Drink This: Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz

We are on the homestretch to Christmas and I just cannot believe how quickly it’s come roaring up on us this year! Can I say that I am just not prepared at all?

I’m sure you are all well-prepared – stockings hung by the chimney with care, artistically wrapped presents propped under the tree (or even purchased, for that matter), cookies cut-out and iced to perfection – but if you are prone to procrastination as I am, I encourage you to pour yourself one of these cocktails… It may not help you overcome your inertia, but you may not care anymore 😉

It is a truly refreshing, sparkly, holiday-inspired drink best sipped near twinkling Christmas tree lights.

This cocktail does require some preparation time beforehand, but the fresh flavors are so worth it! You will end up with around 2 cups of the puree, which is just about enough to serve this cocktail to your entire holiday party, or one particularly festive person. Or pour some over vanilla ice-cream. Or concoct a cranberry-orange-sangria. Yum!

Cranberry Orange Puree
12 oz. fresh/frozen cranberries – reserve a handful of cranberries to garnish drinks with, if you so desire
3 orange slices
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar

Bring cranberries, orange slices, and water to a gentle boil in a saucepan. Simmer until skins burst on the cranberries and they soften – 5-10 minutes.

Strain the cranberries, reserving 1/2 cup of the water they were boiled in. Press cranberries through a fine mess sieve to separate the puree from the skins. Mix the puree with the 1/2 cup reserved water.

Return to the saucepan, add sugar, and bring to a simmer once more until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a container, cover, and chill. Yield: approximately 2 cups of puree.

Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz

Per Serving:
2 oz. chilled cranberry orange puree (recipe above)
2 oz. gin
Ginger ale

Shake cranberry puree and gin in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour over ice. Top with ginger ale to taste. Garnish with reserved cranberries.

As always, I’m very desirous to hear your results and opinions if you make this! Until then, I’ll be over here, sipping on one as I lay last-minute Christmas plans. Happy Holidays!