We may not find toys in our Christmas stockings anymore, but this week I’m giving you a Gin Soldier to play with. A brightly colored, refreshing drink with a little zing…perfect for a happy hour or cocktail tasting. Leave your Cape Codder for the summer months, this cranberry drink calls for gin and ginger beer.

I infused my gin with cranberries, but you don’t HAVE to do that. I wanted a stronger cranberry flavor without watering down the drink. To do this, I added fresh cranberries (scoring some of them) to a jar and added twice as much gin. I let that sit for a week in a cool dark place.

I also made unsweetened cranberry juice/syrup. Added about half a bag of fresh cranberries to a pot, covered them with water, brought to a boil and simmered for 10 minutes. I strained the fluid into a container, pressing the cranberries (to smoosh them) as it strained to get as much flavor as possible.

Now, I’m not usually a fan of gin, but this combination is pretty delicious. The taste of gin is very slight and the botanical tones are really complimented by the bitterness of the cranberry and the spiciness and sweetness of the ginger beer. I encourage you to try it, even if you don’t love gin.

Let’s whip up this pretty little cocktail.

Gin Soldier

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1.5 ounces cranberry infused gin (see above)
• 1 ounce fresh, unsweetened cranberry syrup/juice (see above)
• Ginger beer
• Ice
• Sugared cranberries and mint for garnish

Directions

• Fill a rocks glass with ice
• Add gin and cranberry syrup/juice
• Top with ginger beer
• Add sugared cranberries & a fresh sprig of mint for garnish

Here’s to a Christmas season with a little zing.

XOXO

Veronica