Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz

Prep time = 15 minutes

I mentioned last week that I’m hosting a Friendsgiving this weekend, and along with the wine we’ll serve with dinner, I wanted to offer a fun little cocktail too. This recipe is great because it works both for a small number and for a crowd, punch-bowl style. (I’d rather not have to make 16 individual cocktails while trying to finish my turkey!)

This cranberry gin fizz is also really tasty with so many different elements going on — the cranberries, rosemary, and orange all add a delicious complexity to it. I’ve adapted the recipe from Short Girl Tall Order — I tried that version, but I felt like it’s too sweet and not cranberry-y enough, plus I didn’t love the chunks of muddled cranberry floating around in my drink. I’ve substituted pure cranberry juice instead!

Ingredients

For a single cocktail:
2 oz (1/4 cup) 100% pure cranberry juice
2 oz gin
2 oz sparkling water
1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
1 oz rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)

For a punch bowl: (16 8-oz servings)
32 oz 100% pure cranberry juice
32 oz gin
32 oz sparkling water
16 oz (2 cups) fresh squeezed orange juice (you’ll need at least 6-8 oranges for this, or feel free to use store-bought, but just an FYI, the cocktail will be a little sweeter this way!)
16 oz (full recipe amount) rosemary simple syrup

To garnish:
Fresh cranberries
Fresh rosemary sprig
Orange slice

Rosemary simple syrup:
1.5 cup of sugar
2 cups of water
1 3-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
Zest of 2 oranges

Tools

small saucepan
cocktail mixing glass
strainer (if you don’t want orange zest floating in your drink, which, maybe you do! )

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Directions

1. Make the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the sugar and rosemary. Zest the oranges and add the zest to the syrup. Cook for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld, then allow to cool. Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.

2. Once the syrup is cool, mix the cocktail ingredients together in a mixing glass.

3. Serve over ice with the garnishes of your choice.