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    Home » Recipes » Drink Recipes

    Christmas Cranberry Gin Cocktail

    Published: Nov 27, 2023 by Kathleen Hansen · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This Christmas Cranberry Gin Cocktail is simple to make but is festive and perfect for the holiday season! This Christmas Gin drink is a spin on the classic Gin and Tonic with the addition of cranberry.

    Cranberry Gin Cocktail with sugared cranberries and a lime wedge

    A Cranberry Gin Cocktail is festive for the holidays! Serve it with other holiday appetizers like this Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board, Puff Pastry Brie Bites, or Whipped Ricotta Dip with Honey.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐Why I Love It:
    • 🥘Ingredients and Equipment
    • 📖Substitutions and Variations
    • 🔪Step by Step Instructions
    • 💭Recipe Tips
    • 👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs
    • 🍹Related Drink Recipes...
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    ⭐Why I Love It:

    • Spin on the Classic Gin and Tonic - I love a regular G&T so adding a festive flair with cranberry just makes it even better!
    • Easy to Make - You only need a few, easy to find, ingredients.
    • Cranberry Flavor - Adding cranberry juice adds flavor and I love to garnish with cranberries as well. For other cranberry favorites, try this Cranberry Jalapeño Dip, Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, or Christmas Moscow Mule recipe.
    cranberry gin and tonic in cocktail pitcher

    🥘Ingredients and Equipment

    • Gin - You can use your favorite! I used Tanqueray Gin, but you can use any.
    • Tonic Water
    • Lime Juice - Freshly squeezed, please!
    • Cranberry Juice - You can use either cranberry juice or cranberry juice concentrate.
    • Optional Garnishes - Fresh Cranberries, Sugared Cranberries, Lime Wedges
    • Tumblers or Old Fashioned Glasses - For serving
    • A bar spoon (or regular spoon) - to stir drink and combine
    • A cocktail jigger or shot glass - For measuring the ingredients
    • Cocktail Picks (optional) - You can use these for the cranberries or sugared cranberries instead of adding directly to the drink

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    📖Substitutions and Variations

    • Soda Water - If you're not a fan of tonic water, you can replace it with soda water and your cocktail will be just as delicious!
    • Vodka - If you don't like Gin, you can also make this cocktail using Vodka
    • Batch Cocktail - If you're serving a crowd, you can make a big pitcher of this instead of making individual servings.
      • To serve 8: Mix together 1.5 cups of Gin, 2 cups of Cranberry Juice, the juice of 4 limes, and either 2 cups of Tonic Water or you can have guests add a splash of tonic water to their glass when serving.
    sugared cranberries

    🔪Step by Step Instructions

    This Cranberry Gin Cocktail is so easy to make. Just shake (or stir) and serve!

    1. Mix Ingredients - In a cocktail shaker or glass, stir together the ingredients.
    2. Adjust to Taste - It's easy to adjust the drink to suit your preference. You can make it stronger by adding more gin, less strong by adding more tonic, or more lime/cranberry juice to give it more fruit flavor.
    3. Serve - Pour over ice in a glass, garnish with a lime wedges and cranberries, and enjoy!

    💭Recipe Tips

    • Cranberry Juice - I prefer to use Cranberry Juice Cocktail for the slight added sweetness. You can use plain, unsweetened cranberry juice if you like tart.
    • Fresh Limes - I highly recommend getting fresh limes for the juice and then you can garnish with wedges as well.
    cranberry gin cocktail with a lime

    👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs

    Should I use regular cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail?

    I like to use cranberry juice cocktail so it adds a little sweetness, but you can use regular unsweetened cranberry juice if you like your drink to be more tart.

    What kind of gin should be used?

    You can use any kind of gin in the cocktail, I used Tanqueray. Be aware that if you use a colored gin (like Empress Gin) that the drink color will change.

    What is the difference between cranberry juice and cranberry cocktail?

    Cranberry juice is typically labeled as being "100% juice" while a cranberry juice cocktail has added sugars to the cranberry juice to make it extra sweet. Cranberry juice is more tart than cranberry cocktail.

    christmas cranberry cocktail with a bottle of gin in the background

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    Those ads on the page? A portion of all ad revenue is being donated to Warrior Dog Rescue. A MN-based dog rescue that I foster and volunteer with.

    Print

    Recipe

    Christmas Cranberry Gin Cocktail

    christmas gin cocktail with cranberries
    Print Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    This Christmas Cranberry Gin Cocktail is simple to make but is festive and perfect for the holiday season! This Christmas Gin drink is a spin on the classic Gin and Tonic with the addition of cranberry. 

    • Author: Kathleen
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 0 minutes
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 1 drink
    • Category: Drink
    • Method: Drink
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 ounces gin
    • 2 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
    • ½ lime, juiced
    • 2 ounces tonic water
    • Lime Wedges and Cranberries (or sugared cranberries), for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Mix Ingredients - In a cocktail shaker or glass, stir together the drink ingredients. 
    2. Adjust to Taste - It's easy to adjust the drink to suit your preference. You can make it stronger by adding more gin, less strong by adding more tonic, or more lime/cranberry juice to give it more flavor.
    3. Serve - Pour over ice in a glass, garnish with a lime wedges and cranberries, and enjoy!

    Notes

    Batch Cocktail - If you're serving a crowd, you can make a big pitcher of this instead of making individual servings. 

    • To serve 8: Mix together 1.5 cups of Gin, 2 cups of Cranberry Juice, the juice of 4 limes, and either 2 cups of Tonic Water or you can have guests add a splash of tonic water to their glass when serving.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cocktail
    • Calories: 154
    • Sugar: 12.1 g
    • Sodium: 8.8 mg
    • Fat: 0.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
    • Fiber: 0.1 g
    • Protein: 0.1 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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    1. Katie says

      February 23, 2023 at 8:28 am

      Love the spin on the classic G&T!

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Kathleen and welcome! My favorite place to be has always been in the kitchen and I love creating recipes that are easy and approachable. Simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions!

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