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    Home » Recipes » Cocktail Recipes

    Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with Elderflower

    Modified: May 4, 2025 · Published: Aug 3, 2021 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

    3195 shares

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    Grapefruit & Elderflower Cocktail

    Full of fresh-squeezed juice and just enough sweetness, this easy Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with Elderflower is the perfect drink for your afternoon happy hour. 

    Grapefruit & Elderflower Cocktails
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for Grapefruit Gin Cocktails
    • How to Make a Gin Grapefruit Cocktail
    • Recipe Tips
    • How to Garnish Your Grapefruit Gin Cocktail
    • Looking for More Cocktails with Elderflower?
    • More Delicious Cocktail Recipes You'll Love
    • Print the Recipe Card
    • Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with Elderflower

    Elderflower liqueur is extremely sweet with a slightly floral taste, so it pairs very well with tart grapefruit and herbaceous gin. With only 5 ingredients, this cocktail is quick to shake up so you can get to enjoying your sip even faster. This delicious recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a hot day or celebrate any number of special occasions.

    The color of your Gin Grapefruit Cocktail with Elderflower will vary a bit based on whether you use a red grapefruit (yielding pink grapefruit juice) or white grapefruit. Pick whichever fruit you prefer and/or is easily available in your local market. Red grapefruit are sweeter, so you may need to increase the simple syrup by 0.25 ounces if you use white grapefruit. 

    Ingredients for Grapefruit Gin Cocktails

    Ingredients for Grapefruit Gin Cocktails.
    • Gin - I love using a gin with lots of flavor in this recipe. My pick is New Holland’s Knickerbocker Gin. Bombay Sapphire Gin would also be delicious in this recipe, but feel free to choose your favorite. 
    • Elderflower liqueur - I use St. Germain, which is easy to find in my area, but feel free to use whatever brand of elderflower liqueur you prefer. 
    • Simple syrup - Simple syrup is easy to make at home with white sugar and water. Be sure to make your simple syrup an hour or two ahead of time so it can cool completely before you’re ready to make the cocktail.
    • Fresh lime and fresh grapefruit - Fresh juice is important in this drink. You'll need about half of a lime and half of a grapefruit per cocktail. Bottled juices have additives, sweeteners, and colorings in them that change the flavor compared to squeezing the fruit. With only 5 ingredients - 2 of them being fruit juices - using fresh juice makes a big difference. 

    How to Make a Gin Grapefruit Cocktail

    Combine gin, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and fresh grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker full of ice cubes. 

    Lime juice being poured into a cocktail shaker.

    Shake it up! 

    Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

    Garnish with a slice of grapefruit. Sip and enjoy! 

    A gin grapefruit cocktail.

    Recipe Tips

    • Juice the grapefruit and lime into separate small bowls. Roll the lime on your counter, applying pressure with your palm, to release all of its juice before you cut into it. (You don’t need to do this with the grapefruit.)
    • You can strain the lime and grapefruit juices to remove all the pulp if that bothers you. If you don’t mind a little pulp in your drink, you can skip it.

    How to Garnish Your Grapefruit Gin Cocktail

    The simplest way to garnish a gin elderflower cocktail is with slices of grapefruit or lime wheels. For shooting this cocktail, I put decorating sugar on one side of the glass in addition to the grapefruit slices.

    Looking for More Cocktails with Elderflower?

    Want to make more drinks using elderflower liqueur? Try these Elderflower Margaritas, my super refreshing Apple Orchard Cocktail, a Cucumber Vodka Martini, or this bright Cherry Blossom Cocktail with gin.

    Apple Orchard Cocktail being poured into a coupe glass.
    Apple Orchard Cocktail
    Elderflower Margaritas
    Elderflower Margaritas

    More Delicious Cocktail Recipes You'll Love

    Want more drinks with grapefruit and gin? Use fresh grapefruit juice in a classic Paloma cocktail or my Brown Sugar Grapefruit Cocktail. Or grab your favorite gin and shake up a light and refreshing Honey Orange Gin Cocktail or Pear Gin Cocktail with rosemary syrup.

    • A glass of bourbon grapefruit cocktail.
      Bourbon Grapefruit Cocktail
    • Glasses of Paloma cocktails garnished with large slices of grapefruit.
      Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail Recipe
    • Honey Orange Gin Cocktail
      Light and Refreshing Honey Orange Gin Cocktail
    • A glass of pear gin cocktail sitting on a wooden tray.
      Simple Pear Gin Cocktail with Rosemary

    Print the Recipe Card

    Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktails

    Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with Elderflower

    Katy McAvoy
    Full of fresh-squeezed juice and just enough sweetness, this easy Grapefruit Gin Cocktail with elderflower is a delicious addition to your afternoon happy hour. 
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Servings 1 cocktail

    Equipment

    • Jigger Measure
    • Citrus Press
    • Citrus Reamer
    • 3 Piece Cocktail Shaker
    • Rocks Glasses

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 oz gin
    • 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur
    • 2 oz grapefruit juice fresh squeezed
    • 0.75 oz simple syrup
    • 0.25 oz lime juice fresh squeezed

    Instructions
     

    • Combine gin, grapefruit juice, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker full of ice cubes. 
      2 oz gin, 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur, 2 oz grapefruit juice, 0.75 oz simple syrup, 0.25 oz lime juice
    • Shake well for 10-15 seconds.
    • Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Sip and enjoy! 

    Video

    Notes

    For the simple syrup - Combine ¼ cup sugar with ¼ cup hot water. Stir until sugar has completely dissolved. Refrigerate the syrup until it's completely cold before using in your cocktail. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSodium: 14mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

    I love when you share my recipes!

    3195 shares

    About Katy McAvoy

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

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rod says

      June 01, 2023 at 12:49 am

      Love it, but I did change one thing. I used Ruby Red Grapefruit juice which is of course sweeter, since we didn’t have regular grapefruit juice. Tasted oh-so-good!!!

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy says

        June 01, 2023 at 10:48 am

        So glad to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    Katy McAvoy, mixologist and photographer

    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 everyone deserves a delicious drink. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

    More about me →

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