Orange Lemon Gin Cooler

Beat the heat with the always refreshing Orange Lemon Gin Cooler. Made with fresh citrus juice, gin, and sparkling water, you can easily throw a batch together in minutes when the sunshine comes out or to make your day by the pool extra enjoyable!

The most refreshing gin cooler cocktail

A day spent by the pool with great company is never a bad day. One way to make it even better, of course, is to add a cocktail or two! 

There are plenty of options to choose from, from an icy cold pineapple margarita to a summery sangria. An easy and quick option, however, would be this Orange Lemon Gin Cooler! It’s made with fresh citrus juices, gin, simple syrup, and topped off with sparkling water for an extra hit of refreshment.

Just like my pineapple gin cooler, every sip of this gin and orange juice cocktail will cool you down and help you beat the heat. Make your day by the pool even better than you imagined with a round of gin coolers for everyone paired with cool and refreshing snacks. The bright and vibrant flavors go so well next to my smoked salmon crostini and avocado cilantro yogurt dip. Enjoy!

Inspired by a classic cocktail

I find a lot of inspiration for cocktail recipes in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book (take The Abbey Cocktail and Corpse Reviver No. 2 for example) and this gin and orange juice cocktail is no different. The original recipe, known as the Orange Blossom Cooler, is on page 202 in the book and made with almost all of the same ingredients as this recipe. My take on it, however, includes lemon juice and simple syrup for easy sipping and added brightness.

Orange gin cocktail ingredients

The better quality ingredients you use, the better your cocktail will taste. On days when you need a refreshing cocktail in a pinch, look for the simple substitutions I’ve included. They’ll keep this recipe as flexible and easy as possible!

Orange juice

Making alcoholic drinks with orange juice is a tale as old as time. Whether you’re whipping up a few screwdrivers or a round of mimosas, it’s a classic choice that’s always tart, refreshing, and thirst-quenching. It also happens to be the star of this orange colored cocktail.

Sure, you could use storebought orange juice in a pinch, but freshly squeezed is so much more fresh and bright. Use a citrus reamer to juice a few valencia or tangerine oranges a day or two ahead of time so you can whip up a batch of orange gin cocktails whenever a craving hits (or during the heatwave). Shake, sip, and sip away!

Gin

Don’t feel like you need to break the bank on the fanciest bottle of gin you can find. The intricate flavors and aromatics are somewhat hidden behind the citrus juices and syrup, meaning you can get away with a mid-priced bottle here. Some of my favorites are Hendricks, The Botanist, and Tanqueray, but use any brand you enjoy!

This recipe calls for 1.5 ounces of gin per drink but if you like your gin coolers on the stronger side, you could go up to 2 ounces.

Simple syrup

This liquid sugar syrup is easy to make from scratch and brings a touch of sweetness to cocktails, fruit salads, ice coffee, and more! You can make it at home in a pinch using equal parts white sugar and water. Simply heat the sugar and water mixture on the stove until the sugar dissolves, let it cool, and use it any way you like!

Lemon juice

This is one of the additions I made to the original vintage cocktail recipe. I find that the fresh lemon juice adds another layer of brightness while helping to balance the entire cocktail. You can use bottled lemon juice if that’s all you have at home, but fresh is always best!

Sparkling water

This bubbly finish adds a fun fizz, helps balance all of the flavors, and makes each sip super refreshing! Be sure not to add the sparkling water until right before serving so you don’t miss out on the bubbles.

Play with the flavors

The original Orange Blossom cocktail is fun to play with and this recipe is no exception. Get creative here and mix and match the ingredients to delight your tastebuds. Use any of these ideas for inspiration:

• Add a splash of fresh lime juice.
• A few drops of grenadine will add a delightful punch of pomegranate.
• Replace the orange juice with pineapple juice or grapefruit juice.
• Not a fan of gin? Use vodka, white rum, or blanco tequila instead.
• Use blood orange juice for a darker hue.
• Craving a mocktail instead? Omit the gin for a just as refreshing non-alcoholic orange cooler.

Making big batch gin coolers

Some craft cocktails can be made in large batches to serve crowds at pool parties and get-togethers, and that includes this orange lemon cooler recipe. You can double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe, pour everything except the sparkling water into a pitcher, and keep it in the fridge a few hours ahead of time or overnight. Add the sparkling water right before serving and enjoy!

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