Summer in a glass: Raspberry and Cranberry Gin Froze

As the days start to get warmer, and the nights balmier, thoughts turn to long and lingering catch-ups with friends, some blissed out beats, and a glass of something special in hand. 

Bubbles? We are BIG fans. But sometimes it's fun to mix things up. For us, that means keeping the champagne glasses, but putting them to work as vessels for the most DELICIOUS summer cocktail ever in the history of....well, delicious summer cocktails. 

With a few simple ingredients and some space in the freezer, you can whip up a couple of litres of this divine concoction and have it ready to serve the minute guests step through the door.

Created by the fabulous Janelle Bloom, exclusively for Ink Spiller Home, keep this one handy for the summer entertaining season. 

RASPBERRY AND CRANBERRY GIN FROZÉ 

Makes 2 litres
Prep time: 15 mins + 8 hours freezing

Ingredients

• 3 cups (375g) frozen raspberries
• 1 cup (250ml) sugar syrup, chilled (see tip below)
• 2 cups (500ml) cranberry juice, chilled
• 750ml bottle rosé wine, chilled
• Gin, to serve
• Fresh mint, to garnish

Method

1. Place the raspberries, sugar syrup and cranberry juice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a 10-cup capacity container, suitable for the freezer.
2. Pour in the  rosé. Stir to combine. Cover and place in the freezer for 6-8 hours, stirring 2-3 times until the mixture resembles a ‘slushy’ consistency.
3. Ladle into  stemless champagne glasses. Pour 1 tablespoon (20ml) gin over the top of each. Top with a sprig of fresh mint and serve.

Tip: You can buy ready-to-use sugar syrup from most bottle shops. If you prefer to make it yourself, combine 1 cup (225g) of coarse white sugar and 1 cup (250ml) of water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, boil gently for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.