The Floradora Cocktail is a delicious, summery gin cocktail that's so easy to make. Raspberry, lime and ginger beer are the perfect match in this classic drink. Not only that, but it's such a beautiful color too!
Although you can enjoy the Floradora any time of year, it's definitely a refreshing drink for summer. The pink color makes it great for a girls' night or Valentine's Day too!
If you're looking for more tasty pink drinks, the Pink Whitney Lemonade Martini is a perfect pick. Or, try out an elegant French Blonde cocktail, or the pretty Pink Gin Sour.
For more ginger beer-based drinks, try out the easy Tequila Mule or the floral Lavender Mule.
History of the Floradora
The Floradora cocktail was inspired by a long-running hit Broadway show called Florodora. Beginning its long run in 1899, the musical stage show featured a chorus line of six women dressed all in pink, providing the main inspiration for the drink.
The original creator of the drink is unclear, but its tie to the successful show (and its great taste, of course!) helped it stay popular through the decades!
Ingredients
The list of ingredients is pretty short and sweet:
- Gin
- Raspberry syrup (try my homemade Raspberry Syrup recipe)
- Lime juice
- Ginger beer (I used Fever Tree ginger beer)
The drink was originally made with raspberry syrup, which is what I've used, but nowadays it's often made with raspberry liqueur instead (like Chambord liqueur or Drillaud Creme de Framboise).
Substitutions
If you’re not a gin fan, you can absolutely sub in vodka, white rum or tequila blanco in its place. They would all go well with the flavors in this drink!
For the raspberry syrup, try using Chambord liqueur in its place. Or, just go for a different flavor of fruit syrup if you'd like.
If the ginger beer is too spicy for you, try using a ginger ale instead. Ginger ale is a little sweeter and has a milder ginger flavor. Or, try out a lemon-lime soda if you prefer.
Variations
This drink is essentially a raspberry ginger highball, so it's fairly easy to adjust based on how you like it! Try out these ideas:
- Blueberry Floradora - just swap out the raspberry syrup for a blueberry syrup -- you can make it the same way. If you like, you can muddle a few blueberries into the cocktail shaker too.
- Non-alcoholic - if you're avoiding alcohol, try using a gin substitute in place of the gin. My favorite is Monday Zero alcohol gin.
- Edible glitter - this is a really fun one to try for a party or girls night! Just add a little clear edible glitter to the cocktail shaker and get ready to sparkle.
Equipment
This is a shaken drink, so you'll need a few basic bar tools. Grab a jigger, a cocktail shaker and strainer, and a serving glass.
If you're using fresh lime, a knife and cutting board will come in handy. Also, a cocktail pick for the raspberries and a bottle opener for the ginger beer are nice to have!
For the serving glass, any highball glass will work great here. I used these cute ribbed glasses with short stems.
If you're in need of some new bar tools, definitely check out A Bar Above! You can get 10% off on their website using my discount code, LKDrinks. Their bar tools are not only great to look at and use, but they're also dishwasher safe!
Instructions
Start out making the drink by adding your lime juice and raspberry syrup to a cocktail shaker.
Add in the gin, and then fill the cocktail shaker with ice.
Seal up the shaker and shake vigorously, about 15-to hard shakes.
Add fresh ice to your cocktail glass, and strain the drink into the glass.
Top it off with the ginger beer. Then, add fresh raspberries to a cocktail pick, and rest it on the rim of the glass as a garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: Chill your serving glass for about 30 minutes before making the drink to keep it extra cold while you sip!
Top tip
To make a big batch of these drinks for a party, you can stir all of the ingredients together in a pitcher except the ginger beer. Pour the mixture into each glass and top with fresh ginger beer as you serve. This will keep the bubbly carbonation fresher!
📖 Recipe
Floradora Cocktail
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board (if using fresh lime)
- Citrus juicer (if using fresh lime)
Ingredients
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 1 ounce Fresh Raspberry syrup
- 2 ounces gin
- 2 ounces ginger beer
- 3 raspberries (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add the lime juice, raspberry syrup, and gin to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice, seal it up and give it 15-20 good shakes.
- Add fresh ice to your serving glass, and strain the drink into the glass.
- Pour in the ginger beer on top.
- Add the raspberries to a cocktail pick, and add them to the top of the drink as a garnish. Cheers!
Notes
- If you don't have homemade raspberry syrup, you can use a store bought syrup. I recommend a high quality syrup like this one from Liquid Alchemist, since it is such a big part of the flavor of the drink. You can always muddle some fresh raspberries in the cocktail shaker to get an added raspberry flavor.
- Instead of the syrup, you can also use a raspberry liqueur like Chambord liqueur.
Kimberly says
This drink is so simple, but it's one of my favorites! Let me know if you have any question about this recipe!