Blood Orange Gin Fizz with Elderflower
Posted: 08/06/2021
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This beautifully hued cocktail takes a gin fizz to new heights. Try this Blood Orange Gin Fizz with elderflower liqueur. It’s a wonderful sipper!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This cocktail is 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 super easy to make more)
I’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 so much beautiful color. Don’t you just love that gorgeous dark rose color? I love a blood orange martini, too.
And elderflower liqueur is such a great mixer! Have you tried my grapefruit and elderflower cocktail?
What’s Elderflower Liqueur?
Elderflower liqueur is 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.
And of course, gin is no slouch in the taste department either. I love the herbal juniper notes in gin. Try it in one of our G&Ts – a classic gin and tonic, orange gin and tonic with cinnamon, or a cranberry gin and tonic with rosemary.
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! Perfect for a hot summer evening, don’t you think?
Need something to nibble with your cocktail? Try tortilla chips with citrus salsa or air fryer crab Rangoon. Spiced pecans are delicious, too. Want something more substantial? Try fish tacos with blood orange salsa.
About this gin fizz
A gin fizz is a pretty simple drink. I’ll run through the basics with a few extra tips and ideas before you get started.
Look for the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
What you need
- Gin: I like Bombay Sapphire but The Botanist or Tanqueray are also fine. Hendricks is also one of my favorites. Use your favorite brand.
- Elderflower Liqueur: My 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 delicious.
- 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 to make a blood orange gin fizz
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 super 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.
FAQs
What is a gin fizz made of?
A traditional gin fizz is made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, gin, and club soda. The lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white are shaken together to create a froth. 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 so light and delicious!
How do you make a gin fizz without egg?
If you skip the egg white, club soda does provide a little foam although it’s short-lived. I Heart Vegetables suggests using a tablespoon of aquafaba to replace the egg white in a gin fizz. Aquafaba is the juice in a can of chickpeas. I haven’t tried this substitute but it sounds great and would make this cocktail vegan.
make It your own
- Make a classic gin fizz with 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce lemon juice, and ¾ ounce simple syrup. Shake with one egg white, pour into glass, and top with club soda.
- Instead of blood orange juice, substitute regular orange juice, freshly squeezed.
- Not into the egg white? Skip it, 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.
More fun cocktails
Isn’t it fun to try new cocktails? Most cocktail recipes are pretty easy and you can adapt them to your own taste. Try:
- Cherry French 75 – sweet tart perfection!
- Love Potion Cocktail – a versatile cocktail for Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any day of the year
- Vanilla Bourbon Fizz (bourbon champagne cocktail)
- Hibiscus Mimosa – with a dramatic dark red real flower in the glass!
- Raspberry Rosé Spritzer – easy cocktail!
- White Russian Recipe – make it your own!
- Jack Frost Mimosa – the perfect winter cocktail!
- Negroni – How to make the best negroni cocktail!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
cocktail
This beautifully hued cocktail takes a gin fizz to new heights. Try this Blood Orange Gin Fizz with elderflower liqueur. It's a wonderful sipper!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ½ ounces elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain
- 1 ounce blood orange juice, freshly squeezed (see note)
- 1 pasteurized egg white, about ½ ounce (see note)
- Ice
Instructions
- Add gin, elderflower liqueur, blood orange juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, along with ice.
- Shake vigorously until chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a slice of blood orange. Serve immediately.
Notes
- 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.
- If you prefer a classic gin fizz, here’s an easy recipe: 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.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 10mg, Potassium: 292mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 65IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.4mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Chelsea says
Hi, I just tried this recipe and the 1 1/2 oz of St. Germain is way too much. The elderflower overpowers the drink. I can’t taste the gin nor the blood orange.
Rachel Gurk says
You can definitely adjust it to taste!