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    Home » Recent Posts » Cocktail Recipes

    Simple, Four Ingredient Cranberry Gin Christmas Cocktail

    Published: Nov 23, 2020 · Updated: Nov 3, 2022 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

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    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I make a small commission.


    The perfect Christmas cocktail for the holiday season, this cranberry gin cocktail is an easy recipe for entertaining or simply for creating your own holiday cheer.

    Cranberry Gin Cocktail
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make a Cranberry Gin Cocktail
    • How to Make Rosemary Simple Syrup
    • Recipe Tips
    • FAQs and Substitutions
    • Don't Miss These Cocktails
    • Happy Hour Snack Pairings
    • More Delicious Recipes You'll Love
    • Print the Recipe
    • Cranberry Gin Cocktail

    Festive cocktails for holiday parties and Christmas dinner can be over the top. Many include rich liqueurs, egg yolks, egg white, heavy cream, or festive spices. This drink has none of those ingredients. Simple and delicious, this cranberry gin cocktail is a great choice for the holidays but with only 4 ingredients, it's also an easy choice.

    Orange bitters impart citrus flavor while taking the place of more tart mixers like lime juice, fresh lemon juice, or other citrus juices. The rosemary simple syrup gives this refreshing drink an unexpected twist and pairs perfectly with herbaceous gin. The flavor of juniper berries in the gin pairs well with rosemary and pure cranberry juice to create a drink that's not too sweet. Serve this Christmas gin cocktail at your next holiday party!

    This time of year, ingredients like cinnamon stick, star anise, and even ginger beer are common in festive gin cocktails, but they tend to overwhelm the other ingredients in your drink. By using only 4 ingredients - one of which being good gin - this delicious cocktail is a great sip for the gin lover in your life because you can actually taste the gin!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for Cranberry Gin Cocktails
    • Cranberry juice
    • Gin (I love New Holland Knickerbocker)
    • Rosemary simple syrup
    • Orange bitters 

    How to Make a Cranberry Gin Cocktail

    Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

    Cranberry juice being poured into a cocktail shaker

    Shake it up and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. 

    A cranberry gin cocktail being poured

    Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and/or some frozen cranberries

    Enjoy! 

    How to Make Rosemary Simple Syrup

    Homemade rosemary simple syrup is quick and easy to make using fresh rosemary and pantry ingredients. Just follow my recipe for easy rosemary syrup.

    Rosemary Simple Syrup

    Recipe Tips

    Make your rosemary syrup in advance. When you’re making homemade simple syrup, it needs time to cool. Using warm syrup will cause the ice to melt too fast when you shake up your drink, leading to a watered down cocktail. 

    Use 100% juice! Be sure to choose pure cranberry juice instead of cranberry juice cocktail, which is mostly sugar. Using anything besides 100% cranberry juice will change the flavor of your drink and make it overly sweet. 

    Since you’re pouring it over ice, choose a rocks glass or brandy snifter for serving this drink. 

    FAQs and Substitutions

    What can I substitute for the rosemary syrup?

    If you don't have rosemary on hand, you can substitute simple syrup or honey syrup.

    What kind of gin should I use?

    Choose a gin with lots of herb flavor in it. I love Knickerbocker Gin by New Holland Distillery here in West Michigan. Beefeater Gin or Bombay Gin would also be delicious in this cocktail.

    How should I garnish this cocktail?

    Frozen cranberries, fresh cranberries, a big sprig of rosemary, and/or a twist of orange peel are all fun garnishes to give this drink a festive finish. (And even though they're green and festive, skip the slice of lime or mint leaves. The flavors will clash with the rosemary and overwhelm the drink.)

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    Print the Recipe

    Print

    Cranberry Gin Cocktail

    Cranberry Gin Cocktail
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    Simple, delicious, and festive, this cranberry gin cocktail is perfect for the holidays. The rosemary syrup gives it an unexpected twist.

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 0 min
    • Total Time: 5 min
    • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
    • Category: Cocktails
    • Method: Cocktail Shaker
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 oz cranberry juice
    • 2 oz gin
    • 1 oz rosemary simple syrup
    • 3 dashes orange bitters

    Instructions

    Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

    Shake it up and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. 

    Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and/or some frozen cranberries. 

    Enjoy! 

    Equipment

    Image of Brandy Snifter

    Brandy Snifter

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    Image of Orange Bitters

    Orange Bitters

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    Image of Cocktail Shaker

    Cocktail Shaker

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    Keywords: cranberry, gin, gin cocktail, rosemary simple syrup, holiday drinks, Christmas drinks

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

    Cocktail Recipes

    • Cranberry Mimosas (Poinsettia Cocktails) for Christmas Brunch
    • Sweet and Creamy Pumpkin Spice Martini 
    • Simple Pear Gin Cocktail with Rosemary
    • Bloody Ghost Halloween Vodka Cocktail

    I love when you share my recipes!

    • 300

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Trish

      January 21, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      I have to admit, I was skeptical of this one, since I’m not a big cranberry fan. My husband is, so we gave it a shot. It’s wonderful! The orange bitters make all the difference I think.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • MittenGirl

        January 22, 2021 at 9:53 am

        I'm so glad you liked it!! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Betsey Ingraham

      January 22, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Making the rosemary syrup was super easy. We didn't have fresh rosemary, but the dried worked well as a substitute.
      We enjoyed cranberry gin cocktails as part of our New Year celebration. They are almost too good!! Not too much cranberry or gin. Just the right balance.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • MittenGirl

        January 22, 2021 at 9:54 am

        Good to know that dried rosemary worked great for the syrup! So glad you liked the cocktail. 🙂

        Reply

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

    More about me →

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