Looking for a festive way to cheers to the Holidays? This Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail hits all the right Holiday notes with Cranberry, gin, foam, and fizz, topped with sprinkles for a festive finish.
Think classic gin fizz, but make it Christmas with Cranberry!
Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail Ingredients
The floral and herbaceous gin is complimented perfectly by the tart cranberry. Then, all you need is some citrus, a little bit of sweetness, and some bubbles and foam. Here is everything you need:
- Gin. Use your favorite! I used Bom bay Sapphire.
- Cranberry juice. This recipe was designed for pure cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail).
- Lemon juice. For citrus, freshness, and to bring out the tart cranberry flavor.
- Simple syrup. To balance out the tart.
- Egg white. For foam. If you’re not fussed about having the foam, you can omit this.
- Club soda. For fizz!
Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail Tips and Tricks
What’s With the Egg White?
The egg white in this cocktail is absolutely optional but is the best way to get that gorgeous foam on top.
Green tip: Look for pasture-raised eggs (over free-range or cage-free) to support agriculture that is less reliant on chemicals and fossil fuels.
Separating the egg white from the yolk is easily achieved by cracking your eggshell in half over your cocktail shaker and transferring the egg yolk back and forth between either half of the shell, allowing the egg white to fall into the bowl.
You are now left with the egg whites in the shaker and the egg yolks in the shell. And voila! Just like that, your eggs are separated.
But don’t toss those yolks! They can be used in these Margarita Cookies, Rosemary Cookies, or even this Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict.
If you have an allergy or dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating eggs, but you still want the foam, there is a solution! Check out this Eggless Cocktail Foamer.
Add It All Without Ice First
In order to get that perfect foam, you will have to follow a simple two-step process. First, add your egg white, gin, simple syrup, pure cranberry juice, and lemon juice to your cocktail shaker without any ice.
This first step is called a “dry shake”. This step is essential to a tall foam as it activates the proteins in the egg whites!
Shake Again with Ice
After your “dry shake”, you are ready to add ice to your shaker and shake again. This step gets your drink nice and cold, of course.
But it also helps aerate the foam, giving it lots of height. Seal your cocktail shaker and shake for a good 30 seconds.
If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can always use a mason jar with a lid.
Making Your Own Simple Syrup
If you don’t have simple syrup at home, you can make your own with sugar and water. You can use brown sugar, granulated sugar, or even coconut sugar.
This recipe works best with granulated sugar, as it’s a perfect balance to the sour lemon and zingy cranberry, without adding any undertones of vanilla or caramel.
To make a simple syrup, just add equal parts sugar and water to a small pot over high heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Next, transfer it to a heat-safe glass and allow it to cool before using it for your Christmas Gin Cocktail.
Green tip: Making your own sauces and syrups is a great way to avoid extra plastic packaging that eventually ends up in landfills or makes its way into the environment and becomes microplastics.
Use Fresh Lemon
Using fresh lemon as opposed to pre-squeezed lemon juice goes a long way in this Christmas Cocktail.
The citrus enhances the taste of the cranberry and really rounds out this drink. You can usually get 1 tablespoon of lemon juice out of 1/4 of a lemon.
When using a cocktail shaker, you can freely squeeze the lemon juice into your shaker without worrying about the seeds. They will remain in the cocktail shaker when you strain your cocktail into your glass.
Sugar Rim
A sugar rim is optional, but highly recommended for the full effect! Just use your lemon wedge to wet the rim of your glass, running the citrus along the edge.
Then, dip the rim of your glass in sugar. You can put the sugar on a plate, in a shallow bowl, or easiest of all—use a cocktail rimmer.
Strain
This step is important in this cocktail. This will strain out any seeds from the lemon and, any leftover globs of egg white that haven’t turned into foam.
I like to serve my Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail over ice. It just makes it nice and refreshing, but that part is up to you!
Pour Bubbles on Top
It’s important that you do not your club soda to the cocktail shaker, and instead just pour it over top of your cocktail.
Shaking up carbonated drinks is always a mess. Plus, shaking them can cause you to lose some of those bubbles. That final club soda pour-over will also cause your foam to rise.
The Finishing Touch
This part is optional but super festive and fun! Top your Christmas Gin Cocktail with some Holiday-themed sprinkles for a festive finish.
They will float on top of the foam, bringing that little bit of extra merry and bright.
Tested Substitutions
You can leave the egg white out altogether if you are not fussed about the foam. Or, you can opt to add a couple of drops of this Eggless Cocktail Foamer for a similar effect.
If you don’t have pure cranberry juice, but do have a cranberry juice cocktail, simply omit the simple syrup. The cranberry juice cocktail usually has enough added sugar to cut through the tart cranberry and citrus.
Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put gin in cranberry juice?
Gin and cranberry juice is a classic combination! The floral and herbaceous undertones of the gin complement the natural tart flavor of cranberry juice.
How do you serve Christmas gin?
Christmas gin is a seasonal gin that is similar to traditional gin but with extra seasonal flare. It often has more intense flavors and aromas of pine to capture the essence of Christmas.
Christmas gin can be served just as you would serve traditional gin. My favorite way to serve Christmas gin is with cranberry juice, lemon juice, simple syrup. club soda, and an egg white for texture and foam.
Why You Should Make this Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail
- It’s festive! Between the Holiday flavors and colors, this cocktail brings all the merry and bright!
- It’s refreshing. Between the zingy cranberry, fresh citrus, and finishing foam, each sip is super refreshing.
- It’s bubbly! That bubbly finish is the perfect way to celebrate.
If you’re loving this Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail and want more festive cocktails, check out this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo and Cheery Peppermint Mocha Martini.
Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail
Print Save RateEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white (optional for foam)
- 2 ounces gin (2 oz = ¼ cup )
- 1 ounce simple syrup (1 oz = 2 tbsp)
- 1 ½ ounce pure cranberry juice (1 ½ oz = 3 tbsp)
- ½ ounce lemon juice (½ oz = 1 tbsp)
- 2 ounces club soda
- sugar for rim (optional)
- sprinkles for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolk from the egg white by cracking the egg shell in half over a cocktail shaker and moving the egg yolk back and forth between either half, allowing the egg white to fall into the shaker.
- Add gin, simple syrup, pure cranberry juice, and lemon juice to the shaker with the egg white.
- Shake for about 30 seconds without ice, then add ice and shake again for another 30 seconds.
- Prepare a glass with a sugar rim (optional) by wetting the rim of your glass with a lemon wedge and dipping it into granulated sugar.
- Pour over ice through the strainer and top with club soda.
- Garnish with festive sprinkles (optional) and serve cold.
Pro Tips
- If you don’t have pure cranberry juice but do have cranberry juice cocktail, simply omit the simple syrup.
- If you want foam but don’t want to use egg whites, try a couple of dashes of this Eggless Cocktail Foamer.
- You can opt to make your own simple syrup by dissolving 1/2 cup granulated sugar in 1/2 cup of water over low heat on the stove. Allow it to cool before using it in your Christmas Gin Cocktail!
- If you are making two cocktails, you will still be able to get enough foam out of one egg white. Simply double the rest of the ingredients.
- Still thirsty? Check out this awesome collection of my best cocktail recipes!
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4 thoughts on “Gin and Cranberry Christmas Cocktail”
Super yummy and (dangerously) light and easy to drink! I will definitely add this to my rotation!
I am so glad you loved it, Andrea! You’re so right, it’s definitely a little dangerous 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Just made this cocktail and it was absolutely awesome! Definitely saving in my cocktail collection. This is going to be a massive hit with the family this Christmas. So delicious and easy to drink. Thanks for the recipe! Anyone looking for the perfect Christmas cocktail should make this one right now. Stop what you’re doing and make this.
David! I am so so glad you enjoyed this cocktail as much as I do! It is absolutely the best way to celebrate! Cheers!