Swizzles Cocktail
A refreshing and citrus gin cocktail ∙ Swizzle ∙ 3 min ∙ 17.1% ABV ∙
A Swizzles Cocktail churns London dry gin, lime juice, sugar syrup and Angostura bitters over crushed ice until the glass frosts over.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour all ingredients into the chilled glass: London dry gin 60 mlLime juice 30 mlSugar syrup 20 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash
- Fill the glass 2/3 full with crushed ice
- Swizzle with a swizzle stick (or churn with a bar spoon)
- Add more crushed ice to fill and swizzle some more
- Garnish with aromatic bitters drops over ice peak and blueberries
Tips
- Swizzle until the outside of the glass frosts, then top with fresh crushed ice and swizzle again before adding the bitters drops on the peak.
History
A swizzle is defined by its method rather than its ingredients: a drink churned in the glass with a forked stick until the outside frosts, a technique that names an entire family of Caribbean drinks rather than one fixed recipe. Cocktail historian David Wondrich traces it to simple rum-and-water mixtures in the early 1800s, and Saint Kitts, Barbados, Trinidad, Martinique, and Guyana all have claims to its origin.
The swizzle stick was traditionally a forked twig from the Quararibea turbinata tree, rolled between the palms to chill and aerate the drink. Once ice-houses reached the Caribbean in the 1860s, bartenders began adding lime, sugar, and bitters, and because the name describes the method rather than a spirit, later bartenders applied it to gin, whisky, and other base spirits.
FAQ
What is in a Swizzles Cocktail?
London dry gin (60 ml), fresh lime juice (30 ml), sugar syrup (20 ml), and a dash of Angostura aromatic bitters, swizzled with crushed ice until the glass frosts.
What makes a cocktail a swizzle?
Its technique, not its ingredients. The drink is mixed in the glass over crushed ice and churned rapidly with a swizzle stick or bar spoon until frost forms on the outside.
Why swizzle a cocktail instead of shaking or stirring it?
Swizzling chills and dilutes the drink gradually as the crushed ice melts in the glass, keeping it colder for longer than a shaken or stirred drink served over larger cubes. The technique also frosts the outside of the glass and keeps the drink lightly aerated without fully diluting it the way a hard shake would.
How does a Swizzle differ from a Mojito?
A Mojito has muddled mint and a soda top; this Swizzle has neither. It is gin, lime, sugar syrup, and Angostura bitters, packed with crushed ice and churned with a swizzle stick. Both are cold, ice-heavy drinks, but this one has no fizz.
