a seasonal berry
Tips
- Shake the genever, orange liqueur, lemon, and syrup hard with ice before straining — the soda goes in only after, so it stays lively.
- Add the soda water last and gently — pouring it in before straining or shaking it in kills the fizz you're topping with.
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its edge of cold before the soda even goes in.
History
The Daisy is a cocktail family whose first documented recipe and written appearance of a specific build appears in Jerry Thomas's 1876 edition of The Bar-Tender's Guide (also called The Bon-Vivant's Companion), which set out a formula of spirit, citrus, orange liqueur, and a topping of soda water. Thomas's book is the earliest source to actually define a Daisy, though an 1866 novel, Gay Life in New York! Or, Fast Men and Grass Widows by Henry Llewellyn Williams, contains the earliest known written reference to a drink by that name, without a recipe. The style spread quickly to other base spirits: Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual later printed Whiskey and Brandy Daisies, while gin, rum, and other versions followed in bars and guides through the late 19th century.
By the early 20th century the formula had shifted: bartenders reduced the base spirit, added sugar syrup for body, and often replaced the orange liqueur with grenadine, creating a second, sweeter style of Daisy that coexisted with the older, citrus-and-liqueur original. The Jerry Thomas-style Gin Daisy refers specifically to that earlier formula, preserving the original combination of spirit, orange liqueur, lemon, sugar, and soda rather than the later grenadine-based version.
FAQ
How do you make a Gin Daisy?
Shake genever, an orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup hard with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with a splash of soda water and garnish with a seasonal berry. The soda is added after straining so it keeps its fizz instead of being shaken flat.
What is a Daisy-style cocktail?
A Daisy is a classic style that shakes a base spirit with citrus, sugar, and an orange liqueur, then tops the drink with a splash of soda water. This version follows that formula, using genever as its base spirit.
What's the difference between a sour and a Daisy?
A sour is simply spirit, citrus, and sugar shaken together, while a Daisy is a sour extended with a small amount of orange liqueur or cordial and usually topped with soda water. That soda splash and the citrus-liqueur addition are what separate a Daisy from a plain sour.
What is in a Daisy drink?
A Daisy is made of a base spirit, citrus juice, sugar, and an orange liqueur, shaken and often topped with soda water. This Gin Daisy uses genever as the spirit, with lemon juice, sugar syrup, and a Cognac orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier, finished with a splash of soda and a seasonal berry garnish.
