Differentiating between Gin cocktails
Mrs Danvers tackles housekeeping questions

Dear Mrs Danvers, can you sort out the difference between the following gin cocktails: Gin Pahit, Gin Sling, Gin Rickey, Gin Fizz, and Tom or Gin Collins? I keep coming across the names in books by authors such as Somerset Maugham and would just like to know what the characters are drinking.
Simple.
Gin Pahit is a Pink Gin neat gin with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
A Gin Sling is made of gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup, stirred together and topped with fizzy water or soda.
Gin Rickey is the same, but lime juice replaces the lemon.
Gin Fizz is more confusing. At its simplest, it is gin shaken with ice and sugar syrup and strained into a glass with ice cubes and topped with soda or fizzy water. (This is also a Tom Collins or Gin Collins except that the Collins is put in a larger glass.)
A Golden Fizz has an egg yolk added and a Silver Fizz has the egg white. Royal Gin Fizz has the whole egg.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Ramos Gin Fizz, notoriously difficult to make, was invented in the late 19th century in New Orleans. It consists of gin, lemon and lime juice, cream, egg white, soda, powdered sugar and orange flower water.
Personally, I'd stick to a good old gin and tonic.
The best gins to drink this summer, as chosen by Country Life
Country Life's gin awards last year named the greatest gins available in Britain right now. So if you're looking to
How to make gin and tonic-infused fish and chips
People have been going crazy for novel gin-related recipes this year – but this one for gin-infused fish and chips really
How to make your own gin
Distill your own gin this year for the perfect gin and tonic
Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.
-
Churchill's birthplace, Monet's London home and more in the Country Life Quiz of the Day
Try your luck at Monday's quiz of the day.
By Toby Keel Published
-
How the railways will save the countryside, with Gareth Dennis
The engineer and policy expert Gareth Dennis joins the Country Life Podcast.
By Toby Keel Last updated
-
The iconic American bars in London perfect for lifting a Thanksgiving cocktail
Glamorous American bars were once a familiar sight in London, catering to US and British citizens alike, but only two of the historic ones remain. On the eve of Thanksgiving, Robert Crossan goes in search of both.
By Rob Crossan Published
-
Curious Questions: Why was absinthe banned?
Absinthe is almost unique among alcoholic spirits for having been outlawed in even some of the world's most liberal countries — but how did that happen? Martin Fone traces back the story to find the tales of debauchery, hallucination and even murder that once gave the drink its bad name — and looks at how it's returned to prominence.
By Martin Fone Published
-
Perry: The pear cider dubbed 'the English champagne' that's been an English passion for centuries
Not to be confused with cider, the art of perry-making is more than a craft — it’s an English passion. Ben Lerwill meets some of our best producers of fermented pear juice.
By Ben Lerwill Published
-
Seven of the best non-alcoholic spirits to help get you through Dry January
Whether you’re doing it for health reasons or simply for a New Year’s challenge, giving up alcohol isn’t necessarily all that easy. To help you on your way, the Country Life office put a variety of non-alcoholic spirits to the test. Here’s what we found.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
Hangover cures from some of Britain's greatest writers
From Hemingway to Wodehouse, we reveal the hangover remedies of literary greats.
By Emma Hughes Published
-
Christmas drinks gift guide: Best gin, best whisky, beer and more for the festive season
Whether you're keen to pour your own draft beer, drink Cotswolds whisky or enjoy a raft of different gins, we've got you covered.
By Toby Keel Published
-
How to decant wine — and why
Is your decanter gathering dust at the back of a cupboard? If so, says Harry Eyres, it’s high time you started using it to breathe more life into your wine.
By Harry Eyres Published
-
Curious Questions: What is it REALLY like giving up alcohol for a lifelong lover of fine wine?
Sobriety is easier and more interesting than it used to be, finds Giles Kime, who has spent the past year exploring the unanticipated delights of alcohol-free beer.
By Giles Kime Published