Our Cocktails
Catz Dry Gin is all about character and creativity. That’s why we have created a selection of unique recipes that perfectly showcase the rich, spicy profile of our gin. From refreshing twists on classic cocktails to surprising, contemporary creations. Each recipe has been developed with an eye for balance, flavor and the spirit of Catz.
Get inspired
Catz Dry Gin in sponsor of the Dutch Bartenders Club.
The Angel Face Cocktail is a classic cocktail from the days of Prohibition in the United States. The recipe was first recorded in the 1930 “Savoy Cocktail Book” written by Harry Craddock. The cocktail is believed to be named after a famous criminal or mysterious bartender with an angelic face. With its combination of gin, apricot brandy and calvados, the Angel Face offers a rich and fruity taste with a subtle complexity.
Ingredients
- 30 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 30 ml Apricot Brandy
- 30 ml Calvados
Method
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish
Serve without garnish.
The Aviation Cocktail is a classic gin cocktail that dates back to the early 20th century. The recipe was first published in 1916 by Hugo Ensslin, a bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in his book Recipes for Mixed Drinks. The name “Aviation” refers to the light blue hue the cocktail originally had, thanks to the addition of Crème de Violette, reminiscent of the sky and the early days of aviation.
In later years, Crème de Violette was often omitted from the recipe, causing the cocktail to lose its distinctive color. With the revival of classic cocktails in the 21st century, Aviation has regained its original recipe and popularity.
Ingredients
- 45 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 15 ml Maraschino
- 15 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 1 bar spoon of Creme de Violette
Method
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish
Maraschino cherry.
The Bee’s Knees cocktail comes from the 1920s, during Prohibition, when people made cocktails to mask the poor quality of illegal alcohol. The drink consisted of gin, lemon juice and honey, which softened the sharp taste of the gin. The name “Bee’s Knees” was a slang term meaning “awesome.” Although the drink temporarily went out of fashion, Bee’s Knees has become popular again in recent years.
Ingredients
- 50 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 20 ml Fresh orange juice
- 20 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 2 bar spoons of Honey
Method
Stir the honey together with the juices until the honey is dissolved. Pour in the gin and shake vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish
lemon peel
The Bramble cocktail was created in 1984 by Dick Bradsell, one of Britain’s best-known bartenders, at Fred’s Club in London. He wanted to create a drink that reflected the flavors and aromas of the English countryside. The addition of Crème de Mûre provided a unique twist on a classic gin cocktail. Since then, the Bramble has become a favorite in cocktail bars worldwide.
Ingredients
- 50 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 25 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 12.5 ml Sugar syrup
- 15 ml Crème de Mûre (blackberry liqueur)
Method
Place all ingredients, except the Crème de Mûre, in a cocktail shaker. Shake well with ice and strain the mix into a chilled old fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Then pour the Crème de Mûre in a circular motion over the top of the cocktail.
Garnish
Optionally, garnish with a slice of lemon and a few fresh blackberries.
The Cardinale cocktail was first created in the 1930s. The cocktail was first created at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome, a prestigious hotel on Via Veneto that was a popular spot for celebrities, politicians and clergy in the years following World War II. The cocktail is said to have been invented by the head bartender of the hotel for a high-ranking cardinal of the Vatican. Cardinale consists of gin, dry white vermouth and Campari, and it has a rich, complex flavor. It was inspired by the rich colors of the cardinal (the cardinal red) and his position in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Although it is not as well known as other classic cocktails, it remains a sophisticated choice for lovers of gin and vermouth.
Ingredients
- 40 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 20 ml Dry white Vermouth
- 10 ml of Campari
Method
Place all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir well for proper dilution. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish
lemon peel
The Clover Club cocktail originated in the late 19th century and was named after the exclusive Clover Club in Philadelphia, where lawyers, writers and businessmen gathered. The cocktail, a mix of gin, raspberry syrup, lemon juice and egg white, became popular for its silky smooth texture and fresh, fruity taste. Although it fell into oblivion for a time, the Clover Club has made a strong comeback in modern cocktail culture.
Ingredients
- 45 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 15 ml Raspberry syrup
- 15 ml Fresh lemon juice
3 drops of protein or protein substitute
Method
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish
Fresh raspberries
First published in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), Corpse Reviver No. 2 was originally intended as an invigorating hangover remedy. But don’t let the name fool you: this cocktail is all about refinement. Fresh citrus, subtle sweetness and a whisper of absinthe – a bold balance that only CATZ Dry Gin truly knows how to carry.
Ingredients
- 30 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 30 ml of Cointreau
- 30 ml of Lillet Blanc
- 30 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 1 drop of Absinthe
Method
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish
An orange peel
The Dry Martini saw the light of day at the beginning of the 20th century as a refined evolution of early gin-with-vermouth blends. What once began as the slightly sweet Martinez in California around 1860 gradually became “drier” in New York and London: less and less vermouth, more and more emphasis on the pure, botanical power of gin. During the Roaring Twenties and the American Prohibition, the Martini grew to become the symbol of clandestine glamour; bartenders perfected the crystal-clear, ice-cold stirred variety we know today.
In the decades that followed, the cocktail crowned itself a favorite of writers (Hemingway, Dorothy Parker), spies and style icons. Winston Churchill reportedly would only glance toward a bottle of vermouth while stirring his gin; Franklin D.Roosevelt used the Dry Martini to celebrate the end of Prohibition; and James Bond made “shaken, not stirred” a pop culture catchphrase (though purists swear by gentle stirring to keep the drink crystal clear).
With an icon that leans so heavily on precision, character is everything. CATZ Dry Gin – rich, balanced and powerful – effortlessly takes center stage in this minimalist classic, holding up all its layered botanicals despite the tiny hint of vermouth.
Ingredients
- 70 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 10 ml Dry Vermouth
Stir all ingredients gently with ice.
Strain into a pre-chilled martini glass.
Garnish
Squeeze a lemon peel over the glass – or drop a green olive, if you opt for the traditional approach.
In a city that never lost its elegance, even during World War I, a cocktail was born in a bar on Rue Daunou that commands respect to this day.
The place: Harry’s New York Bar in Paris.
The time: 1915, in the shadow of the front.
The mission: to create something that was as festive as champagne, but with the immediate impact of a grenade.
The result became the French 75, named after the French army’s legendary 75mm field gun. Light-footed in appearance, but nothing short of explosive in effect. A cocktail for those who don’t confuse style with weakness.
To stand up next to lemon and champagne, a gin needs character. CATZ Dry Gin, with its 48.2% and rich botanical backbone, adds depth and strength to this classic recipe. Not a bland gin with bubbles, but a cocktail with construction and bite.
Ingredients
- 30 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 15 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml Sugar syrup
- 60 ml Campaign
Shake gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled champagne glass; a champagne coupe for flair, a flûte for finesse. Top with ice-cold brut champagne.
Garnish
Squeeze a lemon peel over the glass
No garnish needed: the French 75 speaks for itself.
The Gin Basil Smash is a relatively young but now iconic cocktail that originated in Germany. The cocktail was conceived in 2008 by Jörg Meyer, a well-known German bartender and owner of Le Lion – Bar de Paris in Hamburg. The bar is internationally known as one of the leading cocktail bars in Europe.
Jörg Meyer was inspired by the classic Whiskey Smash, a cocktail from the 19th century in which whiskey, mint, lemon and sugar are crushed (or “smashed”) to create a fresh, spicy flavor. Meyer experimented with basil instead of mint and gin instead of whiskey, creating the Gin Basil Smash.
The cocktail quickly became popular, thanks in part to social media and blogs. Its vibrant green color, intense scent of fresh basil and fresh taste caught the eye of bartenders and guests worldwide. Within a short time, it was a modern classic.
Ingredients
- 60 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 22.5 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 22.5 ml Sugar syrup
- 10 basil leaves
Muddle the basil first and then shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup vigorously with ice.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish
None.
In the world of mixology, few moments mark a bartender’s career as much as the NBC Dutch Championship. In 2022, amid the brass twinkling of shakers and the silence before applause, Nick Vrielink stepped behind the bar with quiet confidence during the Dutch Bartenders Club NK finals, a bottle of CATZ Dry Gin in hand.
The cocktai he created that day was more than a cocktail. It was an expression. A layered composition of powerful botanicals, fragrant finesse and fresh acidity. He called it Essence No. 5.
Built around the powerful, spicy and citrusy character of CATZ Dry Gin, Nick’s creation played with the delicate tension between classic and modern. Rhubarb, vanilla and lime gave the drink its sharpness. White Peach & Jasmine soda lifted it. A spray of orange blossom and a garnish of lemongrass and an edible flower sealed its aromatic identity.
The original contest recipe from 2022:
- 40 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 10 ml De Kuyper Sour Rhubarb
- 20 ml fresh lime juice
- 10 ml Mathieu Teisseire vanilla syrup
- 100 ml London Essence White Peach & Jasmine Soda
- Orange blossom spray
It was a cocktail that did not whisper. It spoke, clear, elegant and powerful. It earned him the title of Dutch Champion.
Today, Essence No.5 is still on the menu at Fitz’s Bar, in the luxury of Pillows Maurits at the Park in Amsterdam. Over time, as befits a masterpiece, the recipe has evolved. But the essence, the CATZ essence, has remained.
Current recipe:
- 40 ml CATZ Dry Gin
- 20 ml Quaglia Rabarbaro
- 5 ml Quaglia Rose
- 20 ml Champagne acid
- 10 ml of vanilla syrup
- 100 ml London Essence White Peach & Jasmine Soda
- Orange blossom spray
Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. and then top up with the soda
Strain into a chilled highball glass with ice.
Garnish
Lime grass and an edible flower.
The Gin Fizz is a refreshing classic that originated in the latter half of the 19th century. The first documented recipe appeared in Jerry Thomas’ 1876 Bartenders Guide, which described it as a variation on the traditional fizz-style of cocktails, a family of drinks characterized by adding sparkling water to an acidic base.
Gin Fizz was particularly popular in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and became especially famous in New Orleans, where it was often served as a brunch cocktail. Its simplicity, fresh taste and light effervescence made it a popular choice for any time of day.
Unlike its more luxurious cousin, the Ramos Gin Fizz, which also contains cream and egg whites, the classic Gin Fizz is pure, light and thirst-quenching. Its timeless character has ensured that it can still be found in abundance in bars and cocktail menus today.
Ingredients
45 ml CATZ Dry Gin
30 ml fresh lemon juice
10 ml sugar syrup
50 ml soda water
Method
Add gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake vigorously until well chilled
Strain into a short long drink glass without ice
Top off with soda water
Garnish
Optional: a slice of lemon or a thin lemon peel
The Hanky Panky is an iconic gin cocktail created around 1903 by Ada Coleman, one of the first female bartenders at the famous American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. She developed the cocktail at the request of actor Charles Hawtrey, who asked for a drink with “a little punch.” Ada presented him with a new creation that was so surprisingly liked that he exclaimed, “By Jove! That’s the real hanky-panky!” – and the name was born.
The cocktail is a clever balance between strength and subtlety, with gin as a solid base, sweet vermouth for depth and a dash of Fernet-Branca for spicy, bitter complexity. The Hanky Panky is a textbook example of how a small ingredient can have a big impact.
Today, the cocktail is considered a timeless masterpiece and a tribute to Ada Coleman’s contribution to classic cocktail culture.
Ingredients
45 ml Catz Dry Gin
45 ml Red vermouth
2 dash Fernet-Branca
Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
Stir well until the cocktail is well chilled.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish
Orange zest
The Amethyst is an exclusive champagne cocktail developed for the two-star restaurant GEM of chef Soenil Bahadoer. The creation was served during the press day at the festive opening of the restaurant in Gemert. The name Amethyst refers not only to the gemstone – a symbol of luxury, sophistication and spiritual power – but also to the deep, dark purple color of the cocktail, which sparkles like a liquid jewel in the glass. A subtle reference to the restaurant’s name: GEM.
The Amethyst combines the spicy intensity of CATZ Dry Gin with fresh, floral and citrusy elements. A special role is played by the lime grass liqueur, which is infused with butterfly pea flower, responsible for its deep color. This infusion is carefully prepared in a sous-vide bath:
5 grams of butterfly pea is added to 100 ml of lime grass liqueur, then heated for 3 hours at 50 °C and then filtered through a cheesecloth for a clear, pure extraction.
The result is a cocktail that exudes elegance and balance, finely finished with Bollinger Brut and complemented by a lime-grass-flavored scented bubble from the Flavour Blaster – a multi-sensory experience perfectly suited to the culinary level of restaurant GEM.
Ingredients
20 ml CATZ Dry Gin
10 ml Lemongrass liqueur (infused with butterfly pea)
5 ml Limoncello
5 ml Yuzu juice
3 dashes CATZ Revivel Bitters
3 dashes saline
80 ml Bollinger Brut Champagne
Method
Stirr all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass
Strain into a chilled champagne coupe
Top off with Bollinger Brut
Garnish
A fragrance bubble filled with lime grass aroma via the Flavour Blaster
The John Collins finds its roots in the bustling London of the early 19th century, a time when flavors were as vibrant and surprising as the botanicals in a good glass of gin. The cocktail is named after a bartender, John Collins, who worked in a popular bar called Limmer’s Old House. He mixed a simple but refreshing long drink of gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar and sparkling water. Perfect for quenching thirst after a day of adventure.
Interestingly, the John Collins is often confused with the Tom Collins, a cocktail that became popular during the same period. Whereas the Tom Collins often used London dry gin, John Collins sometimes used older gin-like gins. This actually makes the John Collins a precursor to many of the fresh, botanical long drinks we so appreciate today.
So basically, the John Collins is a cocktail that captures the best of both worlds: the classic British gin tradition as well as the modern love of fresh, botanical flavors; just the way Catz Gin brings it now
Ingredients
45 ml CATZ Dry Gin
30 ml Fresh lemon juice
15 ml Sugar syrup
80 ml Soda water
Method
Pour all ingredients into an ice-filled long drink glass and stir.
Garnish
Lemon wedge and a Maraschino cherry.
The AlbertoMartini first appeared in 1937, tucked among the pages of the Café Royal Cocktail Book in London. Created in an era of elegance and experimentation, this forgotten gem was named after the Martini, but given a dry, citrusy twist.
Instead of just vermouth, the Alberto combines fresh fino sherry with orange liqueur, resulting in a layered, corky cocktail with just a hint of sweetness. It’s not your classic Martini. It’s more sophisticated, more intriguing.
With CATZ Dry Gin as its base, the Alberto Martini becomes a bold revival: rich in botanicals, elegant in structure and undeniably complex.
Ingredients
30 ml CATZ Dry Gin
30 ml Dry Vermouth
25 ml Fino Sherry
10 ml Triple Sec
Method
Stir all ingredients with ice until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
Garnish
Orange peel.