Cranberry Collins Recipe

A Tom Collins is a simple and refreshing cocktail that combines gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda into a bright, bubbly drink that is both a little sweet and a little tart. It's the best way to turn lemonade into a sophisticated adult beverage, and as such is usually associated with summer months; however, the simple build also makes it great for riffing into a seasonal drink. This cranberry Collins puts a wintery spin on the classic drink by incorporating cranberry juice cocktail and freshly squeezed blood orange juice, giving the drink a festive color and a balance of sweet, tart, and citrusy flavors.

Cranberry makes this ordinarily citrus-forward cocktail festive by adding a rich tartness to the lemon and blood orange build. Blood orange adds its own subtle sweetness (and beautiful color) beyond using lemon juice alone, further balancing the tartness of the cocktail. The gin, then, acts as a botanical base, adding a floral flavor to the drink that separates it from a lemon drop or sour. Refreshing, tart, and easy to sip, this cocktail feels right at home at both holiday gatherings and cozy nights in.

To make this cocktail, you'll first need cranberry juice cocktail, freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly squeezed blood orange juice, club soda, and gin. Gin is a spirit with vast differences in flavor from bottle to bottle, and each one can entirely transform the drink. I recommend choosing a similar gin to that you'd use in a gin and tonic, which balances the effervescence and citrus without overpowering either one. For me, my go-to is Beefeater London Dry, which has a crisp, neutral flavor that works well with bold citrus flavors.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Add the gin, cranberry juice, blood orange juice, and lemon juice, and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds, until chilled.

Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.

Top with club soda and stir gently to combine.

Garnish with cranberries and a rosemary sprig, if desired, and serve.

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Using blood orange liqueur is a fun way to make this Collins cocktail stronger and sweeter while maintaining a similar flavor to a cocktail made with fresh blood orange juice. Because this recipe uses only ½ ounce blood orange juice and forgoes simple syrup, you can substitute using a 1-to-1 ratio, using the same amount of blood orange liqueur as blood orange juice. You can even increase the amount slightly, though you may need to adjust the amount of cranberry juice cocktail you add so that the drink doesn't become overly sweet.

If you can't find blood oranges or blood orange liqueur, regular orange juice works as a similarly citrusy, sweet substitute. You can even try grapefruit juice to match the tart, tangy flavor of blood oranges, which pairs well with cranberry and gin. Like with blood orange liqueur, you can also swap for an orange-flavored liqueur like triple sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier, which will add a richness and citrusy flavor with the bite of an added spirit. You can also omit the orange altogether, though the drink will be sweeter and more tart since it will be more cranberry-forward.

Unsweetened cranberry juice is considerably more tart and acidic than cranberry juice cocktail, which contains added sugar to balance the fruit's sharpness. Cranberry juice cocktail is more common (and cheaper), so it's more likely you'll have it on hand, but if you find yourself with unsweetened cranberry juice, you can adjust the recipe to remain balanced instead of overly sour or tart.

To compensate for the missing sugar, add simple syrup to the cocktail, starting with ½ ounce at a time. You can also slightly reduce the lemon or blood orange if the drink is too sour or acidic, but don't remove it completely: The idea behind this cocktail is to feature cranberry without it completely changing the essence of the drink. Keeping the main ingredients of gin, citrus, and club soda prominent is important in ensuring this cocktail is truly a Collins, so when using unsweetened cranberry juice, add a little at a time until the drink is balanced to your liking. 

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