Mandarin Gin Cocktails | Mandarins.com.au

Mandarin and gin is a natural pairing. The juniper and botanical character of gin does not compete with citrus the way it can with cream or heavy syrup. Fresh mandarin juice brings brightness, and mandarin peel adds an aromatic quality that lifts a simple drink into something distinctly seasonal.

Winter is the right time for mandarin gin cocktails. The fruit is at peak flavour from May through August, and the cocktails suit the occasion: warming enough from the alcohol, sharp enough from the citrus to cut through rich winter food.

Quick guide

Five mandarin gin cocktails worth making:

Mandarin gin spritz: the simplest, prosecco or soda over gin and mandarin juice
Mandarin negroni: the classic aperitivo with fresh mandarin juice replacing the orange garnish
Mandarin gin and tonic: a seasonal G&T built on fresh juice and a mandarin peel garnish
Mandarin gin sour: shaken with egg white, the frothiest option for entertaining
Mandarin martinez: a stirred cocktail, more spirit-forward, for confident drinkers

Australian gins for mandarin cocktails

Several Australian distilleries produce mandarin-forward gins suited to these drinks.

Four Pillars Gin (Yarra Valley, Victoria) uses fresh citrus in several expressions and pairs naturally with fresh mandarin juice. The Navy Strength and Rare Dry expressions both work well in sours and spritzes.

Archie Rose Distilling Co (Sydney, New South Wales) makes a citrus-led gin that suits the mandarin spritz and the G&T formats.

Never Never Distilling Co (McLaren Vale, South Australia) makes a Southern Strength gin with a clean botanical profile that does not overpower fresh mandarin.

For a mandarin-specific gin, Ambleside Distillers (South Australia) uses freshly harvested mandarins in their mandarin gin alongside kumquat, elderberries, vanilla, cacao, and almond. Little Stiller Distillery makes a gold-award-winning mandarin gin distilled with sun-dried mandarins and juniper, designed specifically for G&Ts and negronis.

Any dry or citrus-forward gin works for these drinks if mandarin-specific gins are unavailable. London dry style is a reliable base.

Mandarin gin spritz

Combine 45ml gin and 45ml fresh mandarin juice in a wine glass or spritz glass over ice. Top with 120ml prosecco or dry sparkling wine. Add a strip of mandarin peel as a garnish. Stir once.

This is the easiest mandarin gin cocktail and the most crowd-friendly. It scales well for a group: premix the gin and juice at a 1:1 ratio and let guests add their own sparkling wine over ice.

The Ambleside Distillers mandarin gin works well here, as the mandarin notes in the spirit echo the fresh juice. A Four Pillars Rare Dry also performs well in this format.

Key ingredients: gin, fresh mandarin juice, prosecco or sparkling wine, mandarin peel.

Mandarin negroni

Stir 30ml gin, 30ml Campari, and 30ml sweet vermouth over ice in a mixing glass until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice block. Add a mandarin peel twist as the garnish, expressing the oils over the glass before dropping it in.

The mandarin peel replaces the standard orange twist and shifts the flavour slightly: the mandarin oils are more floral and sweeter than orange peel, which suits a lighter-style negroni. For a more pronounced mandarin note, substitute 15ml of the sweet vermouth with 15ml of fresh mandarin juice.

Never Never Southern Strength or Little Stiller Mandarin Gin work well in this build. The stronger gin holds up against the Campari.

Key ingredients: gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, mandarin peel.

Mandarin gin and tonic

The simplest build: 45ml gin in a highball glass over ice, 150ml premium tonic water, and 30ml fresh mandarin juice. Garnish with a mandarin wheel or peel strip.

The mandarin juice is added in small quantity, enough to add flavour without making the drink too sweet. The ginger syrup G&T from the Village Grocer uses ginger syrup alongside mandarin juice for a spiced variation: 15ml mandarin juice and 15ml ginger syrup per 45ml gin, topped with tonic.

Ambleside Distillers recommends serving their mandarin gin with light tonic, fresh mandarin, and thyme. That combination is worth following: a sprig of thyme in the glass adds an herbal note that bridges the botanicals in the gin and the freshness of the mandarin.

Key ingredients: gin, tonic water, fresh mandarin juice, mandarin peel.

Mandarin gin sour

Combine 60ml gin, 30ml fresh mandarin juice, 20ml lemon juice, and 15ml simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add one egg white. Dry shake (without ice) for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white, then add ice and shake hard for a further 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish needed, or add a small piece of mandarin peel on top.

The egg white creates a foam that makes the cocktail look more refined and rounds out the citrus sharpness. The mandarin and lemon juice together give more complexity than mandarin alone. Adjust the lemon to taste: more lemon if the mandarin juice is very sweet (Honey Murcott), less if using Imperial.

Newy Distillery’s mandarin gin Collins uses a similar shaken base with bitters: add two dashes of orange or aromatic bitters to the mix for a slightly more complex result.

Key ingredients: gin, fresh mandarin juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white.

Mandarin martinez

The martinez is a stirred cocktail predating the martini, made with gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. The mandarin version adds a small amount of fresh mandarin juice to the mix.

Stir 45ml gin, 30ml sweet vermouth, 10ml maraschino liqueur, 15ml fresh mandarin juice, and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters over ice until well chilled. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with a mandarin peel twist.

This is the most spirit-forward cocktail in the collection. It suits confident gin drinkers and works well before dinner as an aperitivo rather than a long drink for the afternoon.

Key ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, mandarin juice, Angostura bitters.

When to make mandarin gin cocktails

Fresh mandarin juice is the key variable. Afourer and Imperial are both available from April to May. Honey Murcott adds sweetness from July. See when Australian mandarins are in season for the full calendar.

Make a batch of mandarin syrup to keep in the fridge through winter, and the simple syrup step in most of these drinks is already done.