Blood Orange Gin Fizz

Make the most of rosy red blood orange juice in this seasonal cocktail, the Blood Orange Gin Fizz!

Second time lucky…

This week I’m sharing Blood Orange Gin Fizz version 2.0! It’s a recipe I originally shared back in 2014 when I took all of my photos on Instagram in our tiny, poorly lit kitchen. A lot has changed in those three years EXCEPT my love for blood oranges and gin! So I thought it was about time that I gave it a bit of a makeover.

The recipe has stayed the same and this zingy gin cocktail is made with just four simple ingredients: (1) the juice of a blood orange, (2) angostoura bitters, (3) gin, and (4) tonic water.

A Blood Orange Gin Fizz really is just a twist on a classic gin and tonic but the bittersweet flavour of blood orange adds extra depth of flavour. In terms of which gin to use, I went for Tanqueray 10 this week but Bombay Sapphire, Citadelle or something like Death’s Door would work really well! Tanqueray 10 is usually paired with grapefruit but I think the angustura bitters in this cocktail work really well to mimic the bitterness of a grapefruit.

I’ve also started using herbs a lot more in my cocktails and the spring of rosemary I used as a stirrer for my Blood Orange Gin Fizz added an extra dimension to the cocktail.

The recipe

My Blood Orange Gin Fizz is and incredibly light drink which is a welcome break from sickly sweet fruit based cocktails that are full of artificial syrups. Blood oranges are best known for their deep red flesh which bleeds a rosy coloured juice as well as the mottled rosy hue of their peel. But the real reason I love them so much is that blood oranges are the perfect blend of juicy, sweet and tart. I’m also a big fan of bitters as they work amazingly well in gin based drinks.

Print

Blood Orange Gin Fizz

Use of the best of the seasons blood oranges in this zingy gin cocktail!

Course Drinks

Cuisine British

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 person

Author Emma Walton

Ingredients

• 1 blood orange juice only
• 50 millilitres gin
• 3 drops angostura bitters
• 150 millilitres tonic water

Instructions

1. Pour the juice of the blood orange over ice cubes in a long glass.
2. Next add the gin and bitters.
3. Give the drink a stir and top up with tonic water to the desired level.
4. Stir gently to combine.

And now the funny part…

I couldn’t upgrade the post without doing a “before and after” style reveal. So here are the original pictures from my original post! Scroll back far enough on my instagram feed and you’ll find them! Thank god my photograph skills have come on a bit since then! Though maybe I should have used those little cocktail umbrellas…

The blood oranges I had back in 2014 were really vibrant red. The ones I had this year were more blush. Unfortunately I could only get my hands on two and I forgot to photograph them before I made the cocktail! I really was in need of a drink…perhaps I’ll have to post a version 3.0 next year!

More blood orange inspiration!

If you’ve liked this recipe then why not check out some of these tasty blood orange recipes from some of my favourite food and drinks bloggers:

• For those of you who don’t drink why not try this Blood Orange and Elderflower Mocktail from Little Sunny Kitchen
• Want to bake with your blood oranges? You’ll want to check out this Olive Oil, Cardamom and Blood Orange Polenta Cake from Recipes from a Pantry
• Ceri from Natural Kitchen Adventures Pan-fried Hake with Sauce Maltaise (the sauce gets its colour from the blood orange juice!)
• I love the look of these Quick and Easy Blood Orange Cheesecakes from Farmersgirl Kitchen – naughty but nice!
• Trying to be healthy? Why not use your blood oranges in a fun a fruity Blood Orange Salad with Avocado, Radish and Dill like this recipe from Family Friends Food
• Last but not least is this incredibly versatile Blood Orange Squash from Tin and Thyme.

I hope you bought a big bag of blood oranges because there’s lots of inspiration for you there! You’ll be eating blood oranges for days – enjoy!