Blood Orange Mocktail

At a glance

What stands out: Bright citrus and cozy ginger combine to create this refreshing and fizzy blood orange mocktail recipe. So straightforward and rich!

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: citrus reamer or juicer, small saucepan, strainer, highball glass
Servings: 1 (with pitcher option)

No Booze Required

This fizzy blood orange mocktail might just be our favorite thing to pour when we want something that looks fancy but takes almost no effort. That blush-pink color? Unreal.

It feels reliable for Thanksgiving day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, brunch, or honestly just a random Tuesday when you need a little sparkle.

What makes it special:

• Inclusive and fun. Mocktail or cocktail — everyone’s covered.
• The prettiest blush color. The red fruit inside a blood orange yields juice that ranges from rusty to deep, dark red.
• Complex flavor, no alcohol needed. This blood orange mocktail is sweet, tart, and acidic, with a warm finish thanks to the ginger simple syrup.
• Party-ready. Straightforward to mix one, or scale up for a crowd (we did the pitcher math for you!)

What goes in

• Ginger simple syrup: This simple syrup is made with water, sugar, and fresh ginger. Fresh ginger is pungent and spicy in a way that dried ginger just isn’t.
• Blood orange juice: You usually can’t find these year-round; they’re typically in season in the winter months and the beginning of spring. Outside of blood orange season, you can use regular orange juice, but the flavor will change (as will the color!).
• Lime juice: This adds a brighter, more citrusy flavor to the mocktail than the blood orange juice alone.
• Club soda or sparkling water: Chilled club soda or orange-flavored sparkling water top off the drink, adding a bubbly, crisp finish.
• Garnishes: Add blood orange slices and candied ginger for the reliable finishing touch.

How it comes together

Make the ginger simple syrup. Bring the water, sugar, and ginger to a simmer in a saucepan. While the mixture heats, stir to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, remove the pan from the heat and let the ginger steep in the syrup for 15 minutes. Strain and cool.

Mix. Pour the blood orange juice, lime juice, and ginger syrup into a highball glass with ice cubes. Stir to combine.

Top it off. Pour in the club soda or sparkling water, then briefly stir (if you stir too much, it won’t be as bubbly!).

Garnish. If you’d like, add a blood orange slice and a piece of candied ginger before serving this mocktail.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Make it boozy. Add a splash of vodka to the mocktail. To make a blood orange mimosa, use prosecco instead of sparkling water for prosecco.
• Streamline the process. Use a strong ginger beer instead of the club soda and ginger syrup for an easier blood orange mocktail.
• Try a different citrus variety. All citrus fruits pair well with ginger! Try grapefruit or tangerine juice for something different.
• Scale up to make a pitcher. Stir everything together in a pitcher; if you’re serving it right away, stir in the club soda too. If you’re not serving everyone all at once, don’t add the club soda to the pitcher and instead top off the glasses after pouring in the juice mixture.

Ways to serve it

• Brunch dishes. Why settle for boring orange juice when you can serve a blood orange mocktail instead? Pair it with cornbread pancakes, roasted broccoli quiche, or hash brown breakfast casserole.
• Appetizers. The blood orange/ginger combination goes well with crab rangoon dip, crostini, or whipped feta.
• Cheese and charcuterie boards. These mocktails are reliable for sipping while snacking on fancy bites!

Keeping leftovers

Ginger simple syrup: Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. In addition to this mocktail, you can use it to sweeten hot or iced tea, lemonade, and cocktails.

Pitcher mocktail: If you make a pitcher for a party, the juices and syrup can be refrigerated in a pitcher for up to 3 days. If you’ve added the club soda/sparkling water, it will go flat after a few hours in the fridge.

• Yield: 1
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For Ginger Simple Syrup:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced ( 8 to 10 slices)

For Mocktail:

• Ice
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about 1 orange)
• 2 tablespoons cooled ginger simple syrup
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ¼ cup chilled club soda or orange sparkling water

Optional Garnishes:

• blood orange slices and candied (crystallized) ginger

Method

1. Combine the water, granulated sugar, and ginger slices in a small saucepan; bring just to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat. Steep 15 minutes so the flavors develop, strain, and cool completely. The simple syrup can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Fill a highball glass halfway with ice cubes.
3. Add the blood orange juice, lime juice, and ginger syrup to the glass. Stir well.
4. Top with the club soda or sparkling water.
5. Stir gently, then garnish the drink with a blood orange slice and a small piece of candied ginger.
6. Serve immediately.

Notes

Oranges : Blood oranges may also be labeled as “raspberry oranges.” Regular oranges will work, but will change the flavor slightly, and the appearance drastically.

For 4 drinks : 1 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about 4 oranges)

½ cup cooled ginger simple syrup

¼ tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 cup chilled club soda or orange sparkling water