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The Southside Fizz is a refreshing cocktail made with mint, lemon, lime, and gin: Tom Collins + a mojito! Top it off with soda water for a sparkle.

Southside Fizz
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Here’s one of the most refreshing cocktails out there: a Southside Fizz! A cousin of the Southside Cocktail, this gin cocktail features bright citrus, herbaceous mint, and fizzy soda water. It’s tart and fizzy, perfect for drinks on the patio, a daytime brunch drink, or a wintertime cocktail when you’re dreaming of summer. Alex and I are big fans of citrus cocktails (the Margarita, Paloma, and Lime Daiquiri are all at the top of our list). So this Southside Fizz is right up our alley. Here’s how to make it!

What’s a Southside Fizz?

A Southside Fizz is the Southside Cocktail with soda water. What’s a Southside? It’s a cocktail made with mint, lemon, lime, and gin. The best way to describe it? A Tom Collins + a Mojito! Here’s exactly what’s in a Southside Fizz:

Southside Fizz cocktail

How the Southside Fizz got its name

There are so many intriguing cocktail names: GreyhoundSalty DogHanky Panky… if you’re like us, you want to know where the name came from! There are a few theories on this one: the most prominent are these (source):

  • Some people say the name came from the Southside Sportsmen’s Club on Long Island.
  • A more interesting theory is that the term refers to the South Side of Chicago. It may have been a favorite of Al Capone, whose gang dominated the South Side!

Either way, the sweet tart, fizzy flavor of this drink makes it easy to drink and a crowd favorite.

Southside Fizz

How to muddle mint…the right way!

This Southside Fizz cocktail requires muddling the mint before making the drink. What is it? Muddling is gently mashing herbs or fruits to release their juices. This helps the flavors incorporate better, vs if you simply threw in the mint lives on their own. Here’s how to muddle mint…the right way:

  • Step 1: Place the mint leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. If you don’t have one, you can use a large metal cup or bowl.
  • Step 2: Using a wooden cocktail muddler or unfinished wooden spoon, gently mash the mint a few times to release the juices. The key to muddling is a light touch, so don’t go overboard.

Why do you have to smack the mint garnish?

You’ll notice the garnish for this Southside Fizz calls to smack the mint. Wait, smack it? Yes, giving the mint leaf a gentle smack between your hands releases the essential oils in the mint. This gives the drink a much more herb-forward flavor! It’s perfect for garnishes in drinks like a Southside, Mojito, or Basil Gimlet. Read more about smacking herbs for cocktails here.

Step it up: make clear ice!

Want to step up your game on this Southside Fizz cocktail? Use clear ice. What is it? Clear ice is artisanal ice used in cocktails because of its crystal clear look and beautiful organic shapes. Alex is very into clear ice, and you can see from the photos that it really steps up the look of this drink!

You can make clear ice at home and it’s so easy! Go to How to Make Clear Ice. All you need is a small cooler and 24 hours, and your cocktails will look extra stunning. 

Southside Fizz

When to serve a Southside Fizz

A Southside Fizz is perfect for parties and entertaining, or a laid back evening sipping on your own! It’s great as a:

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Southside Fizz

Southside Fizz
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The Southside Fizz is a refreshing cocktail made with mint, lemon, lime, and gin: Tom Collins + a mojito! Top it off with soda water for a sparkle.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Stirred
  • Cuisine: Cocktail

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 mint leaves
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) gin
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lime juice
  • ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) simple syrup or maple syrup
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) soda water
  • For garnish: Lemon peel and 1 mint leaf

Instructions

  1. Add the mint leaves to a cocktail shaker and muddle them (see How to Muddle Mint).
  2. Add the gin, lemon juice, lime juice and syrup to cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until cold.
  3. Strain into chilled highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with an additional mint leaf (smack it between your hands to release the oils) and lemon peel.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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1 Comment

  1. Nefeli says:

    easy and tasty, would recommended to try :)