South Side Cocktail| A Sophisticated Mint Cocktail with 4 Ingredients

I was so excited to stumble upon the recipe for the South Side cocktail. I saw it in a post about Prohibition-era cocktails and knew I needed to make it–tonight. I’ve been craving mint lately. Partly because it’s getting *rather* warm out here in Texas, and partly because I really want to use the mint I’ve got growing on my front porch.

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I can’t tell you how many mint plants I’ve bought over the last 10 years. And I’ve killed them all in a matter of weeks. But this one… this one is thriving and I’m admittedly very proud. I love plants (you can take a peek at some of my plant collection in this post) but I’ve always struggled with herbs. As of today, my mint and basil are going nuts and I’ve got some chives, rosemary, and thyme sprouting. I’ve got my eye on this cute outdoor shelf to display all my herb pretties. It’ll be my motivation to keep everything happy & healthy.

In the past when I’ve bought herb plants, I was ironically hesitant to actually use them. I thought that if I kept cutting the stems and leaves off, they would stop growing. So I used them sparingly. The plants would either then die or “bolt”. When herbs bolt, it means they are directing all their energy towards producing flowers instead of leaves or healthier roots. These flowers will produce seeds so the plant has the hope of carrying on their little heritage. Bolting is like a plant’s Hail Mary. “Looks like everything’s gone to sh*t; here’s the last call in the playbook!”

When an herb bolts, it alters the taste. One way to keep your herbs from bolting is to harvest them frequently. Yeah… remember I said I used my herbs sparingly? Don’t be like me. If you harvest the leaves on the top of your herb plant, it actually encourages your plant to grow more. If you cut off (or pinch… who’s got time for scissors) the top few leaves, it encourages the plant to grow out horizontally and get bushier instead of growing upwards and turning spindly.

If you’re wanting to know more about this process and the science behind it, this post by Amanda of Herbs at Home goes into a lot more detail. Moral of the story: don’t let your herbs bolt.

So, now you can see why I’m eager to utilize mint in cocktails these days. On to the drink that’s going to help me regularly harvest my mint…

The South Side is crisp, refreshing, and clean. I love a good Mojito (who doesn’t?) and that’s been my go-to for years when I was craving something minty, but this cocktail has a very different feel. Serving it up in a coupe glass without bubbles adds a layer of sophistication.

The South Side is definitely vying for the number one spot as my favorite mint cocktail. Picking a winner’s gonna be hard. I’ve been crushing on The Campari To-Kill-Ya that I posted earlier this week, but this one’s really good, too. The two have totally different vibes though, so maybe I need to create subcategories in this Best Mint Cocktail Competition: Most Unique Mint Cocktail & Most Sophisticated Mint Cocktail. Mmk yeah, I like.

So, here is the winner for the Most Sophisticated Mint Cocktail: the South Side cocktail.

Ingredients for a South Side Cocktail

• 2 oz gin (I used Prairie, an organic gin)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup (get the recipe here)
• 5-7 mint leaves

How to Make a South Side Cocktail

Gently muddle the mint leaves with the lemon juice in a shaker. You don’t need to obliterate the mint (that can actually make the mint taste bitter). Just bruise the leaves enough so they release their oils. Add the gin, simple syrup, and a generous amount of ice. Shake well, about 30 solid seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with mint and a lemon twist.

Interested in making another mint cocktail? Check out the Campari To-Kill-Ya. Want to sip on another gin drink? Check out the classic Gimlet.