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Garden Gin Collins in a tall glass with a basil garnish, pale green cocktail topped with soda water, dark background.

Garden Gin Collins

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A gin Collins built on muddled cucumber and basil, sharpened with fresh lime and a top of soda water. Celery bitters adds a savory edge that keeps it crisp rather than sweet.

This cocktail is part of our Date Nite collection, made to be sipped while you cook together.​

COCKTAIL RECIPE

Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz gin
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
2 cucumber slices
2 basil leaves, or mint
2 dashes celery bitters
Soda water, to top
Basil sprig, for garnish

Muddle the cucumber and basil with the lime juice in a cocktail shaker, then add the gin, simple syrup, celery bitters, and ice. Shake well and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a basil sprig.

NOTES FROM THE BAR

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BASIL OR MINT

We love basil for its slightly peppery, garden fresh quality, but mint works just as well if that is what you have on hand. Either way, muddle gently so you release the oils without turning the leaves bitter.


WHY CELERY BITTERS

Celery bitters is what gives this Collins its subtle savory edge and keeps it from tasting like a straightforward lime soda. A little goes a long way, so two dashes is really all you need. → Shop the celery bitters we use


GIN CHOICE

A classic London dry gin lets the cucumber and basil shine. If you want something a little more floral, Uncle Val's botanical gin works too.


MAKE IT A PITCHER

To batch for a group, multiply the gin, lime, simple syrup, and bitters, then keep the cucumber and basil separate until serving. Muddle fresh into each glass so the herbs stay bright.

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JUST RELEASED

30 OF OUR MOST-LOVED COCKTAILS, GATHERED INTO ONE COLLECTION

Cover of A Cocktail Collection by Kevin & Kate Carr, showing a fig cocktail garnished with thyme in a coupe on a black background, with the subtitle 30 Cocktails Worth Making Again.

A COCKTAIL COLLECTION

30 COCKTAILS WORTH MAKING AGAIN

The cocktails we come back to most, gathered into one beautiful PDF, with six new recipes created exclusively for the collection.

80 pages · 24 favorites · 6 exclusive recipes · 13 house-made components

Instant download 

A RITUAL WE RETURN TO

Our cocktails are part of something bigger for us. They’re the beginning of Date Nite, a connection-centered experience we created to help you slow down, share a meal, and enjoy time with the one you love.

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Each Date Nite is thoughtfully planned for you, so you are not stuck deciding what to cook or how to pull the night together. We pair one cocktail with a complete menu, a simple flow from prep to plate, and small details that make the evening feel easy and connected from start to finish.

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It is not about perfection. It is about presence, and creating space to reconnect, whether that is with your partner or simply with yourself, over a really good meal.

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WE CREATED THIS FOR YOU AND THE ONE YOU LOVE
Kevin & Kate

STORIES WORTH SAVORING

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At Kevin & Kate, we share recipes, cocktails, and home inspiration designed to make every day feel a little more intentional. Date Nite brings connection back to the table — through good food, good drinks, and time well spent together.

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