Gin and Cabernet Sour | A Sophisticated and Easy Wine Cocktail

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It’s sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. Next time you’re hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special, make this easy wine cocktail. Your only regret will be not making it sooner.

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I’ve made quite a few wine cocktails lately. The most recent two were made with white wine: the Bishop of Bordeaux and a delicious Mulled White Wine. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and will make them again in the near future. But red wine has my heart. Given the choice, I will always choose red over white. And of all the reds out there, Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite. So when I first heard of this cocktail that combined my two favorite alcoholic liquids– gin and Cabernet— I knew I had to try it.

Those two words were first spoken together to me by my good Instagram pal @ebbydranks. We were brainstorming different drinks to make together on an Instagram Live fundraising event and the first drink he suggested was a New York Sour. But that’s seriously the only classic cocktail I’ve ever made that I didn’t like. I didn’t even finish it. If you read that recipe post, though, you might see where I went wrong. Anyway, I told him a big fat NO to that idea and he countered with a Gin and Cabernet Sour.

All of those words together intrigued me. So I obliged. And I’m glad I did.

This is now my all-time favorite easy wine cocktail. It seriously tastes soooo good. And it looks stunning, too. There’s no need for a garnish when you’ve got a red wine float. What is a red wine “float”, though? Floating is the bartending technique of carefully layering one liquid ingredient on top of another. Floats only work if the liquid with the lighter density is poured slowly over the liquid with the heavier density.

If you’ve never attempted a red wine float before, or if you have and it didn’t work, these tips might help:

1. Pour the wine over the back of a bar spoon. This will help distribute it more evenly over the surface of the denser liquid.
2. Keep your spoon close to the surface of the cocktail without actually touching it.
3. Pour it slowly.

You can also check out a video of the red wine float I did for the New York Sour here.

I’ll be honest and say that the first time I made this drink with @ebbydranks on IG Live, I just dumped the red wine in the glass. I started off trying to float it and then I lost my patience and plopped it in. But it actually worked out okay because I can now say with full assurance that it tastes great both ways!

This drink is dying to be served in a Nick and Nora glass. Nick and Nora glasses are essential small wine glasses that are used for spirit-forward cocktails. If you don’t have one, a smaller lowball glass will do the trick.

If you’re thinking about cocktails to serve for the holidays, this Gin and Cabernet Sour is a great option. It marries the mixed drink world and the wine world together in one beautiful glass. Plus if someone just really isn’t a liquor fan, they can just drink the rest of the wine. Or if they don’t like gin, simply swap it out for some whiskey and they can have something pretty close to a New York Sour.

Have you ever had a Gin and Cabernet Sour? Will you be trying one soon? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this unique and easy wine cocktail so comment below and tag me on Instagram.

Ingredients for a Gin and Cabernet Sour

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz orange liqueur
• 3/4 oz simple syrup (make your own!)
• 3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 oz Cabernet Sauvignon

How to Make a Gin and Cabernet Sour

Add the gin, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass or a small lowball glass. Float the red wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. 

Looking for another easy wine cocktail? Check these options out: