Sauces and Jams is not something new to Liquid Culture and creating delicious drinks at home. They’re an easy way to incorporate a flavour and the sweetener component to a cocktail to offer a balanced drink. This time around, we’re upcycling the Cranberry Sauce on your Holiday table to shake up a delicious Holiday Cranberry Gin Sour using Broker’s Gin. To find out more, check out the recipe below!
If you’d like to catch the live action segment on CTV’s The Social, make sure to click on the photo below for details!
Working with Cranberry Sauce
When it comes to the Cranberry Sauce, and working with any sort of jams/sauces, there are a few things you should note. First off, ALWAYS taste the sauce first. Every Sauce and Jam is different, so creating a definite recipe for a sour is not always going to work. So I want you to be flexible with the recipe I share with you today. Taste the Cranberry Sauce. If it seems a bit too tart, you will need to add some more sugar to balance. You want it sweet so that the cocktail properly balances with the Gin, Egg Whites*Optional and Cranberry flavour.
Consistency of the Sauce and Jams matter too. If it’s a bit too thick, it typically means less volume in a drink, harder to shake and work with, etc. Don’t be scared to add a touch of water (or orange juice that pairs well with Cranberry) to help get a runny consistency. Now, it doesn’t have to be dripping, but if it can fall off the spoon, that won’t work either.
The point is, be flexible with this drink. Understand that it may not taste perfect the first time. Adjust and add sugar or Gin and reshake until you’re happy!
Choosing your Gin for your Cranberry Gin Sour
Technically, this drink doesn’t have to use Gin. If you’re a big Whiskey drinker, or prefer your Vodka’s, they would work here too. But I love using Gin for the Holidays because of the natural bright notes I’m getting. With the season having me crave peppermints, anise, rosemary, orange and so many bright and sweet spices, Gin comes in as a perfect pairing.
I would go for a London Dry Style Gin, and one of my all-time favourites, especially for the value has got to be Broker’s Gin. It has a long history of distilling in London, but I still feel it’s fresh to a lot of Ontario. Well, you need to know it’s great, and it should be on your bar!
To Egg White or Not to Egg White
I’m going to always say in this argument; to EGG WHITE! But I understand there are certain dietary restrictions. For my vegans, Aquafaba (chickpea water) is a great substitute, and there are also foamers our there in the market (although I don’t love those options as much). Egg White adds that luxurious, velvety texture to a cocktail, much like the foam to a latte. Does it do a ton for the overall drink taste? No. But the foam has got to be one of my favourite parts of this Cranberry Gin Sour.
Ready to start shaking this drink? Let’s get going!
Gin Cranberry Xmas Sour
Cranberry Sauce is repurposed in this delicious Cranberry Gin Sour that's perfect for Holiday Hosting!
– Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Brokers Gin
- 1 oz Cranberry Sauce
- 0.5 oz – 1 oz Verjus or Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz – 1 oz Sugar / Simple Syrup
- 2 Rosemary Sprigs leave one for garnish
- 1 Egg White Optional
Instructions
- In a shaker, add all your ingredients and give this a good shake (without ice).
- Add ice to your shaker and shake once more.
- Strain over ice and garnish with Rosemary Sprig.
