You can adjust the sweetness to your liking: If you like sweet drinks , add 1/4 to 1/2 oz simple syrup. If you like more tart, balanced drinks , start without simple syrup, add your fizz component, and add as needed.

Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail - Olivia's Kitchen

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Celebrate the holidays with a burst of festive flavor in this Cranberry Gin Fizz cocktail. Crafted with gin and the zing of fresh cranberries, this seasonal cocktail is the perfect balance of tart, sweet, and bubbly.

cranberry gin fizz drink with sugared cranberries on top and snowflakes around.

This Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail is a subtly sweet and lightly bubbly cocktail that is perfect for the holiday season. The cranberry juice and fresh tart cranberries give a seasonal flavor while adding some tartness to the drink. It's mixed with your favorite gin, lemon juice, and topped with your choice of bubbles. I like to use a cranberry ginger ale, prosecco, or flavored sparkling water such as orange, lemon, or lime. A sugar rim plus a garnish of sugared cranberries and a slice of lemon gives a festive look.

This cranberry gin cocktail is super easy to batch for your next holiday party. It is sure to put you into the holiday spirit during Thanksgiving and Christmas! Made with bar staples and holiday flavors, it is quick and easy to make this festive drink. The classic cocktail is gluten free and dairy free for all to enjoy during this time of year!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Substitutions
Step-by-Step Instructions
What to Serve with a Cranberry Gin Fizz
Make Ahead
Batching
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Drinks
Recipe
Reviews

Why You'll Love This Recipe

A refreshing drink. This holiday gin fizz would be a delicious Christmas cocktail.
Adjust the sweetness to your taste. This drink starts tart, but you can add simple syrup as you like.
Perfect for the holidays. This easy cocktail would be a hit at Thanksgiving or Christmas with its seasonal ingredients and fresh cranberry taste.
Uses common bar ingredients.
Made in 3 minutes. Just stir and enjoy!
Easy to batch by stirring in a pitcher.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free and vegan.

Want more holiday cocktails and treats? Try my sugar cookie martini, winter aperol spritz, peppermint mocha espresso martini, lambrusco spritz, gingerbread espresso martini.

Ingredient Notes

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this cranberry gin cocktail recipe:

ingredients to make a cranberry gin fizz cocktail.

Gin: Use your favourite good quality gin—I used Empress 1908 Gin. Hendrick's Gin, Bombay Sapphire, or any other classic gin will work.
Cranberry juice: I like to use pure unsweetened cranberry juice instead of the sweet cranberry cocktail. Use what you have.
Fresh lemon or lime juice: Fresh is best if possible!
Simple syrup: This is optional, add if you're using an unsweetened carbonated beverage, noted below.
Sparkling beverage: Prosecco, cranberry seltzer, cranberry ginger ale, tonic water, or soda water can be used.

Substitutions

There are several ways to change up this cocktail. Here are some substitution suggestions:

Change the spirit. You could make this cranberry fizz cocktail with just about any alcohol. Vodka, tequila, aperol, etc. Throw in some orange liqueur or triple sec for a fun flavor.
Adjust sweetness. Because I like to use cranberry ginger ale for the fizz element to this drink, I don't add simple syrup because it has sugar. If you're using something less sweet like dry prosecco or sparkling water, you may find the drink a bit tart from the cranberry and lemon juice. In that instance, I recommend adding ¼ to ½ ounce of simple syrup, to your preference.
Add more flavor. Orange juice, orange slice, or a lime wedge would be delicious as well. Garnish with a rosemary sprig for color.

I recommend making the drink without simple syrup, and if you find it too tart, add some simple syrup to taste.

top view of a red drink with cranberries around.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full recipe.

(1) Run ½ a lemon around the top rim of a short glass. Then dip the rim in sugar to create a sugar rim.

(2) Add a large ice cube to the glass along with the gin, cranberry juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup if using. Stir for 30 seconds to chill and dilute.

left: small glass with a sugar rim, right: stirring red liquid in the glass.

(3) Top the drink with your choice of cranberry ginger ale, prosecco, cranberry seltzer, or sparkling water.

(4) Give the drink a light stir and garnish with a lemon slice and cranberries. Enjoy responsibly!

left: pouring cranberry ginger ale into a drink, right: cranberry gin fizz with sugared cranberries on top.

What to Serve with a Cranberry Gin Fizz

This cranberry gin fizz is the perfect winter festive cocktail. While it can really be had at any time, it is delicious when paired with a holiday meal, or as a welcome drink when guests arrive. Enjoy during the fall and winter seasons with all your friends and family at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are some of my holiday faves to pair with it:

Check out more Christmas recipes!

Make Ahead

If you're preparing ahead of time, stir together the gin, cranberry juice, and lemon juice. Then refrigerate. Add the bubbly just before serving.

Batching

Make a larger quantity of drinks by stirring the ingredients together in a pitcher. Multiply the ingredient quantities by the number of drinks you wish to make. Be sure to include some ice in the glasses for dilution. See note above about preparing ahead of time and when to add the bubbles.

cranberry fizz drink with sugared cranberries on top.

Expert Tips

Here are some of my top tips and tricks for a delicious fizz cocktail:

If you can get your hands on pure cranberry juice, that is my favorite pick for this drink. Of course regular cranberry cocktail will work, it is just naturally sweeter.
Store your alcohol and juices in the fridge for an extra cold drink.
You could make a fizz by replacing the gin with any liquor. Vodka, aperol, tequila, whiskey would all be great.
Use a flavored ginger ale or seltzer instead of club soda for even more cranberry flavor. You could also use orange, lemon, or lime sparkling water.
Stir with ice for some dilution.
Make the drink without simple syrup, and add as needed to taste. It may be slightly tart without any sweetener.
Garnish with what you have. My favorites are a lemon slice and sugared cranberries. Simple wet your cranberries and roll them in sugar. Serve on top of the drink on a cocktail pick.
Enjoy before or with a large holiday meal on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is gin gluten-free?

Yes, most distilled alcohols are in fact gluten-free and safe for celiacs due to the distillation process. Gin is typically made from botanicals, herbs, and other ingredients that are generally considered gluten free.

I don't like gin, what can I use?

If you don't like gin, you could swap it for vodka, tequila, whiskey, bourbon, aperol, or your favorite spirit. You'll still have a delicious sparkling beverage.

Is this drink sweet?

You can adjust the sweetness to your liking:

If you like sweet drinks, add ¼ to ½ oz simple syrup.
If you like more tart, balanced drinks, start without simple syrup, add your fizz component, and add as needed.

close up of cranberry drink with cranberries floating and sugared cranberries on a stick.

This cranberry gin fizz is the perfect holiday cocktail! Slightly sweet with a bit of bubbles, this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy at Christmas or during the winter season as a delicious fizzy beverage. It's going to be your new favorite cocktail.

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