When blood oranges are in season, making a Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet with fresh squeezed juice is absolutely divine.
Traditionally, a gimlet is a cocktail made from gin or vodka and sweetened lime juice.
But a traditional gimlet isn’t very well suited for the holidays.
That’s why I love this Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet.
Made with champagne, it’s delightfully bubbly!
It is as simple to make as a traditional gimlet but has a fruity and refreshing flavor profile that seems just a bit more festive.
And the red-orange color combined with a garnish of rosemary looks like a party in a glass.
Enjoy a Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet
This post was sponsored by Caorunn Gin. They provided a bottle of their gin for me to try. However, all opinions are my own.
Another thing I love about the Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet, however, is that despite the festive holiday appearance, this cocktail is all about the tropical flavors.
Blood orange and lime combine wonderfully with high-quality Caorunn Gin we used, for a beverage that tastes like sunshine in a glass.
It’s a great alternative for revelers who get weary of everything tasting of pumpkin spice and cranberry.
It’s the perfect drink for when blood oranges are in season
Making a gimlet when blood oranges are in season is absolutely divine.
It’s a great drink to enjoy in the winter when they are in season.
However, you can find Blood Orange Juice bottled as well if you want to enjoy it outside of their season.
The tropical fruit flavors also make the Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet perfect for many other special occasions throughout the year.
Serve some for Christmas and New Year’s parties, Mother’s Day brunch or whip some up to go with a special Valentine’s Day meal.
The Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet is so tasty, it makes every occasion extra special!
Thank you to our friends at Caorunn Gin for sharing their recipe and photography with us.
Ingredients to make a blood orange gimlet with champagne
2 oz. Gin, we used Caorunn
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
½ oz. blood orange juice
1 oz. Champagne, we used Palmer & Co Brut Réserve NV, chilled
Can I serve the drink without alcohol?
Yes, you can serve the drink without alcohol with a few minor changes.
Here’s what to do.
I start by leaving out the gin.
Then I replace the champagne with sparkling grape juice.
It’s really that easy. It makes a nice sparkling blood orange punch.
Can I make the drink ahead of time?
Mostly!
What you want to do is mix up the fresh squeezed orange juice ahead of time.
Then pre-mix the gin, orange juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
Then when it’s time to serve, just pour the mixture into the glass and top it off with champagne.
Can I serve the drink as a punch or by the pitcher?
Yes, you absolutely can.
And my! It’s a hit at parties and brunches to do so.
Start by multiplying the ingredients based on how many servings you anticipate requiring.
Then like I explained for making the drink ahead of time, go ahead and mix your juices with the gin and simple syrup.
Chill it in the refrigerator, overnight, if you’d like.
Then when it’s time to serve, pour and top up with champagne kind of like you would with a mimosa.
How do I make a blood orange punch bowl ring?
A nice touch is to make a blood orange flavored punch bowl ring.
It keeps the drink cold without watering it down.
If you want to do that, squeeze extra blood orange juice.
Then put the punch bowl ring in the freezer the night before so that it’s ready for your event.
Right before it’s time, add the ring to your punch bowl, and pour the drink over the ring.
Add the champagne right before it’s time to serve.
Or top each glass with champagne if your guests will not be drinking all at the same time.
What to do if blood oranges aren’t in season
We love making this drink with blood orange juice.
When blood oranges aren’t in season, there are a couple of great options.
First, Martinelli’s makes a yummy sparkling blood orange juice that we really like.
Secondly, you may substitute the blood orange juice for another favorite orange juice.
We particularly enjoy making this drink with the juice from cara cara oranges too.
How to Make a Blood Orange Gimlet
Adding delicious citrus flavor to a gimlet is easy with our recipe.
Pre-Steps:
If you are using fresh blood orange juice for the recipe, you will want to squeeze your juice before making the drink.
Make the Drink:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the gin, lime juice, simple syrup and blood orange juice to the cocktail shaker and close the shaker.
Shake until well mixed.
Using a strainer, pour the mixture into a glass over ice.
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and enjoy!
We like to serve this drink in either martini glass, a champagne coupe, or a highball as shown.
More delicious cocktails to enjoy:
Blood Orange and Bourbon Cocktail
Chocolate Covered Raspberry Martini
Elderflower Grapefruit Sparkler
Prosecco with Sweetened Cranberries
Sparkling Apple Martini with Prosecco
try it and share!
Please let us know how you enjoy our Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet recipe.
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You may enjoy following our Pinterest Boards, Champagne Recipes and Gin Cocktail Recipes.
Sparkling Blood Orange Gimlet
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Gin we used Caorunn
- ¾ oz. fresh lime juice
- ¾ oz. simple syrup
- ½ oz. blood orange juice
- 1 oz. Champagne we used Palmer & Co Brut Réserve NV, chilled
Instructions
- Add ice plus all ingredients except champagne to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well.
- Using a strainer, pour over ice into a martini glass.
- Top with champagne.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 21, 2020. It was updated on December 16, 2021.
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.
We made these gimlets over the weekend to get ready for Mother’s Day. Oh my! They were so good, and everyone really liked them a lot!