Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail
This is my favorite cocktail from the beginning of Fall all the way through the Holidays. I would drink it all year if I could find cranberries! So pretty and festive and with fantastic seasonal flavors, the Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail does not disappoint!
I spied the Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail that inspired me to make this cocktail in Bon Appetit magazine when I received their October 2011 issue in September of that year. Though clearly a fall cocktail, at that time we were having a hot streak and the notion of fall or cranberries seemed in the distant future.
Fast forward and suddenly 95 degrees would require that we combine our daytime and nighttime temperatures and add some to boot! We had two back to back big snowfalls in Denver and nothing says fall quite like leaves and snow falling at the same time!
I can’t deny I have a strong proclivity to almost anything cranberry. Maybe it was the year I discovered them after a childhood of associating cranberry sauce with a cylindrical form with ring marks embedded in the shape. I HATED that stuff; ergo I hated all things cranberry by association.
Luckily I politely tried some fresh cranberry sauce at a friends once; everything changed and now this time each season I look forward to seeing what can be done with these pretties.
This cocktail is not just pretty though. While I do love the festive look that can take us from the day after Halloween all the way to the end of the year, it’s the combination of ingredients that make it spectacular. Cranberry, citrus, ginger ale and, or course, gin all meld together to offer a crisp, not too sweet and altogether refreshing cocktail.
I freely admit I’m a Costcoaholic and buying a bag of cranberries means I have to design several uses. I often have them steeping in a pot on the stove with some cinnamon and orange zest; I love having my home scented for the holidays with something other than a room spray.
I also love to decorate my holiday tables with them in bowls of water with floating candles. They float and surround the candles and it makes for a natural and beautiful table decoration.
But you really don’t care about my holiday decor, right? It’s all about the beverage! Beyond the berries, the lemons and orange slices, I think it’s important to use a good quality gin as well as a quality ginger ale. I used Bombay Sapphire gin, it’s my go to gin for cocktails and I’ve also become hooked on ginger beer which I’ve been getting at World Market; a very ginger ale it is!
Ginger beer has become so popular that it is showing up in more and more supermarkets too…it’s worth it if you can find it.
The original recipe called for adding sherry but I substituted ginger ale and it’s perfect…just that little bit of fizz adds a welcome element; ginger beer would also be a great choice if you can find it. But you know what’s important that is probably not often considered for cocktail success? Ice.
When my ice maker went on the fritz; I recalled seeing that the local Sonic drive-in sold ice. I bought some to use until my ice maker was repaired and now I can’t stop. I just love the small round pellets that are so crunch-able. For this cocktail that requires you mound some ice on top, it’s especially perfect!
No Sonic? No problem but for best effect; try to find an ice that is prettier than the moon shaped ones from your freezer; the look really can make the drink! Crushed that ice would be preferable to the whole moon cube too.
I hope you’ll join me and make this Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail during the Fall and holiday season; it’s not just a pretty face, it’s perfectly delicious too…cheers!
Want more festive cocktail ideas? I’ve got them!
- Cranberry Sage Cocktail
- Pomegranate and Rosemary Gin Fizz Cocktail
- Homemade Cranberry Liqueur
- Blackberry Gin Sling Cocktail
- Tequila Sunrise Cocktail with Homemade Grenadine Syrup
- Tequila Sunrise Margarita Cocktail
PIN IT! ‘Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail’
Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail
The Cranberry Gin Fizz is a gorgeous cocktail for the holidays and beyond!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1/2 orange, cut into slices
- 1 1/2 cups dry gin - Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater or Tangueray suggested
- 1 cup chilled Ginger Ale, or Ginger Beer for a more pronounced ginger flavor
Garnish
- Candied Cranberries
- 4 mint sprigs
Instructions
- Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; measure one cup of syrup, reserve and refrigerate any extra for another use.
- Heat the syrup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Add the cranberries and simmer for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to burst. Remove from heat and let cool completely in the cranberry syrup.
- Reserve 3 of the candied cranberries per cocktail for garnish and set aside.
- Place 2 Tablespoons drained cranberries and 6 Tablespoons cranberry syrup in a large pitcher; add the lemon wedges and orange slices.
- Using a muddler or wooden spoon, vigorously mash the fruit.
- Stir in gin and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
- Strain into a medium pitcher.
- Fill 4 glasses with crushed ice and 1/4 cup ginger beer or ginger ale.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and then pour half the cranberry mixture into the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain liquid into two glasses. Repeat.
- Mound additional ice on top of each glass and garnish with the candied cranberries and a mint sprig
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Unsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 15mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 2gSugar: 58g
This is very nice post thanks for updating this information. And thanks for your attention to us.
I really like cocktail, with your recipe i have a good cranberry
is any alcohol on your recipe?
from it’s looks i can tell that this drinks really makes everyone who see it gonna crazy if they couldn’t taste it, LOL. thanks for the recipe by the way !
This is my favorite drink, this cranberry is very fresh when I drink it, plus your recipe, I like it even more.
I immediately tried the recipe, it turned out really good.
I think the drink will be very fresh when drunk when the weather is very hot
Amazing! Thanks for sharing the post & great recipe.
This drink is the best to try in this free time of the pandemic. Loved it. Thanks so much.
Great recipe! Going to try this in this time of quarantine.
This is gonna the best article i have read. nice job
Just pinned this beautiful cocktail and the photography is great
Sounds Awesome.
Yes, Its truly nice.
how about non alcoholic?????
Sure, just eliminate the gin and add a bit more ginger ale.
Hi ! We put up a list of the TOP 100 best Christmas recipes for 2015. Your recipe was also included on this list. Go check it out at: http://ohmydish.com/100-best-christmas-recipes-2015/ Greetings, Veronique and Marco from ohmydish.com
Hi ! Just wanted to let you know that we’ve added this recipe to our top 100 recipes for thanksgiving 2015! Check it out: http://ohmydish.com/100-best-thanksgiving-recipes-for-2015/ 🙂
Has anyone tried this without the gin and with a quality ginger “beer” for a more robust ginger flavor? We have forsworn alcohol for the holidays, but are looking for good drinks to incorporate in our celebration.
Thanks for any input.
Jerry
I should have spent some time reading the 115 comments before I leaped. All good inputs.
Has anyone tried this without the gin and with a quality ginger “beer” for a more robust ginger flavor? We have forsworn alcohol for the holidays, but are looking for good drinks to incorporate in our celebration.
Thanks for any input.
Jerry
I have mentioned to someone wanting a non alcohol version that they could just up the ginger ale but the ginger beer is a great idea Jerry; I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it would be perfect.
This looks yummy! I would love to try it for Thanksgiving but serve it pitcher style. Ice bucket on the side. Would it be alright to double the recipe, prep an hour before company arrives, then let sit for company to fix at their leisure? Or does it need to be served immediately?
I would suggest that you can do exactly as you suggested except for one thing; if you can hold off on adding the ginger ale until your company is due to arrive it would be best. It’s what provides the carbonation (the fizz in the name!) and I’m afraid it might go flat if it were sitting out for too long. Have everything else prepped and chilled and then add the ginger ale as late as possible and I think it would be great. It’s a great drink…so hope you and your company enjoy it!
Thank you!
is there a substitution for the gin? to make it a mocktail
I would make it simple and just eliminate it and add a bit more ginger ale. If you didn’t want the additional ginger element; then maybe a bit of either cranberry juice or some club soda? I think any of those would make it a great mocktail! Let me know if you do something and if you like the results, OK?
This is the prettiest cocktail, ever. Wow. I can’t wait to try it!
We just love it; not a heavy and overly boozy cocktail, it sings with the combination of the cranberry and ginger ale and it’s just the perfect look. Hope you love it too…you can comment again!!
Hi, love your drink idea and will definately be trying this on Christmas day.
I included it in my blog today, with credit to you ofcourse. Hope that is ok
Thanks Eva…we do love it too!
The cranberry fizz cocktail sounds delicous minus the alcohol for me plz 🙂
I’ve done those for friends Cynthia…still a very refreshing and beautiful drink!
Just pinned this beautiful cocktail and the photography is great! Are the glasses yours and if so do you recall were you purchased them? Just perfect!
Suzie, the glasses are mine but were a gift almost 30 years ago…so I have no idea where they came from! They are a favorite I won’t deny and sure wish I could help. The cocktail is really good too…and as you can see, so perfect for a holiday cocktail. Enjoy!
Thank you for responding so quickly. I’ll be on the lookout for something similar. Love your site!
Thank you Suzie…those words literally are music to my ears.
This one is such a beauty!
One of those photos that turned out just as I had hoped…so thanks! An all time favorite on the blog too. I LOVE cranberries so much; am thinking now what to do for this season. There will be sugared cranberries for a garnish…that is the one thing I do know!
Hahaha – and I guess I thought so before too 😉