‘Tis the season to be turning everything we do, make and drink into something festive! Unless you’re not into that, in which case, this can just be an appropriately seasonal cranberry beverage. This Cranberry Gin Fizz features a fresh homemade cranberry simple syrup which will add some fantastic fruitiness and sweetness to the rest of the beverage. This can also be made into a mocktail very easily, as well!
First off, let’s address the egg white. The egg white is a part of the classic gin fizz recipe, and it does serve a purpose! See that foamy top on the cocktail? That is all because of the egg white. When shaken vigorously with ice, the egg white becomes frothy and creates a subtly smooth texture to the cocktail. It also helps bind the other ingredients and flavors together so they stay all mixed together. I was intimidated for quite a while about making cocktails that require egg whites, but after some trial and error, it really isn’t as tricky as it may sound. The key is to shake until the cocktail shaker feels so cold and frozen on the outside, and then to make sure you strain the drink as you pour it.
As for the simple syrup, the recipe below may look familiar – it is not too far off from how you may make your cranberry sauce. The main difference is that you do not want to cook it until it thickens, and you strain out all the berry seeds and skin. Make sure the syrup is chilled before making the drink!
You can mix up this recipe a few different ways if you would like. For a mocktail version, just go ahead and omit the gin. I’d add an extra 1/2 oz of lemon juice, but otherwise it will still be a fantastic and smooth cranberry drink. You can also top the Cranberry Gin Fizz with a splash of ginger ale instead of soda water if you want a little more of a spicy kick! No matter how you make it, I hope you enjoy!
Looking for other festive cocktails? Try one of these!
- Sparkling Rosé Cocktail
- Pear Bourbon Cocktail
Cranberry Gin Fizz
Ingredients
Cranberry Simple Syrup*
- 1 Cup Cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 Cup While sugar
- 1 Cup Water
Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz Lemon juice
- 1 oz Cranberry simple syrup (see above)
- 1 Egg white
- Soda water
Instructions
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- Add cranberries, sugar and water to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, when it starts to foam, and the berries begin popping. Lower to medium low heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
- While hot, strain through a fine mesh sieve. The strained liquid is the syrup; discard the berry skins. Chill for at least 1 hour before using.
Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail
- In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lemon juice, cranberry simple syrup, and egg white. Shake for 20 seconds. Then add ice to shaker, and shake vigorously for another 45 seconds, until cold.
- Strain into glass, top with soda water, and serve. The foam will settle on top after sitting for a moment.
Notes
