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The Southside is a cocktail with a split personality — part speakeasy classic, part country club staple, and depending on whom you ask, it’s a drink with roots in gangsters or golf courses. It’s a simple mix of gin, citrus, mint, and sugar, but behind that refreshing exterior lies a surprisingly tangled history. Some say it was the preferred drink of Al Capone and his Chicago gang who used mint and sugar to mask the rough edges of their illicit alcohol. Others claim it originated at either New York’s 21 Club or Long Island’s Southside Sportsmen’s Club, propelling it to the status of a signature high-society sip.

Either way, the Southside has endured, even as other Prohibition-era cocktails have faded into obscurity. Beyond its origins, it remains one of the most debated drinks in cocktail history. Is it best served up or on the rocks? And is it just a minty gin Daiquiri, or is there more to this creation?

Here to help us get to the bottom of all this is Ryan Garrison, head bartender at Brooklyn’s Bitter Monk, a lead bartender at New York’s Sugar Monk, and the distillery manager for Atheras Spirits. It’s the shores of Long Island, the South Side of Chicago, and a quick detour to Oklahoma City. And it’s all right here on the “Cocktail College” podcast. Tune in for more.

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Ryan Garrison’s Southside Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ ounce simple syrup
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 ounces London Dry Gin, such as Ford’s
• 5-6 mint leaves
• Garnish: attractive mint sprig or simple mint leaf

Directions

1. Slap chilled Nick & Nora glass with mint leaves then add to a cocktail shaker with the rest of the ingredients and ice.
2. Lightly shake until chilled then double strain into one side of the shaker.
3. Add a splash of soda water and pour into chilled, prepared Nick & Nora.
4. Garnish with mint sprig or single mint leaf.

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The article The Cocktail College Podcast: The Southside appeared first on VinePair.