This delicious Blood Orange Cocktail with Gin is the perfect beverage for when blood orange season is in full swing! This cocktail has a beautiful color and bright citrus flavor. It features Empress 1908 gin and is refreshing and simple to make. Ready in 5 minutes or less!
Note: This recipe was originally published in April 2021, but has been improved and re-photographed. We hope you enjoy the new look!
The bright pink color of this cocktail is stunning. It's a new favorite cocktail for us because it's perfectly citrusy and balanced, refreshing, and easy to make!
Looking for more inspiration for blood oranges? You may like this chocolate old fashioned recipe with blood orange, this blood orange serrano ginger fizz, or even these low carb and gluten free blood orange chocolate cupcakes!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Bursting with orange flavor - Sweet blood orange is the star of this drink, bringing a bright citrus flavor.
- Quick and easy recipe - You only need a few ingredients and a mixing glass. No need to make any simple syrups, this drink comes together in under 5 minutes.
- Simple ingredients - You don't need much to make this delightful cocktail, and anything you don't have on hand can be found at nearly any grocery store or liquor store.
- Stunning presentation - This drink feels incredibly fancy, with the gorgeous color created by the combo of fresh blood orange juice and Empress 1908 gin.
- Perfect use for winter citrus - Winter may not be our favorite time of the year in many aspects, but it is the time of year for blood oranges. Mixing up this festive cocktail is a great way to make the days brighter!
🍊Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Gin - Use your favorite gin. We are partial to Empress 1908 gin, a botanical gin made in small batches with an incredible indigo hue. The color comes from butterfly pea flowers, which adds a subtle earthy flavor and changes color when citrus juice or tonic water is added. You may also be interested in finding Empress gin near you!
- Fresh blood oranges - We need orange slices or rounds, and fresh juice.
- Lime juice
- Orange liqueur - We recommend something complex and bright in flavor, like Cointreau.
- Ice - For a mixing glass. You can use a cocktail shaker if you'd like, but we prefer to mix it in a tall glass with a bar spoon.
- Garnish with a blood orange slice or round, and a thyme sprig.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this drink.
- Swap lime juice for lemon juice - Feel free to use lemon juice for a little bit of a sweeter drink. Meyer lemon juice is even sweeter.
- Make it a blood orange gin sour - Use lemon juice, simple syrup to taste, and gin.
- Add an egg white - Separate a raw egg from the yolk, and add the white to a cocktail shaker without ice. Add all the remaining ingredients and dry shake the cocktail for 30 seconds, then add in ice and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. You may like this lavender gin fizz cocktail made with Empress which uses the same method.
- Add orange bitters - For an added depth of bitter flavor, add in a few dashes of bitters.
- Use different citrus - If blood oranges are out of season, reach for your favorite type of orange, like cara caras, or navel oranges.
- Swap the herb - Add a rosemary sprig, some mint, or basil instead of thyme if you like. Any would make a great garnish.
- Sparkling - This drink is a bit on the strong side, so feel free to dilute it with a little sparkling water, club soda, or even ginger ale or ginger beer for a bit of sweetness and fizz. You may want to try this pomegranate gin cocktail made with ginger beer, or this strawberry rhubarb gin cocktail or this elderflower collins with club soda.
🔪Prep work
- Squeeze blood orange juice and lime juice.
- Wash and cut oranges into rounds for garnish.
- Wash thyme for garnish.
- Place cocktail glasses in the freezer to chill.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Add gin to a mixing glass with ice. (Image 1) Pour in lime juice. (Image 2)
Add in the orange liqueur, (Image 3) followed by the blood orange juice. (Image 4)
Stir with a bar spoon to chill, (Image 5) then strain into a chilled coupe glass or other cocktail glass. (Image 6)
Garnish with blood orange rounds and fresh thyme. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- For quicker assembly, prep ingredients in advance. If planning to mix these up to serve friends, squeeze the blood orange juice and lime juice up to 48 hours in advance, and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
- To dilute the drink, pour into a glass with ice, and add club soda, sparkling water, ginger ale, or even ginger beer.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
This drink is best enjoyed right away, and we don't recommend making it in advance. However, if you need to save it, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and do not freeze.
Pour all ingredients into a large pitcher with some ice. Stir to chill, then strain through a large metal sieve into a punch bowl or pitcher. Keep cool until time to serve.
Alternatively, you could add all ingredients to the punch bowl or pitcher with ice. Don't use very much ice, as it will melt and water down the drink.
More Gin Cocktails To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Blood Orange Gin Cocktail
Equipment
- mixing glass
- bar spoon
- Jigger
- strainer or metal sieve
Ingredients
- 2 ounces blood orange juice
- 1.5 ounces gin
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice for the cocktail shaker and glass
- Blood orange slices and fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass with ice, add gin, lime juice, blood orange juice, and orange liqueur. Stir with a bar spoon.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, like a coupe glass.
- Garnish with blood orange slices and a sprig of fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
- To dilute the drink, serve over ice, and/or with club soda, sparkling water, ginger ale, or ginger beer.
- To make a large batch, pre-mix everything in a pitcher with ice. Strain the mixture into a clean container, and chill until it's time to serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.
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