Festive Gin from Canada: Creative Cocktails for the Holiday Season

To impress your guests at the end of the year, introduce them to Canadian gin in delicious original cocktails as an aperitif. Gin is a strong alcohol with a pronounced herbaceous taste and is a key ingredient for making original drinks. Find some gin-based recipes for your holidays in this article.

Maple Gin Smash

Gin basil smash is a Cocktail from Hamburg in Germany and made famous by mixologist Jorg Meyer at the Lion Bar in Paris. Made with gin, lemon juice and plenty of fresh basil, it has since been revisited many times. The maple Gin Smash is a Canadian variation of this cocktail.

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 30 ml of Canadian gin
• 30 ml of Sortilège maple syrup whiskey liqueur
• 8 ml maple syrup
• ½ squeezed lemon + zest
• A few blueberries
• Crushed ice

Place the blueberries in a shaker and crush them. Add all the liquids on top. Close and shake for a good thirty seconds. Place crushed ice in a tumbler glass. Filter the cocktail and pour it into the glass. Decorate the glass with lemon zest and a few blueberries.

Maple and blueberry Gimlet

The Gimlet is originally an iconic 19th century cocktail made from three ingredients: gin, lime juice and powdered sugar. This tangy cocktail served as the basis for the creation of many other cocktails, such as the Daiquiri or the Margarita.

It is revisited here to introduce maple syrup and blueberries (optional).

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 60 ml of Canadian gin
• 30 ml of maple syrup
• 30 ml fresh lime juice
• 1 lime wedge
• A few blueberries (optional)
• Ice cubes

Place the blueberries and maple syrup in a shaker and mix well. Pour the gin and lime juice over the top and cover with ice cubes. Mix again thoroughly. Strain twice and pour into a martini glass. For the garnish, add a few blueberries and the lime wedge.

The pink martini with gin and cranberries

This cocktail combines the sweet and slightly tart taste of cranberries with power of gin. It's a sweeter, fruitier version of the classic martini cocktail. For a perfect balance, we add a note of Cointreau. Ideally, place all ingredients in the refrigerator before serving.

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 30 ml of Canadian gin
• 30 ml of cranberry juice
• 30 ml fresh lime juice
• Lime zest
• A splash of Cointreau-type orange liqueur
• Ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a shaker and add ice cubes. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain and pour into a martini glass. Decorate with a lime zest.

The Vesper

This is a variation of the famous Dry Martini cocktail. You'll probably recognize the Vesper as James Bond's creation in the movie Casino Royale, and it's topped with Lillet Blanc. Gin dominates in this powerful alcohol cocktail, reduce the dose to obtain a less pronounced result.

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 90 ml of Canadian gin
• 30 ml of vodka
• 15 ml of Lillet Blanc
• Lemon slice
• Ice cubes

Fill a shaker with ice cubes and add all the liquid ingredients. Stir vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain and pour into a champagne glass. Decorate the glass with the lemon slice.

The French 75 with elderflower

The French 75 is a classic cocktail made with champagne, gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup. In this version, elderflower liqueur is added to give it a delicate floral touch.

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 45 ml of Canadian gin
• 15 ml elderflower liqueur (St. Germain type)
• 15 ml of fresh lemon juice
• 120 ml of chilled champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine
• Lemon zest
• Ice cubes

In a shaker, pour the gin, elderberry liqueur and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add ice cubes. Shake for about twenty seconds. Strain and pour into a champagne flute. Add the champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine. Decorate with lemon zest.

The sparkling elderflower cocktail

This cocktail is made with gin, fresh lemon juice, elderflower liqueur and champagne or sparkling wine. Airy, floral and fresh, it is perfect for holiday meals and receptions. The subtle taste of the elderflower liqueur counteracts the acidity of the lemon juice and you obtain a delicious, well-balanced cocktail.

Ingredients for a cocktail:

• 45 ml of Canadian gin
• 2 teaspoons elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
• 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
• Champagne, prosecco or chilled sparkling wine
• Lemon zest
• Rosemary sprig
• Ice cubes

In a shaker, start by pouring the elderflower liqueur, gin and lemon juice. Fill with ice cubes and close. Shake for about twenty seconds. Strain the mixture before pouring it into a champagne flute halfway. Fill the rest of the glass with prosecco, sparkling wine or champagne. Finish decorating with lemon zest and rosemary sprig.

Gin, a complex alcohol perfect for cocktails

THE gin is a strong alcohol which must be of good quality to appreciate its aromatic complexity. The best gins are easily drunk neat, but you can make a multitude of cocktails with them.

What you need to know about gin

It is difficult to guess the basic ingredient of a gin by tasting it. It is made from grain flour such as barley, corn, or even molasses from beets in particular. The neutral alcohol thus produced is then flavored, always with juniper berries and also licorice or coriander.

The origins of this strong alcohol can be traced back to the Netherlands, where Genever was traditionally produced using juniper berries.

Our selection of Canadian gins

We have selected several Canadian gins for you on our merchant site. Discover pure gins, like that of the Neige brand or even infused gins. There is in particular the gin with Akenes spices from Nokomis, with wild violets from the Mariana distillery or even Furlong from La Chaufferie. Leo brand maple reduced gin liqueur is another gin-based alcohol that you will find in our online store.

For memorable celebrations, rely on Canadian and Quebec products from our merchant site. Maple syrup is an ingredient that can be used in a multitude of sweet or savory preparations. You will also find gift ideas by browsing our selection of alcohols and drinks. They are also perfect for concocting many cocktails!