The London Calling Is A Cheeky Take On The Gin Sour Cocktail

If gin is your spirit of choice, then you might appreciate cocktails like a dirty martini, Negroni, or maybe a gin sour. The latter is a concoction of London dry gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white garnished with a lemon twist and sometimes drops of bitters. But if you want to take a gin sour to the next level, order a London Calling the next time you're at a swanky cocktail bar or restaurant.

We think it's a good option if you want to switch up your gin cocktail order, because a London Calling reminds us of an elevated gin sour. It's a much newer addition to cocktail menus compared to other classic drinks. It was created in 2002 by bartender Chris Jepson at Milk & Honey, a bar in the Soho neighborhood of London that has since closed. The drink is a delicious mixture of dry gin, Fino sherry, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, orange bitters, and a garnish of a grapefruit twist — sound familiar? The result is a deliciously dry cocktail with citrusy notes.

If you don't consider yourself a certified mixologist, it might be best to try the London Calling at a solid cocktail bar first. But we'll outline the basic recipe just in case you fancy a homemade boozy drink. For one London Calling, the recipe calls for 1 ½ ounces of London dry gin with ½ ounce each of Fino sherry, simple syrup, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, two dashes of orange bitters, and a grapefruit twist. You'll combine the liquids in a shaker with ice, shake well, then strain into a chilled coupette glass (or martini glass) and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Gin is the star of the cocktail, so it's essential to use a London dry gin because it doesn't have extra sweeteners like other gin varieties. Otherwise, you might end up with a cocktail that's too sweet. Popular brands of dry gin include Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, and Tanqueray London Dry, all of which should easily be found at your local liquor store.

If you want to order this cocktail while you're out, it probably won't be found at your neighborhood dive bar so try a cocktail lounge with well-trained mixologists.