A Gin Daisy is a tall, effervescent sour: gin lengthened with lemon and a touch of red grenadine, shaken hard over crushed ice and lifted with a splash of soda. First codified in Jerry Thomas's 1876 Bar-Tender's Guide — where it ran alongside brandy, whiskey, and rum daisies sweetened with gum syrup and maraschino — the drink later settled on grenadine as its signature sweetener. Bright, faintly fruity, and endlessly refreshing, it counts the Sidecar and the Margarita among its descendants.
Garnish: Lemon Wheel
Shaken · Rocks · Crushed
add
Combine gin, lemon juice, grenadine, and triple sec (if using) in a shaker with ice.
shake
Shake well until chilled.
strain
Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
top
Top with a splash of soda water — the Daisy's defining effervescent finish.
garnish
Garnish with a lemon wheel (an orange peel or mint sprig also works).