GirlsGuideTo | 21 Summer Sips: The Southside

Gin. Lime. Sugar. Mint. Club soda. That's all you need to make this cool, citrusy summer sipper. So simple, and so refreshingly good.

A fun little fact about me: I love Prohibition-era America. I love the speakeasies and gangsters and showgirls…it must have sucked back then, but it all seems so glamorous now! So this cocktail is right up my alley because by some accounts, it came from the South Side of Chicago and was enjoyed by Prohibition-era gangsters looking for a way to cover up the taste of some bad bootleg gin. Others name its birthplace as New York City, at the elegant "21" Club, where it continues to enjoy the honor of being the restaurant's signature cocktail to this day. But I’m going to sip it and pretend Al Capone is in the next booth over.

And you'll find plenty of variations on the recipe too: Some call for lemon juice instead of lime; some the addition of a dash of bitters; some muddled mint, others just a sprig added as garnish; some call for simple syrup, other granulated sugar; some are served straight up, others on the rocks. It's all good, I promise!

The Southside
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients
2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce fresh lime or lemon juice

2 tsp granulated sugar

4 or 5 fresh mint leaves

Club soda

Directions
Combine all ingredients except for the club soda in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a slice of lime.

{Adapted from the "21" Club}