Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- 1 oz Lime Juice or Lemon Juice
- Crushed Ice
Instructions
Combine Ingredients:
- Pour 2 oz gin, 1 oz triple sec, and 1 oz lime juice or lemon juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake:
- Shake well to mix and chill the ingredients.
Strain:
- Strain the mixture into a martini glass filled with crushed ice.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy your Frosty Night Cocktail.
Video
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Frosty Night is a White Lady descendant from the modern cocktail revival of the early 2010s. Gin, triple sec and lime juice in a two-one-one ratio, packed onto crushed ice in a rocks glass instead of shaken with cubed ice. The crushed-ice format is what gives the cocktail its name and its frosty visual.
It sits in the gin-sour family with the White Lady, the Gimlet and the Bee's Knees. All four lean on gin plus citrus plus a sweetener for the cocktail balance. The Frosty Night separates itself with the crushed-ice serve, which keeps the drink colder and more diluted across the pour than a standard shaken cocktail.
Best ordered on a hot summer afternoon as a long sipping cocktail, not as a quick aperitif. The crushed ice means the drink lengthens as it melts and is built to be enjoyed slowly.
What it tastes like
Sharp lime up front, dry gin through the middle, soft triple sec sweetness on the finish. The crushed ice softens the alcohol burn and keeps the cocktail clean and refreshing without diluting the flavour too quickly.
Around 22 percent ABV in the glass once packed onto crushed ice. Two ounces of gin and one of triple sec gives the cocktail a moderate punch; the lime juice and the melting ice keep the drink approachable across the pour.
The technique
Combine two ounces of London Dry gin, one ounce of triple sec and one ounce of fresh lime juice in a shaker with cubed ice. Shake hard for ten seconds. Strain into a rocks glass packed with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
The crushed ice is the technique. Use freshly crushed ice or a high-quality kitchen-grade pebble ice; cubed ice changes the cocktail format. The shake pre-chills and dilutes the cocktail before the crushed ice takes over the cold-and-dilution work.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The London Dry gin
- Use
- Beefeater, Tanqueray London Dry, or Bombay Sapphire.
- Skip
- Old Tom or Plymouth gin. Sweeter or softer profile fights the cocktail balance.
- Why
- London Dry is the load-bearing spirit. The juniper-forward dry character carries the citrus and the triple sec without going soft; sweeter gin styles tilt the cocktail off-spec.
The triple sec
- Use
- Cointreau or any 40 percent ABV orange liqueur.
- Skip
- Curacao or grand marnier. Different sweetness curve and colour.
- Why
- Triple sec is the sweetener and the orange-aromatic. Cointreau at 40 percent ABV holds its character against the gin; cheaper triple sec brands at 20 percent ABV go too sweet too fast and break the dry-cocktail brief.
The crushed ice
- Use
- Freshly crushed ice from a Lewis bag or a quality countertop crusher.
- Skip
- Standard cubed ice. Different cocktail format.
- Why
- Crushed ice is what turns the cocktail from a White Lady cousin into a Frosty Night. The high surface area chills the cocktail faster and dilutes it more across the pour, which is the cocktail's defining character.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Frosty Night, on crushed ice
- Two ounces gin, one ounce triple sec, one ounce fresh lime juice, shaken and strained over a rocks glass packed with crushed ice.
The cucumber build
- Frosty Night with cucumber
- Add three thin cucumber wheels to the shaker. Pulls the cocktail toward a Hendrick's gin and tonic profile and adds a vegetal lift.
The frozen build
- Frosty Night, blended
- Combine the same ingredients with crushed ice in a blender. Blend smooth and pour into a rocks glass. Drinks like a slushie cousin of the standard build.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
A botanical-forward gin like Hendrick's or Plymouth. Different flavour profile but holds the citrus-cocktail brief.
A teaspoon of simple syrup plus a quarter ounce of orange juice. Loses some of the orange aromatic; holds the sweetness and citrus.
Bottled lime juice as a last resort. Different acidity curve. Avoid lime cordial; too sweet for this cocktail balance.
Cubed ice in a rocks glass. Different cocktail format; closer to a White Lady on the rocks than a Frosty Night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Frosty Night cocktail?
Two ounces of London Dry gin, one ounce of triple sec and one ounce of fresh lime juice, shaken and strained over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
Why is it called a Frosty Night?
The crushed-ice serve gives the cocktail a frosty look in the glass, with the ice forming a dome above the rim as the drink melts. The name describes the visual and the cold-and-citrus character.
How strong is a Frosty Night?
Around 22 percent ABV in the glass once packed onto crushed ice. Two ounces of gin and one of triple sec gives the cocktail a moderate punch; the dilution from the melting crushed ice softens the strength across the pour.
What does it taste like?
Sharp lime up front, dry gin through the middle, soft triple sec sweetness on the finish. Reads like a colder, more diluted White Lady; clean, dry and citrus-forward.
What gin should I use?
London Dry gin like Beefeater, Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire. The juniper-forward dry character carries the citrus and the triple sec without going soft; sweeter Old Tom or Plymouth gin tilts the cocktail off-spec.
Can I shake it without crushed ice?
Yes, but it changes the cocktail. Without the crushed ice the drink is closer to a standard White Lady served up. The crushed ice is the defining feature of a Frosty Night.
What glass should I use?
A rocks glass packed with crushed ice. The wide mouth lets the ice form a dome above the rim, which is the visual signature of the cocktail.
What other cocktails are similar?
A White Lady, a Gimlet, a Bee's Knees and a Last Word. All four lean on gin plus citrus and sit in the dry-sour cocktail family.
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