Looking for a stunning holiday drink to enjoy throughout these winter months that takes less than 5 minutes to make? It may be the perfect time for you to try this elegant gin and tonic made with purple gin from Empress. This layered Empress Gin and Tonic is the perfect Christmas cocktail to enjoy with your friends and family this holiday season!!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
In the realm of classic gin cocktails, the timeless Gin & Tonic holds a special place. Some of my favorite winter cocktails are the my Christmas spritzer and Cranberry Gin and Tonic to enjoy at home. But this Christmas, I'm introducing a twist that brings a burst of unique flavor - the Frosted Cranberry Empress Gin Cocktail you can make at holiday parties or with your loved ones.
By infusing the vibrant hues of butterfly pea flower and the tang of fresh cranberry, we've elevated the simple ingredients of the traditional G&T. The best part? This concoction isn't just about aesthetics; it promises a taste that's as festive as it looks. Cheers to a reimagined, merry Christmas classic!
Enjoy this cocktail with a slice of chocolate ganache tart, eggnog spice cake or a piece of luxurious honey vanilla bean caramel!
🍴Ingredients
- Gin: For this adult beverage full of holiday flavor, I highly suggest you reach for a bottle of Empress gin, allowing for a lovely taste and signature color.
- Pure Cranberry Juice & Pomegranate Juice: Unsweetened cranberry juice and pomegranate juice are both in season over the winter holidays, and their sweet-tart flavor profiles add both depth and lovely color to these otherwise simple cocktails. No lemon juice, orange juice or lime juice here! The final addition of tonic water gives these gin cranberry drinks a bit of bittersweet bubbly sophistication.
- Tonic Water: While tonic water may look the same as seltzer, the two are vastly different. Tonic water is primarily flavored with a compound called quinine, which is extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree. Not a tonic fan? You could always substitute club soda or soda water to make an alternative cocktail recipe. For a ginger-flavored twist, ginger ale and ginger beer are options as well, which could make for a fun holiday twist!
- Fresh Cranberries and Pomegranate Seeds: As a lovely garnish to help take your cranberry gin cocktails to new heights! You can even add a rosemary sprig on top if you wanted to add an aromatic scent to each sip.
📖 Step by Step Instructions
This simple cranberry gin cocktail is as easy as 1-2-3 without any fancy cocktail equipment! Here’s how you do it:
Add cranberry juice and pomegranate juice to the bottom of your highball glass.
Add ice cubes filling your glass ¾ of the way full before adding tonic water.
To allow your gin to float at the top of your glass, hold a bar spoon over the cocktail glass and slowly pour the gin on top of the spoon.
Garnish with cranberries and pomegranate seeds before enjoying!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Making this pomegranate cranberry gin and tonic recipe is about as easy as it gets in the handcrafted cocktail world. That said, I have a few tips to share before you make some for your next Christmas party:
- Don’t forget your garnish. To make a holiday cocktail feel extra special, make sure you go the extra mile with your details. Fresh or sugared cranberries, pomegranate arils, and fresh or sugared sprigs of rosemary all contribute to the festive vibes.
- Batch ahead for large parties. Rather than playing bartender all night, I suggest you batch together the pomegranate, cranberry and gin ahead of time. Set up a serve-yourself cocktail bar with a pitcher of the mix, a shaker and an ice bucket with a small instructional card. Set the tonic and garnishes to the side so your guests can feel like pro mixologists.
- Looking to sweeten your Gin and Tonic? Add a touch of cranberry syrup into your Christmas gin cocktails! The additional sweetness and bubbly finish from the tonic will help to create your new favorite cocktail!
💭 Recipe FAQs
Though the flavor and hue of the violet Empress Gin creates a delicious sip, you can use your favorite gin as a replacement. Just know that the layered hues of this cocktail will not look as festive as this gin from Victoria Distillers is distilled with butterfly pea blossom for the purple coloring.
While I love the woodsy, pine-y flavor of Empress gin, I know it’s not for everyone. For a less complex flavor profile in these cranberry cocktails, try using neutral flavored vodka instead.
There's so many different non-alcoholic spirits to purchase these days, and it's a great way to include an alternative twist to the recipe. Feel free to swap in your favorite gin-adjacent for a sober-friendly mocktail!
Sure! I suggest using a squeeze of the cranberry simple syrup that is left over after making sugared cranberries. For more info on infusing simple syrups with flavors, check out my guide here!
More Cocktail Recipes
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Empress Gin and Tonic with Pomegranate and Cranberry Juice
Equipment
- Cocktail Glasses
Ingredients
- 1 oz Cranberry Juice
- 1 oz Pomegranate juice
- Ice
- 6 oz Tonic Water
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
- Fresh Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds and Rosemary for Garnish
Instructions
- Add cranberry juice and pomegranate juice to the bottom of your highball glass.1 oz Cranberry Juice, 1 oz Pomegranate juice
- Add ice filling your glass ¾ of the way full before adding tonic water.6 oz Tonic Water, Ice
- Top your cocktail with Empress Gin! To allow your gin to float at the top of your glass, hold a bar spoon over the cocktail glass and slowly pour the gin on top of the spoon. This allows the liquid to gently fall onto the top of the cocktail rather than sinking to the bottom.2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
- Garnish with cranberries, pomegranate seeds and rosemary before enjoying!Fresh Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds and Rosemary for Garnish
Video
Notes
- Don’t forget your garnish. To make a holiday cocktail feel extra special, make sure you go the extra mile with your details. Fresh or sugared cranberries, pomegranate arils, and fresh or sugared sprigs of rosemary all contribute to the festive vibes.
- Batch ahead for large parties. Rather than playing bartender all night, I suggest you batch together the pomegranate, cranberry and gin ahead of time. Set up a serve-yourself cocktail bar with a pitcher of the mix, a shaker and an ice bucket with a small instructional card. Set the tonic and garnishes to the side so your guests can feel like pro mixologists.
- Looking to sweeten your Gin and Tonic? Add a touch of cranberry syrup into your Christmas gin cocktails! The additional sweetness and bubbly finish from the tonic will help to create your new favorite cocktail!
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