A beautifully red holiday drink, this Christmas gin cocktail is a tart and festive beverage to sip on at any holiday gathering. Made simply with cranberry and other citrus juices and lightly sweetened with maple syrup.

An Easy Red Cocktail

Since you’re already hosting a party and serving a bunch of food, it’s best to make the signature Christmas cocktail an easy one. With only 5 ingredients, this is a breeze to mix up! You’ll need:

• Gin
• Cranberry juice (100% and unsweetened)
• Fresh lime juice
• Fresh orange juice
• Maple syrup (or simple syrup if you prefer)

All you do is pour everything in a glass with some ice and mix it up. Or if you prefer, instructions for making a large batch (pitcher) are given in the recipe notes.

Looking for some food ideas for your holiday party? Check out this roundup of easy, healthy appetizers!

Why a Christmas Cocktail with Gin?

Most people might think of gin as a summer only drink, but really it’s great for any time of year.

Gin is perfect for a Christmas cocktail because it pairs well with tart mixers like cranberry juice and has its own “floral” notes and flavor of juniper berries.

In a season where you are eating a lot of “heavy” food, you won’t regret making this light and refreshing colorful holiday drink to go along with it.

Making it a Cranberry Gin Fizz

You can easily make this drink more of a “gin fizz” by adding a splash of soda water, sparkling water or ginger ale to the drink. Whatever you have on hand will work, I like to just add a splash at the end after mixing the rest of the drink together.

Or Make it a Christmas Mocktail

This drink is also great as a mocktail! Just leave out the gin and you are all set. It’s a very flexible recipe and tastes great with or without the booze. Feel free to mix up the ingredients and add more of any flavor you prefer. You can also add more maple syrup if the drink is too tart.

A great option for parties is to make a pitcher without the gin and leave it on the side so people can pour their own. That way everyone is happy and if they want some gin they can add it in themselves.

Your Turn To Try This Cranberry Gin Cocktail

Grab some gin and a handful of ingredients and mix up this delicious Christmas cocktail! You’ll love the festive color and refreshing flavor of this signature holiday cocktail.

If you make these, be sure to come back and leave a rating and review below. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram and tag us @realsimplegood. We love to see what you’re making!