Cranberry Gimlet is the perfect holiday cocktail. Its dazzling red color and bright, sparkling tart and sweet cranberry flavor bring thoughts of Rudolph playing reindeer games.
It’s the holiday season, finally! This year has been a tough one, and I think all of us could use an excellent cocktail for sipping. A few years back, I posted about this fabulous cranberry cocktail. But I’ve never been happy with the photos I took for it, and I wanted to update it to use Spring44’s Mountain Gin as a better variation. Their Mountain Gin in this cocktail is the perfect match, with the juniper and citrus notes coming through to brighten this cocktail to new heights. It will make even the Bumble bounce! (Rudolph Reference #1!)
If you read my blog at all, you know I am a massive fan of Spring44 distillery. I love all of the different spirits Spring44 makes. They have some fantastic flavors, from a delicious honey vodka (more on that in a future cocktail!) to delicious old Tom Gin. And they have one of the most smooth vodkas I’ve tasted. Spring44 has three different gins. I’ve featured all of them in different cocktails, and all of them are wonderful. Their Mountain Gin has a more juniper-forward flavored palate with coriander, ginger, citrus notes, and with a bit of mint to finish. This is a gin that smells of pine and the mountains after a rain that Cornelius will give up licking his pickaxe for. (Rudolph Reference #2!) It’s a fantastic gin.
Combine this wonderful gin with tart cranberry and lime juice and just the hint of sweetness using agave syrup. You have one tasty, refreshingly bright, and cheery cocktail. I love the vibrant color of this Cranberry Gimlet that just seems to sparkle with joy and yes, wait for it…….like Rudolph’s shiny nose! (Rudolph Reference #3!) For this cocktail, it is essential to find unsweetened cranberry juice. None of the watered-down cranberry cocktail juices will do. You want the concentrated flavor from pure unsweetened cranberry juice in this gimlet. You can find unsweetened cranberry juice at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, major grocery stores, and even on Amazon in their pantry. Agave syrup can also be found on Amazon and most grocery stores. It is an excellent alternative to simple syrup that you can keep on hand in your kitchen cupboard. I use it all the time to sweeten something. Agave syrup has just the barest hint of a honey flavor and perfect in this gimlet.
If you cannot find Spring44’s fabulous Mountain Gin, a good substitute for this cocktail is the Botanist gin or any juniper-forward gin. But an excellent smooth flavored London dry gin will do in a pinch. I truly hope you make this Cranberry Gimlet part of your holiday season. It is such a fantastic and delicious cocktail and worthy of attention. It might even make Dennis want to be a bartender instead of a dentist! (Rudolph Reference #4!) Like I couldn’t resist one more reference! Leave one of these beauties out instead of milk for Santa, and you would have one Holly Jolly Soul!
- 2 oz Spring44 Mountain gin or any juniper-forward gin
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz agave syrup
- 1 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
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Place a coup or martini glass in the freezer for a couple of minutes to chill.
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Pour into a cocktail shaker the gin, lime juice, agave syrup, and the unsweetened cranberry juice.
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Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake for 10-20 seconds or until the cocktail shaker is ice cold.
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Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
For a clearer cocktail, it is recommended that you double strain this cocktail. If you can find filtered unsweetened cranberry juice, you will get even more clarity, though this is optional.
