Choosing gin drinks to order at a bar does not have to mean knowing every cocktail on the menu. At a cocktail bar in Ubud, a more useful starting point is simply knowing what kind of drink you feel like having. Crisp, bitter, long or sour each points towards a different style of gin cocktail, and the same spirit can take on a completely different character depending on what surrounds it.
Why Gin Works in So Many Cocktails
Gin is a spirit with a botanical personality built into it. Juniper is the defining botanical, while everything else is a choice: coriander, angelica, citrus peel, cucumber, floral botanicals, or local leaves and roots that give a drink a distinctly regional character.
That botanical structure makes gin remarkably flexible in a cocktail. Juniper provides a backbone that works alongside bitterness, sweetness and acidity, while the other botanicals give a bar team flavours to echo. A citrus-forward gin can reinforce grapefruit or lemon, while a floral gin can sit naturally alongside elderflower or other aromatic ingredients.
This versatility is why gin appears across such different drinks. It can be the centre of a dry Martini, the bitter backbone of a Negroni or the refreshing base of a long gin and tonic. Once you know the direction you want, choosing becomes much easier.
Gin Drinks by Mood
Instead of working through a cocktail list one drink at a time, start with the mood you want. Four directions cover much of the gin cocktail landscape.
Crisp
Crisp is Martini territory. Gin and dry vermouth are stirred with ice until chilled, then strained into a glass without ice. There is little to distract from the spirit, so the gin’s botanical character stays firmly in focus.
Choose a Martini when you want something dry, clean and spirit-forward. It is also a good choice when you are curious about the gin itself because the relatively simple recipe lets the bottle make its presence known.
Bitter
Bitter points towards the Negroni. Gin, sweet vermouth and a bitter aperitivo are stirred with ice and usually served over ice with an orange garnish.
The combination of herbal gin, sweet vermouth and bitterness gives the drink plenty of depth without relying on fruit or cream. It is a good choice when you want something complex and slow-sipping.
Long
Long means refreshing and easy-going. A gin and tonic is the obvious example, but other gin-based highballs can work in the same direction. Ice, a mixer and a chilled glass turn the spirit into a drink designed to last.
This is particularly appealing in warm weather or when you want something lighter and less concentrated. The simplicity also means the quality of the gin, mixer and ice can make a noticeable difference.
Sour
Sour is the bright, shaken direction. Gin, citrus and a sweetener form the basic structure, with ingredients such as egg white sometimes added for texture.
A gin sour is a useful choice if you enjoy citrus and want something more expressive than a gin and tonic. The acidity and sweetness soften the spirit while keeping the drink bright and refreshing.
How to Order a Gin Drink
Once you know your preferred direction, ordering becomes much easier. You do not need to know the exact cocktail name. Start by telling the bar team what you want the drink to feel like.
Try herbal, citrusy or bittersweet, then add long or short if you have a preference.
- Herbal suggests a drink where the gin’s botanical character is prominent.
- Citrusy points towards brighter flavours and can work well in a sour or long drink.
- Bittersweet leads towards the Negroni family and other drinks built around bitter aperitifs.
- Long means something extended with a mixer or other lighter ingredients.
- Short suggests a more concentrated, spirit-forward drink.
It is also worth naming the gin when the cocktail contains only a few ingredients. In a Martini or gin and tonic, there is nowhere for the spirit to hide, so the bottle makes a noticeable difference. In a fruit-heavy shaken cocktail, the other ingredients play a larger role.
Instead of asking for the most popular gin cocktail, give the bar team a direction.
“I want something citrusy and long” tells them much more about what you actually want to drink.
Gin Drinks to Order at Pinstripe Bar
At Pinstripe Bar, gin appears across several styles, from classic stirred cocktails to more experimental signatures. Tanqueray No. TEN features prominently, bringing a distinctly citrus-led botanical profile to several drinks.
Scarface is one of the more distinctive options, combining gin with torch ginger and aged cacao butter. The result is botanical, tart and faintly savoury, making it a good choice if you want to experience gin alongside a distinctly Balinese ingredient.
Harlem takes gin in a richer direction, combining Tanqueray No. TEN with Amaretto Disaronno, sesame cream, pandan, passion fruit and other ingredients. It sits towards the sweeter end of the menu, with the gin’s citrus and botanical character helping to balance the richer ingredients.
The Holy Negroni is the bittersweet choice. Its classic structure puts gin alongside bitter and sweet elements, while the Solera Barrel Negroni takes a similar direction into a barrel-aged format. Tasting them side by side offers a useful way to experience how ageing can soften and deepen a cocktail’s flavours.
The Martini Flight is the crisp direction taken further, with three 40 ml pours built around Tanqueray No. TEN alongside Dolin Dry and Cocchi Americano. Three small glasses give you the opportunity to compare different Martini-style combinations and see how changes in the supporting ingredients affect the final drink.
If you want something long, ask the bar team about a gin and tonic built around a bottle that interests you. You can also specify how much citrus you would like. It is one of the simplest ways to explore the character of a gin without committing to a more elaborate cocktail.
Reserve Your Table at Pinstripe Bar
Choosing a gin drink by mood is easier when the bar team can guide you beyond the names on the menu. Pinstripe Bar sits above the Valley of the Kings and opens daily from 4 PM to 11:30 PM, with the food menu running from 5 PM to 9 PM and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Tell the bar team whether you want something crisp, bitter, long or sour, and they can point you towards a drink that fits.
Reserve your table and explore the gin menu at your own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gin cocktail to order?
A Negroni if you want something you can drink slowly, a Martini if you want the gin itself in focus, and a long gin and tonic if the evening is warm. All three are honest tests of a bar.
What gin drink is best for a beginner?
A shaken gin sour or a well-made gin and tonic. Both are bright and cold, and neither asks you to enjoy bitterness before you have decided whether you do.
What is the most popular gin cocktail?
The gin and tonic by volume, and the Negroni by reputation on cocktail lists. Popularity is a poor guide, though, since the better question is whether you want the drink crisp, bitter, long or sour.
