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Sparkling Gin Cranberry Cocktail

This Gin Cranberry is a great Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail, but delicious any time of year! Made with cranberry sauce, fresh lime, gin, and sparkling lime water it’s a refreshing and festive drink. 

glass of cranberry gin fizz on a marble board in front of Hendricks gin

Sparkling Gin Cranberry,  a perfect Thanksgiving cocktail

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating- I love anything and everything cranberry this time of year! From pies to crumble to stuffing, I’ll find a way to incorporate these tart little berries everywhere.

Today, we’re repurposing a classic Thanksgiving table treat into a fizzy cocktail everyone will love.

sugared cranberries on a white plate shot from overhead

Ingredients in a Sparkling Gin Cranberry

  • Cranberry sauce, for flavor and color
  • Lime juice, for brightness
  • Maple syrup, for a touch of sweetness
  • Gin
  • Grated ginger, for a festive bite
  • Sparkling water, to fizz

What kind of gin is best in this cranberry gin cocktail?

A lot of people tell me they do not care for gin (and that it tastes “piney”), but I disagree. My favorite type of gin is Hendricks. This can get expensive but if you’re looking for an extra special holiday buy, this is it!

If you’re looking to save money, I am happy to report that gin quality will not greatly affect the taste of this drink. Cranberries and lime both tend to dominate the palette, so a lower-shelf alcohol will also be delicious.

overhead shot looking down into a cranberry cocktail with pomegrante

How to Make a Gin and Cranberry Cocktail

This recipe really could not be simpler! To prepare, you’ll simply combine some cranberry sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, gin, and optional grated ginger in a cocktail shaker with some ice. After shaking to combine, you’ll strain over an ice-filled rocks glass and top with more cranberry sauce, a lime round, or pomegranate arils! It’s a perfect holiday cocktail ready in under 5 minutes.

I like floating some additional cranberries on top of the cocktail, for an even more celebratory flair. To do this, I recommend rolling some frozen cranberries in sugar right before serving. Though this recipe only makes one cocktail, it is easily multiplied and could even be made ahead (with the sparkling water added just before serving).

sparkling water being poured from a shaker into a cranberry gin fizz

For more Thanksgiving drink ideas, try one of these next:

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glass of cranberry gin fizz on a marble board in front of Hendricks gin

Cranberry Gin Cocktail


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  • Author: Emily
  • Total Time: 3 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Cranberry Gin Fizz is a great Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail, but delicious any time of year! Made with cranberry sauce, fresh lime, gin, and sparkling lime water it’s a refreshing and festive drink.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 TBS cranberry sauce, divided
  • Juice of one half of a lime plus one lime round, reserved for garnish
  • One half TBS maple syrup
  • 1 shot gin
  • 1 TBS of freshly grated ginger, optional
  • 1 can of lime sparkling water, divided
  • 1 TBS pomegranate arils, optional

Instructions

  1. Add 2 TBS cranberry sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, gin, and grated ginger to a shaker with 1 cup ice. Shake vigorously to combine.
  2. Pour and strain over an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with an additional TBS cranberry sauce (stirring in) and lime round. Top with sparkling water and optional pomegranate and serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shake
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 drink
  • Calories: 205 calories
  • Sugar: 22.2 g
  • Sodium: 8.9 mg
  • Fat: 0g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.6g
  • Fiber: 0.5g
  • Protein: 0.4g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Pin this Gin Cranberry Cocktail Recipe

This Cranberry Gin Fizz is a great Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail, but delicious any time of year! Made with cranberry sauce, fresh lime, gin, and sparkling lime water it's a refreshing and festive drink. 

Portrait of Emily Meyers, founder of Garlic Head

About the Author

Emily (Frigon) Meyers is the founder of Garlic Head, a plant-based recipe website for all eaters who want to easily, affordably, and sustainably incorporate more vegetables into their diets while saving time and money. She is a lifelong vegetarian and 10+ year vegan. Garlic Head does not focus on labels - it focuses on creating food that everyone can enjoy.

Emily earned a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University along with degrees in Economics, Spanish, and Global Sustainability from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been featured on numerous podcasts and websites including The Food Institute, VegNews, Buzzfeed, and the Boston Globe.

Meet Emily here.

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