{Recipe} ~ Cranberry Gin & Tonics

Boy, have I got a fabulous holiday cocktail for you!

My parents' dear friends, and my second "Mom & Dad", sure know how to mix a drink! Becky gave me this recipe a few years ago and I've been making it at Christmas time ever since. You don't even have to like gin and tonic, but trust me, you'll love this!

I ended up using a little less than a whole bag of cranberries because I was reserving some to make Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread, which is why they look paler pink in the photo below. It typically is a deep, gorgeous red when you follow the recipe as written!

Cranberry Gin & Tonics
From the Divine Mrs. M

Ingredients:
2 (12 oz) bags fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
3 1/3 cups chilled tonic water
1 ¼ cups gin
3 TB plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice

Preparations:
Bring cranberries, sugar and water to a simmer in a 3 to 3 ½ quart saucepan. Simmer
uncovered, stirring occasionally, until berries just begin to pop, about 2 minutes (I cook about
4 to 5 minutes). Drain cranberries in a fine mesh sieve (or colander) set over a big bowl. Reserve
2 cups cranberries and force remaining berries through sieve into syrup (I squish them through
with a coffee mug). Discard solids remaining in sieve, then add reserved cranberries to syrup.
Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a pitcher and chill until cold, about 2 hours. When ready
to serve, add remaining ingredients to syrup, stirring gently to combine. Serve drinks over ice in
8 to 10 oz. glasses.

You can make multiple batches of berry syrup (store in Tupperware container) and squeeze
lime juice (another container) ahead of time. Then just dump the berries, lime juice, tonic water
and gin in a pretty pitcher as needed. A 750 ml bottle of gin makes 2 batches. Serve with thin
sliced limes.