Your love for the spirit will be rekindled with these drinks.

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Bartenders used to have to convince people to try gin not all that long ago. Thankfully, that time is over.

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Even though it wasn't ever that difficult. If a gin enthusiast really wanted to, they could give an impassioned pro-gin polemic, perhaps listing all the essential gin cocktails, or exploring how versatile the spirit is, but for an agent of persuasion, a single sip of an Eastside Rickey is enough to convert you forever to gin.

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Great cocktail spirits are defined by two things: Firstly, they must elevate the other ingredients and give them structure to express themselves, and secondly, they should not be too delicious or expensive on their own so that they make a cocktail seem pointless without them. It is dynamic, expressive, idiosyncratic, but not a diva, interesting enough on its own, but spectacular when mixed. With something like the Tuxedo, gin is perfectly comfortable being the centre of attention, but it's also happy to be a stage for others to perform, as with the Corpse Reviver No. 2.

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Seven gin drinks that will make you fall in love with the spirit all over again, from the bracing and seductive Arsenic and Old Lace to the bright and charming French 75.

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Bramble

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There's something magical about the Bramble. Tart, bright, and refreshing, it's essentially a gin sour with a dash of blackberry liqueur. Combine it with crushed ice for extra cold-weather refreshment, or check out Bradsell's vodka version.

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• 2 oz. gin
• 0.75 oz. lemon juice
• 0.5 oz. simple syrup
• 0.375-0.5 oz. crème de mûre, to taste

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Mix the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with crushed ice in a shaker. Add crushed ice and top with crushed ice, then drizzle crème de mûre. Garnish with a lemon slice and blackberry. Shake for a few seconds to aerate and combine the ingredients.

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French 75

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There is nothing quite like the French 75. The cocktail's gin and lemon juice, electrified with champagne, is equally at home in enthusiastic toasts on New Years Eve as it is at brunch on a normal Sunday. A drink named after a World War I field cannon, it seems to show up at celebrations of life's sweeter things. Read on to find out more about the three main variations, or just make our favorite:

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• 1 oz. Beefeater Gin
• 0.5 oz. lemon juice
• 0.5 oz. simple syrup (1:1)
• 3 oz. Champagne (real, French Champagne)

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Add about 3 oz. of chilled Champagne to the chilled flute, and stir well. Shake first three ingredients and strain into chilled glass.

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Arsenic and Old Lace

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An adaptation of the Martini, named after a stage production from 1941, shows gin's incredible versatility. Taking the clarity of a Martini and adding "a floral punch from creme de violette and a piquant zing of absinthe" to it would result in the Arsenic and Old Lace. These two accent marks, one quarter and one eighth of an ounce, change the drink utterly. The cocktail has been around for 25 years, but it took two name changes before it was mainstream:

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• 2 oz. gin
• 0.75 oz. dry vermouth
• 0.25 oz. creme de violette
• 0.125 oz. (barspoon) absinthe

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Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice for 10 seconds to 25 seconds depending on how large your ice is. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and garnish with a lemon peel.Mix all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice for 10 seconds to 25 seconds depending on how large your ice is. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and garnish with a lemon peel.

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Bee’s Knees

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It's time for this century's 20s to roar as we come out of the pandemic (hopefully) and enter summer, so the Bee's Knees, a cocktail with gin, lemon, and honey, is the perfect choice. In this cocktail of the roaring, a silly name, you can enjoy the sweetness of spring while getting a little boozy at the same time. Here are some ways to customize it to make it your own, or make the classic version below.

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• 2 oz. gin
• 0.75 oz. lemon juice
• 0.75 oz. honey syrup (to taste)

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Shake well with ice for 10 to 12 seconds, then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel or lemon wheel.

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Martini

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For the first half of its life, the Martini was exclusively made with a mixture of gin and vermouth, not vodka as James Bond has claimed. It is true that vodka martinis can be charming on their own, but as we write, “gin and vermouth lock into each other like a vacuum seal, confirming the cocktail’s dominance for over 130 years.” The following recipe will show you why it’s one of the world’s most popular cocktails, or you can discover how different gins require different preparations.

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• 2.25 oz. Tanqueray 10 or Aviation Gin
• 0.75 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

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If you are using small ice, stir well for 10 seconds. If you are using large ice, stir well for 25 seconds. Strain into a cocktail or Martini glass, and garnish with a lemon peel if you wish.

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Clover Club

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Over the course of its 120 year history, the Clover Club has been celebrated, dismissed, forgotten, and finally back on top, a gin sour flavored with raspberries and egg white. Find out what Oscar Wilde's connection to it is here, or just do what William Butler Yeats did and make three of them all by following this recipe:

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• 2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
• 0.75 oz. lemon juice
• 0.75 oz. simple syrup
• 3-5 fresh raspberries
• 1 egg white

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Fill a coupe or martini glass with foam, add a lemon peel for aroma, discard the peel, and garnish with one or three raspberries. Shake all ingredients in a shaker tin for five seconds to whip the egg. Add ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.

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Negroni

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In the cocktail industry, the Negroni is among the most popular drinks, but it isn't for everyone, because its bitterness makes it an acquired taste, but it's well worth acquiring. We spent a few months trying every combination of gin, Campari, and Sweet Vermouth we could get our hands on, side by side, until we found the best Negroni possible. There are thousands of Negroni recipes online, but they're all pretty much the same. Take a look at the full winner's circle here, or vote below for your favorite.

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• 1 oz. Tanqueray Gin
• 1 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
• 1 oz. Campari

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A large piece of ice should be added to a rocks glass. Add all ingredients, stir for 5-10 seconds, and garnish with an orange peel.