This is the cranberry gin highball that Ryan Reynolds made famous in his Aviation Gin Father’s Day ad — a simple four-ingredient drink that takes about five minutes to put together. The ratio of tart cranberry, bitter tonic, and bright lemon keeps it from being too sweet or too boozy, which is exactly why it works for a crowd. If you need a low-effort cocktail that actually tastes like something, this is it.
Substitutions that actually work
- Aviation Gin: Any dry London dry gin works here — Tanqueray or Beefeater both hold up well. Aviation has a slightly floral, less juniper-forward profile, so if you use a more traditional gin expect a slightly sharper result.
- Cranberry juice: Use 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened) rather than cranberry cocktail. Cranberry cocktail has added sugar and will throw off the balance. If you only have cocktail, cut the amount to about ¾ fl oz and taste before adding lemon.
- Tonic water: Plain sparkling water makes this drier and less bitter — fine if you prefer it that way. Fever-Tree or Q Tonic will give a cleaner quinine flavour than supermarket-brand tonic.
- Fresh lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice is noticeably flat here. Fresh is worth the extra thirty seconds — skip the garnish though, not worth the extra dish.
Before you start
The one thing that matters with this drink is the order you add the ingredients. Ice goes in first, then cranberry, then tonic — poured slowly down the inside of the glass to keep the carbonation intact. Gin and lemon go in last. If you pour the tonic straight down from height or add it after the gin, you’ll lose a lot of the fizz before anyone takes a sip. A gentle stir at the end, just three or four passes with a long spoon, is enough to combine everything without flattening the drink.
What can go wrong
- Drink tastes flat: Tonic was poured too fast or from too high. Pour it slowly down the side of the glass and stir as little as possible.
- Too sweet: Cranberry cocktail was used instead of pure cranberry juice, or the lemon was skipped. Add a small extra squeeze of lemon to rebalance.
- Too sharp or sour: The lemon was over-poured. Half a fluid ounce is the ceiling — measure it rather than free-pouring.
- Drink is watery by the time you finish it: The glass wasn’t filled with enough ice. Pack the highball glass fully — more ice means slower dilution, not a weaker drink.
- Gin flavour disappears: The tonic-to-gin ratio is already 2:1, so this is a light drink by design. If you want more gin presence, increase to 2 fl oz gin and reduce tonic by the same amount.
Make-ahead notes
You can pre-mix the cranberry juice, gin, and lemon juice up to 24 hours ahead and keep the mixture in a sealed jar or pitcher in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, fill glasses with ice and pour roughly 3 fl oz of the pre-mixed base into each glass, then top with tonic water to order — this is the only step that can’t be done in advance, since tonic goes flat quickly once opened. For a party batch, multiply the base quantities by the number of servings and refrigerate in a large jug. One standard 500ml bottle of tonic water covers about five drinks.
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Ingredients
- 1 fl oz cranberry juice
- 1½ fl oz Aviation gin
- 3 fl oz tonic water
- ½ fl oz fresh lemon juice about a quarter of a lemon squeezed
- as needed to fill glass ice cubes enough to fill a highball glass
Instructions
- Fill a tall highball glass to the top with ice cubes.
- Pour in 1 fl oz (30ml) of cranberry juice.
- Pour in 3 fl oz (90ml) of tonic water slowly down the side of the glass to preserve the carbonation.
- Pour in 1½ fl oz (45ml) of Aviation Gin.
- Squeeze ½ fl oz (15ml) of fresh lemon juice into the glass — roughly a quarter of a lemon.
- Give the drink a gentle stir with a bar spoon or long-handled teaspoon to combine without losing too much fizz.
Video
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make this without alcohol?
Yes — replace the gin with a non-alcoholic gin alternative like Seedlip Spice 94 or just leave it out entirely and increase the tonic to 4½ fl oz. The cranberry and lemon still give you a tart, refreshing drink that works on its own.
What glass do I need if I don’t have a highball?
Any tall glass that holds at least 10 fl oz will work — a pint glass, a large tumbler, or even a mason jar are all fine. The tall shape just helps keep the carbonation in longer than a short wide glass would.
Can I batch this for a party?
Yes, but only batch the base — cranberry juice, gin, and lemon juice mixed together and refrigerated. Add tonic water glass by glass as you serve, otherwise it goes flat within minutes of mixing.
