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The Gin Sour is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon and sugar. It comes from the sour family of drink recipes, which includes the Whiskey Sour and Amaretto Sour. There are just about infinite varieties of sour recipes, and the basic formula is: liquor + lots of lemon juice + some sugar to take the edge off the lemon.

In other words, sours are basically a liquor combined with lemonade. Only you don’t need to make the lemonade in advance because the combination of sugar and lemon takes care of that.

This is an old school style of cocktail, which means the flavor of the liquor does matter. Gin quality varies widely, and for this one it’s well worth using a “top shelf” brand.

Tanqueray 10 is a nice choice for such a lemony cocktail. Hendrick’s and Bombay Sapphire will work well, too. While fresh squeezed lemon is ideal, it matters a lot less than the gin, and if all you have on hand is bottled lemon juice, it won’t hurt the flavor.

If this recipe is reminding you of a Tom Collins, there’s good reason – it’s very similar, except the Tom Collins adds soda. This is a bit like a flat gin-spiked lemonade where the Tom Collins is a fizzy gin-spiked lemonade.

This is an easy cocktail to make, and you can also make it in big batches if you’ve got friends coming over. It’s strong enough to serve over ice if you want, too. Or keeping a pitcher of it in the refrigerator and serving it in chilled glasses will keep it cold without watering it down.

Gin lovers may make this cocktail their new favorite because it has such a straightforward gin and citrus taste. It’s great for parties, but it’s equally good when you’re relaxing at home. And it’s absolutely perfect to enjoy by the water.