Blood Orange Gin Fizz plus Elderflower

At a glance

What stands out: This beautifully-hued blood orange gin fizz with elderflower liqueur takes a gin fizz to new heights. It’s exceptionally delightful, in taste and looks.

How long it takes: just 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: cocktail shaker
Servings: 1 cocktail (but it’s straightforward to mix more)

Much More than a Gin Fizz

We've always thought a gin fizz to be sort of a boring cocktail with its pale color and white foam. It’s just not that appealing. If you’re in the same camp, you have to try this beautiful blood orange gin fizz!

There’s so much more going on in this cocktail. Instead of ho-hum lemon juice, blood orange juice adds a bright citrus flavor with floral undertones, and with a beautiful color. Don’t you just love that gorgeous dark rose color? (we love a blood orange martini, too.)

With just a bit of chilly froth and served in a pretty stemmed coupe glass, a blood orange gin fizz may become a new favorite! Reliable for a hot summer evening, don’t you think?

What's Elderflower Liqueur?

Elderflower liqueur is often used as a mixer but it can be enjoyed on its own, too. It’s made from flowers but if you think it will taste like perfume, think again. Expect more of a sweet/sour note, like pear or lychee. Used in place of simple syrup, which has no flavor, you can see how elderflower liqueur adds so much to this gin fizz recipe. (Try it in our grapefruit and elderflower cocktail, too.)

What goes in

• Gin: We like Bombay Sapphire but The Botanist or Tanqueray are also fine. Hendricks is also one of our favorites. Use your favorite brand. (Be sure to try one of our G&Ts – a classic gin and tonic, orange gin and tonic with cinnamon, or a cranberry gin and tonic with rosemary.)
• Elderflower Liqueur: Our preferred brand of elderflower liqueur is St. Germain. It has a sweet/tart flavor (think grapefruit, pear, lemon, jasmine) and replaces the simple syrup usually found in a gin fizz.
• Blood Orange Juice: Deep pink in color, blood orange juice has a sweeter, more floral flavor than regular orange juice. Save a slice of the orange for a garnish.
• Egg White: Use a pasteurized egg white product to avoid the risk of contracting salmonella from raw eggs (Healthline). Pasteurized eggs are heated briefly to destroy bacteria and are sold in cartons. You’ll find them in the dairy section of your grocery store. Egg Beaters is a common brand. If you’re unable to find those or would prefer not to use them, you can use club soda. It won’t be exactly the same but it will be rich.
• Cocktail Shaker: If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a jar with a tight fitting lid works well, too.
• Ice: A gin fizz is shaken with ice to chill it but the ice is strained out.

How it comes together

Add the gin, elderflower liqueur, blood orange juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, along with ice.

Shake vigorously!

Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a blood orange slice.

What's a coupe glass?

A coupe glass is a stemmed glass with a shallow bowl, originally designed for champagne. It’s often used for cocktails served without ice, like martinis or daquiris. Because it has a stem to grasp, the cocktail stays colder in a coupe glass. Pronounce coupe like this: koo-pay. The one in the photos isn’t traditional and is more of a cross between a coupe glass and a martini glass. Any glass will work for this drink, of course, but a stemmed glass is helpful to keep the beverage nice and cold.

Serving Ideas

Need something to nibble with your cocktail? Try tortilla chips with citrus salsa or air fryer crab Rangoon. Spiced pecans are rich, too. Want something more substantial? Try fish tacos with blood orange salsa.

Ways to change it

• Make a classic gin fizz. A gin fizz is made with 1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup, 1 egg white, 2 oz. gin, and club soda. The lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white are shaken together to create a froth. The gin is added, along with ice, for one more good shake. Strain into a tall glass, top with club soda, and a twist of lemon.
• Make it NA: Use non-alcoholic elderflower syrup and non-alcoholic gin (Monday is our favorite!).
• Use regular orange juice. Instead of blood orange juice, substitute the juice from a navel orange.
• Omit egg white. You can skip the egg white, and top the cocktail with club soda instead.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Squeeze the juice from the oranges and refrigerate in a small jar up to a day ahead. Cut the orange slice garnishes and refrigerate. Make sure you have fresh ice and sparkling clean glasses.

• Yield: 1
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 ½ oz. elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain
• 1 oz. blood orange juice, freshly squeezed (see note)
• 1 pasteurized egg white, about ½ oz. (see note)
• ice

Method

1. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, blood orange juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, along with ice.
2. Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds.
3. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a slice of blood orange. Serve immediately.

Notes

Variation: Regular orange juice, freshly squeezed, can be substituted for blood orange juice.

About egg whites: Use a pasteurized egg white product instead of raw egg white to avoid contamination. If desired, omit egg white and top the cocktail with club soda instead.

Classic gin fizz: Add 2 oz. gin, 1 oz. lemon juice, and ¾ oz. simple syrup to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake with one egg white, strain into glass, and top with club soda.

Make it NA: Use non-alcoholic elderflower syrup and non-alcoholic gin ( Monday is our favorite).