Cooking Lesson #380: Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail

The Thanksgiving Collection

How you doin’? For those who are cookin’ and bakin’ up next week’s feast, and for those who are just a little trepidatious at the notion of trying to avoid discussing politics with all of your relatives, it just might be time for a drink. And if those aren’t sufficient reasons, it’s Happy Hour Friday y’all!
 
I was once told gin drinkers were crazy; maybe that’s the reason I stayed away from gin for such a long time. It wasn’t until my trip to Equatorial Guinea when I discovered the taste on Hendrick’s Gin that it became my drink of choice. This was one of those boondoggle trips when I was invited to meet with the president of the country and try to encourage him to reengage with the country’s roots in producing chocolate. I traveled over there with the country’s attorney general and was told to wait for the phone call and always be ready to run to the presidential palace and meet with his excellency, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. But right at this moment we’re talking about cocktails. If you want to hear more on my trip to EG you will have to wait for my next book or, better yet, the movie. The important part for today’s post is that I fell in love with the flavor of Hendrick’s Gin. Later on, I fell in love with a Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail.
 
A Cranberry Gin Fizz Cocktail is very festive, loaded with fantastic flavors and colors of the season making this the perfect cocktail for the holidays. It’s not only pretty, but also pretty delicious, too.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  5 minutes
Yield:  4 cocktails
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1/2 orange, cut into slices
1-1/2 cups Hendrik’s gin (you can use Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray)
1 cup chilled ginger ale
Garnish with candied cranberries and 4 mint sprigs (or rosemary)
 
Directions

1. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
2.  Remove from heat; measure one cup of the syrup, reserve and refrigerate any extra for later use.
3. Bring the 1 cup of syrup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.
4. Add the fresh cranberries and simmer for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to burst. Remove from heat and let cool completely in the cranberry syrup.
5. Reserve 3 of these now candied cranberries per cocktail for garnish and set aside.
6. Place 2 tablespoons drained cranberries and 6 tablespoons cranberry syrup in a large pitcher; add the lemon wedges and orange slices.
7. Using a muddler or wooden spoon, vigorously mash the fruit.
8. Stir in gin and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
9. Strain into a medium pitcher, refrigerate if you have the time.
10. Fill 4 glasses with ice and 1/4 cup ginger ale.
11. Fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and then pour half the cranberry mixture into the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain liquid into two glasses. That was so much fun, do it again and fill the last two glasses.
12. Mound additional ice on top of each glass and garnish with the candied cranberries and a mint or rosemary sprig.

ChefSecret:  Plan ahead and get started early. Make the cranberry syrup a day ahead.

Quip of the Day: “These days I get most of my exercise shaking my head in disbelief.”
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Have a wonderful safe and healthy holiday. Thanks for reading.

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                                       ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

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