This low carb gin apple cocktail is a crisp, sparkling holiday drink made with gin, zero carb apple sparkling water and a squeeze of lime. Cranberry ice cubes and a cinnamon stick make it look festive, and it comes in at less than 1g net carbs per glass.
Adapted from this gin and sparkling apple juice Christmas cocktail from Fuss Free Flavours.
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The original version of this drink uses sparkling apple juice, which has over 25g of carbs per cup. That's a whole day's worth of carbs for a lot of us, in one glass! The fix is simple: swap the juice for a zero carb, apple flavored sparkling water. You still get a light, fruity apple flavor and plenty of fizz, and the gin gives it a clean, herbal finish. It takes about two minutes to stir together once your ice cubes are frozen, so it's an easy one to bring out for Thanksgiving, a Christmas party or a cozy Friday night in.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apple flavored sparkling water. This is the key to the whole drink. I use Clear American Fuji Apple from Walmart, which has zero carbs and zero calories. If you can't get to a Walmart, Clear American Fuji Apple is also sold online. Sparkling Ice has a Crisp Apple flavor that pops up seasonally, and Spindrift Fuji Apple works too, though it's made with a little real juice, so check the label for a few carbs. Whatever you buy, read the nutrition panel and make sure it says 0g sugar. Still apple flavored water is easier to find, but it makes a flat, watery drink, so stick with sparkling.
- Gin. Plain distilled gin has no carbs at all, so any London dry gin you like will work. Flavored and "sloe" gins are a different story, since many of them are sweetened, so save those for another day. Not sure which drinks are safe? My guide, Can You Drink Alcohol on a Low Carb Diet?, covers the basics.
- Lime juice. Just a teaspoon brightens everything up and keeps the drink from tasting flat. Fresh is best, but bottled lime juice is fine. Lemon juice works if that's what you have.
- Fresh cranberries. These go into the ice cubes for color. They're decoration only, so they aren't counted in the nutrition. Frozen cranberries work just as well, and pomegranate seeds or a few raspberries are pretty substitutes.
- Cinnamon stick. A cinnamon stick doubles as a stirrer and adds a warm, holiday smell every time you take a sip. It's for garnish, not for eating.
Helpful Tips
Make the cranberry ice cubes ahead. Place two or three cranberries in each cavity of an ice cube tray and top up with filtered or distilled water. They need about an hour to freeze solid, so do this before your guests arrive, or even a few days ahead.
Freeze in two stages for fully enclosed berries. Cranberries float, so they'll poke out of the top of the cubes. That doesn't bother me at all! But if you want them sealed inside the ice, fill the cavities halfway, freeze, then top up with water and freeze again.
Use filtered or distilled water for clear ice. Tap water often freezes cloudy, which hides the cranberries. Filtered or distilled water gives you clearer cubes so the red really shows through.
Chill everything first. Keep the sparkling water and gin in the fridge (or the gin in the freezer). Cold ingredients hold their fizz longer and melt the ice cubes more slowly, so the drink stays crisp instead of watered down.
Pour the sparkling water last. Add the ice and gin first, then pour the apple sparkling water down the side of the glass. Stir gently with the cinnamon stick rather than shaking, or you'll lose the bubbles.
Variations
- Mocktail version. Skip the gin and fill the glass with apple sparkling water, a teaspoon of lime juice and the cranberry ice cubes. A sprig of fresh rosemary or a couple of cucumber slices adds the herbal note you'd normally get from the gin. It's a great option for kids, designated drivers or anyone taking a break from alcohol, and it's still zero carb.
- Caramel apple twist. Stir a couple of teaspoons of sugar free caramel syrup into the gin before adding the sparkling water, and dip the rim of the glass in cinnamon mixed with a little granulated monk fruit sweetener. If you love that flavor, try my full Low Carb Caramel Apple Cocktail.
- Spiced apple. Add a pinch of ground cinnamon and a tiny pinch of nutmeg to the gin, or drop a star anise into the glass for a warmer, mulled flavor.
- Vodka instead of gin. If gin isn't your thing, plain vodka makes a cleaner, more apple-forward drink with the same zero carbs.
- Party pitcher. Multiply the gin and lime juice by the number of guests, stir them together in a pitcher and chill. When it's time to serve, pour over cranberry ice cubes and top each glass with sparkling water so it stays bubbly.
Serving Ideas
This drink is light and not too boozy, so it's a nice one to sip before a big holiday meal. Serve it in short tumblers with the cinnamon stick standing up in the glass, and set out a bowl of extra cranberry ice cubes so people can top up their drinks.
For a holiday drinks table, pair it with a Keto Cranberry Margarita for the tequila fans, and set out a cheese board, nuts and some olives for snacking. If you're planning a whole spread, my post on How to Host a Low Carb Cocktail Party has lots of ideas.
Storing & Freezing
The cocktail itself is best mixed and served right away, since the sparkling water goes flat quickly. If you want to get ahead, you can stir the gin and lime juice together and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, then add the ice and sparkling water just before serving.
The cranberry ice cubes are the part that freezes well. Once they're frozen solid, pop them out of the tray and store them in a freezer bag for up to a month. I always make more than I need for one drink, so there's a stash ready whenever the mood strikes. Don't freeze the finished cocktail, since the bubbles won't survive.
More Low Carb Gin Drinks
If you love a good gin cocktail, check out The Best Low Carb Gin Drinks for my whole collection. Here are a few favorites to start with:
- Keto Gin and Tonic with Lemon and Basil
- Low Carb French 75 Cocktail
- Low Carb Bramble Cocktail
- Keto Tom Collins
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Gin Apple Cocktail
Ingredients
Equipment
Step-by-Step Instructions
- To make the cranberry ice cubes, place 2 or 3 fresh cranberries in each cavity of an ice cube tray and top up with filtered or distilled water. Freeze for about 1 hour, until solid.
- For fully enclosed cranberries, fill the cavities only halfway, freeze, then top up with water and freeze again. (Optional; floating cranberries look pretty too.)
- To make the cocktail, place 3 or 4 cranberry ice cubes in a tumbler. Add the gin, then slowly pour in the chilled apple sparkling water.
- Add the lime juice and stir gently with the cinnamon stick. Serve right away, with the cinnamon stick in the glass.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.
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