Burnt Blood Orange and Ginger Gin Smash

This seasonal gin cocktail features juicy blood oranges, ginger, fresh mint and lime, and sparkling water. A blood orange gin smash is the perfect cocktail for a winter afternoon. For a fun twist, you’ll torch the blood oranges with a little sugar and add a smoky depth of flavor to this vegan cocktail recipe.

about this recipe:

One of the joys I find in the depths of winter in Pennsylvania is the bounty of beautiful winter citrus. The deep ruby of a blood orange or the sunny yellow of a lemon are enough to brighten even the gloomiest winter mornings!

I love using winter citrus in drinks because it’s a cheap and flavorful way to make a casual evening mocktail or cocktail feel a little more special. For today’s recipe, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to use blood oranges- by lighting them on fire and mixing with fresh ginger and mint in a gin smash!

This cocktail recipe is:

• vegan
• seasonal
• fun to make
• easy to customize
• so delicious!

What you’ll need for this vegan cocktail:

To make my favorite wintery gin cocktail, you’ll only need a few fresh ingredients. See the troubleshooting and tips section for ingredient substitutions and variations!

• Blood oranges
• Fresh ginger
• Fresh mint leaves
• Gin
• Sparkling water

How to make a burnt blood orange gin smash:

• Torch your citrus: Cut your blood oranges in half and sprinkle them with sugar. Using a blow torch and a heat-safe surface, carefully torch the sugar until it’s bubbly and burnt in spots. Set aside to cool off while you prepare the other elements.
• Muddle your ginger: Place your ginger slices and a pinch of salt into the bottom of a cocktail shaker or jar and use a cocktail muddler or a sturdy wooden spoon to vigorously smash the ginger and help it release its juices and flavors, about 60 seconds.
• Muddle your mint and lime: Add the mint leaves and lime wedges to the cocktail shaker with the ginger and muddle for another 30 seconds.
• Squeeze your blood oranges: Carefully squeeze the juice from all four of your blood oranges into the cocktail shaker.
• Add your gin and ice
• Stir or shake: Once all your ingredients are in the shaker, briefly shake or stir to combine.
• Strain: Strain your cocktail into a 12 oz glass with fresh ice.
• Fizz it up! Add your favorite sparkling water to top off each drink.
• Garnish: Add an optional burnt blood orange slice to each drink along with a lime wedge and mint leaves if desired.

Troubleshooting, tips, and more:

• Substituting other fruits: You can definitely substitute any other citrus or fruit you prefer or have on hand to make this drink your own! I think it would be particularly delicious with meyer lemons or even peaches and strawberries in the summer!
• If you don’t have fresh ginger, I’d suggest replacing both the ginger and the sparkling water with a ginger beer if you like strong ginger flavor or ginger ale if you don’t want that spicy ginger bite.
• Of course, please eliminate the gin if you’re not feeling a boozy beverage! I made sure to include plenty of fun strong flavors aside from the alcohol in case you prefer a virgin version. Or if you just hate gin, vodka would be great too.
• No blowtorch? The “burnt” element of this cocktail is definitely not required- just use the juice as is. You could also experiment with broiling or grilling your fruit instead- just be careful!

If you enjoyed my burnt blood orange and ginger gin smash, you might like some of my other vegan beverages! My personal favorites include my vegan vodka fizz and my turmeric chamomile moon milk.

Thank you for stopping by and please be sure to share and review this recipe if you like it! To connect on Instagram, follow me @plantandsoulkitchen and tag me in your remakes- I love seeing your creations! xo Jillian

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