A picture of a cinnamon cranberry gin sour cocktail with a cinnamon sugar rim and evergreen decor in the background.

The gin sour is a freakin classic. But the greatest thing about any sour is the ability to customize it. For this variation, the holidays are fast approaching so I decided to throw in some holiday flavor. Enjoy the Cinnamon Cranberry Gin Sour this Christmas!

See the recipe

Cinnamon In A Cocktail?

Hell yeah! Usually when people think cinnamon and alcohol, Fireball is the first association in their minds. But that shit is NASTY. For this recipe, I made some cinnamon syrup to experiment with as we approach the holidays. If you’re a fan of tiki drinks then you already know that cinnamon pairs surprisingly well with citrus, and this drink is no exception. Throwing a cinnamon-sugar rim on it only helps to bring out that classic holiday spice.

How To Make A Cinnamon Cranberry Gin Sour

The CCGS (I’m tired of typing the unabbreviated version) is essentially the same as a normal sour. You’ve got your gin. You’ve got your syrup in the form of cinnamon syrup. And you’ve got your sour in the form of cranberry juice and lemon juice. I threw in a little bit of my homemade orange liqueur for a little extra roundness and to add some of my custom spice goodness. Because there’s a bit higher concentration of water already in this cocktail (there’s a higher ratio of juice to alcohol), you don’t need to shake it quite as long as a classic gin sour. Just enough to chill it and add just a little water content.

Cinnamon Cranberry Gin Sour Recipe

  • 2oz gin
  • .5oz homemade orange liqueur (grand marnier is a valid substitute, but that shit is expensive)
  • 1oz unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1oz lemon juice
  • 1oz cinnamon syrup

Throw everything in a shaker, fill 3/4 with ice, and shake for about 10 seconds. Rim your glass with cinnamon sugar and double strain the cocktail into your coupe glass. Enjoy!

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