Gin & Jam

Wait! Don’t toss that nearly empty jam jar just yet. We’re making a Gin and Jam cocktail in a jam jar! Instead of scraping every last bit of jam out of the jar, we leave plenty of jam still clinging to the sides. Then we add our favorite gin, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, elderflower liqueur, and a few fresh sprigs of herbs. Pop on the lid and shake it like you mean it. This easy cocktail in a jam jar proves gin and jam is the perfect duo.

Watch Me Mix It

How to Make Gin and Jam

1. To an almost-empty jam jar (with plenty of jam still clinging to the sides), add gin, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage.
2. Seal the lid and shake vigorously until the remaining jam is fully incorporated.
3. Remove the lid and fill the jar with fresh ice. Top with 3–4 oz chilled tonic water and gently stir to combine.
4. Garnish with a fresh herb sprig and a lemon wheel, if desired.

Why Do Gin and Jam Go Well Together?

There are so many types of gin with different flavor profiles. A traditional London Dry Gin is dry and herbal with a vibrant piney juniper profile. Jam, on the other hand, is sweet and acidic and fruity. Pairing the two together makes for a complex yet smooth cocktail with the perfect balance of herbal, savory, and sweet notes. There are pretty much endless combinations of gin and jam. You don’t have to serve it in a jam jar, but it’s just more fun that way.

Gin and Jam Ingredients

Gin

Some gins are milder than others, but when you make a gin and jam, you want a London Dry Gin with strong botanicals. Check out my Gin Guide for more tips and the bottles I recommend.

Jam

I’m demonstrating the classic gin and jam cocktail recipe with Bonne Maman peach preserves. But, you can use any flavor of jam or preserves you have. Gin goes particularly well with apricot jam and orange marmalade, but I also love it with strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry. Bonus points if you use homemade jam!

Elderflower Liqueur

Elderflower liqueur is sweet and floral, making it the perfect liqueur to pair with botanical gin and fruity jam. I usually buy St. Germain. If you want a more classic gin and jam or just don’t have Elderflower Liqueur on hand, you can skip the elderflower liqueur. Just mix up the gin, jam, and lemon juice and top with tonic water. Or, try some gin and jam combinations with other liqueurs like Limoncello, Lillet, and Triple Sec.

Lemon Juice

If it’s not fresh squeezed, we don’t want it!

Herbs

Herbs are optional, but they really do amp up the botanical notes in the gin. The smell of fresh herbs hits the nose before you take that first sip, so it does change the way you experience the cocktail and makes it feel more special.

Tonic Water

Topping your Gin and Jam cocktail with tonic water dilutes it slightly and adds a spritzy drinking experience. Tonic slightly mellows out the strong fruity, herbal, botanical flavors of all the ingredients you have going on.

Tips for Making the Best Gin and Jam

• Use really cold ingredients. Gin straight from the freezer, jam straight from the fridge, topped with chilled tonic water. The ice will also chill and dilute the cocktail a bit.
• Pick a good jam. I love Bonne Maman and they have tons of flavors to choose from.
• Since there are no strict measurements for the amount of jam you have left clinging to the sides of your jam jar, use your best judgement about what’s too much or too little. Anything more than roughly a tablespoon might be a bit much. It’ll just taste more jammy, which isn’t a bad thing. If you were a little too thorough with your jar scraping, the jam flavors might not be quite as strong.
• You don’t have to make this cocktail in a jam jar. If you have a jar of jam with plenty of jam still left in it, simply scoop out a tablespoon of jam and add it to a cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients before straining (or not) into a fresh glass filled with ice.

Why You’ll Love a Gin and Jam

• Obviously if you love gin, you’ll love a gin and jam. It celebrates what makes gin unique while adding a little sweetness and complexity. As a gin lover myself, I approve.
• This is an easy 3-4 ingredient cocktail, depending on whether or not you use the liqueur and fresh herbs. But the base simple recipe is just gin, jam, and lemon juice, topped with tonic water.
• If you like gin and tonics but want something a little sweeter or more seasonal, adding jam and lemon juice is an easy way to switch up your everyday well drink with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
• This is probably one of the most easily customizable cocktails out there. You can use different gins (including infused gins) as well as different jams. Think rhubarb-infused gin with strawberry jam or gin and blackberry jam with fresh rosemary sprigs. Your inner mixologist really comes to life.
• It’s pretty hard to mess this one up. But it’s easy to fix with more or less of this and that if it doesn’t taste how you want it.

Gin and Jam Variations

• Add Greek yogurt for creamy breakfast cocktail, like in this Greek Yogurt Gin Smash cocktail using blueberry jam.
• Leave out the elderflower liqueur for a classic Gin and Jam or swap it with orange liqueur for a “Breakfast Martini”
• Try different flavor combinations:
  • Strawberry jam + fresh basil
  • Blueberry jam + fresh sage
  • Blackberry jam + cinnamon
  • Raspberry jam + limoncello liqueur
  • Orange marmalade + Lillet blanc + fresh mint