Make the most of rosy red blood orange juice in this seasonal cocktail, the Blood Orange Gin Fizz!
Seasonal cocktails
This seasonal cocktail is made with just four simple ingredients: (1) the juice of blood oranges, (2) angostura 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.
It's an 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.
Blood oranges
But before we get down to the recipe here's some answers to the things you may be wondering about this seasonal fruit.
What are blood oranges?
Blood oranges are a sweet orange that has been described as a cross between red grapefruit, raspberry and cherry.
Their sweet, syrupy flavour goes well in both sweet and savoury dishes (see some recipe ideas at the end of this post). But, they also go really well when juiced and added to drinks!
They get the name from the fact that inside they can be bright red - though often they are just flecked red. They get this distinct colouring from a pigment that is triggered when the temperature is warm in the day but then drops to -1°C or -2°C at night.
When are blood oranges in season?
Blood oranges are a winter citrus fruit which means you will find them in supermarkets and at specialist grocers between January and March. The season is very short lived and they seem to vanish as quickly as they arrived.
Can I replace blood oranges with regular oranges?
Yes, you can. The flavour will just be a little more sour so you may want to consider adding a little simple syrup to sweeten it up.
The recipe
Blood Orange Gin Fizz
Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges juice only
- 50 millilitres gin
- 4 drops angostura bitters
- 200 millilitres tonic water
Instructions
- Pour the juice of the blood orange over ice cubes in a long glass.
- Next add the gin and bitters.
- Give the drink a stir and top up with tonic water to the desired level.
- Stir gently to combine.
Nutrition
More blood orange recipes
If you've liked this recipe then why not check out some of these tasty blood orange recipes:
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!
Heidi Roberts says
This looks like a fun recipe. I only tried blood oranges once and they were tart so I am not sure if I got a bad one or if they are supposed to be tart
Emma Walton says
They are a little sour but not loads more than a normal orange! Perhaps you were unlucky!
Ceri Jones says
I have one blood orange left over, can't decide what to do with it, but maybe right now I am fancying making a version of this as I treated myself to a bottle of Brecon gin last week. Mmmm hic!
Emma Walton says
Its clearly fate Ceri!!!
Sylvia says
You had me at gin! Blood orange and gin seems like a great combination for me 😀
Emma Walton says
Haha glad to have you on board 😉
Janice says
Oh how perfect! Love the addition of the rosemary, my favourite herb.
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
This sounds amazing. I just bought blood oranges on the market so I might have to rustle this up after the school run later 🙂
Emma Walton says
What perfect timing 😀 it was clearly meant to be Helen!
Ren Behan says
Absolutely gorgeous, making this and have pinned onto my cocktail board to keep a reminder - glorious gin recipe.
Emma Walton says
Thanks Ren 😀 your comment has put a big smile on my face!!!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
The color on this cocktail is so darn inviting - hard to resist this simple elegant drink!
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube says
I am not good at making cocktails! I can only manage cuba libre and mojito 😉 I love how easy this is to make and the color is amazing! 🙂
Emma Walton says
I'm sure you could manage this Julia! No experience required 🙂
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
This looks so delicious and refreshing!! Love the vibrant colour; I've yet to see any blood orange here, but I keep looking as I'm desperate to try one!!
Emma Walton says
Fingers crossed you find one soon!
Chris @thinlyspread says
I wanted to dive into this the moment I saw it! The colour is amazing and I bet it tastes divine!
Vicky @ Avocado Pesto says
Not normally a fan of gin but would love to try this with vodka instead!!
Emma Walton says
Give it a go and let me know what you think 😀
Boyd Kobe says
Gorgeous looking cocktail! It sounds so delicious too. Can’t wait to try these, everyone will love them.
denny says
Thank you for sharing this amazing idea, really appreciates your post.
virat panday says
Great recipe !! I've bookmarked your blog and have sent this recipe to my friends.