Desert Cooler recipe
Gin, orange juice, cherry brandy and ginger beer, shaken and served in a highball glass.
By Kris Barton · Updated - 2 mins total
- 4 ingredients
- Highball glass
What Ingredients do you need to make a Desert Cooler?
Gin
Gin is a distilled alcohol drink made from Juniper Berries and is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world.
Its popularity is growing year on year, with sales in the UK rising beyond £3 billion per year.
For Gin, we recommend:
Orange Juice
Orange Juice is an essential ingredient for most bars and fridges all around the world. Why? It mixes well with virtually any form of alcohol.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Vodka? Absolutely.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Tequila? Naturally.
Cocktails with Orange Juice and Rum? Sure, why not?
And the list doesn’t end there.
For Orange Juice, we recommend:
Cherry Brandy
Cherry Brandy is a sweet liqueur that combines – you guessed it – cherries and brandy.
The flavour profile of the liqueur is rich and fruity, with a strong cherry taste and notes of marzipan, almonds and amaretto due to the crushed cherry stones.
Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer
Ginger Beer and Ginger Ale are two very different beverages.
Well, they both have Ginger flavouring, but they each have a completely different taste.
The difference between them is that Ginger Beer is brewed and fermented, whilst Ginger Ale is actually flavoured carbonated water.
This makes Ginger Beer stronger and contains a slightly spicy finish and after taste.
For Ginger Beer, we recommend:
For Ginger Ale, we recommend:
What Equipment do you need to make a Desert Cooler?
Cocktail Shaker
Cocktail shakers improve the taste of cocktails. It’s a fact.
There’s a reason that famed British spy James Bond says “shaken, not stirred”. And that reason is: because it tastes better.
If you don’t already have a cocktail shaker set, you might want to check out our detailed cocktail shaker comparison.
But to cut a long story short, here’s the cocktail shaker we recommend:
Highball Glass
Highball Glasses are the most common glasses in the cocktail world. You can put most cocktails in there from the Long Island Iced Tea to a Bay Breeze.
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Recipe card
Desert Cooler
- Prep
- 1 min
- Making
- 1 min
- Total
- 2 mins
- Serves
- 1
- Glass
- Highball glass
Ingredients
Makes 1 drink.
Method
- Add ice, gin, cherry brandy, and orange juice to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake well.
- Pour into a highball glass.
- Top up with ginger beer.
No cocktail shaker? Do this instead
- Add ice, gin, cherry brandy and orange to a highball glass.
- Stir well.
- Top up with ginger beer.
Want more like this? Browse our full collection of modern cocktails.
Desert Cooler FAQs
What Ingredients do you need to make a Desert Cooler?
To make a Desert Cooler, you need 45ml / 1.5oz gin, 23ml / 0.75oz orange juice, 15ml / 0.5oz cherry brandy and ginger beer to top up. There’s more about gin, orange juice, cherry brandy and ginger ale and ginger beer above.
What Equipment do you need to make a Desert Cooler?
You’ll need a cocktail shaker and a highball glass.
What alcohol is in a Desert Cooler?
A Desert Cooler contains 45ml / 1.5oz gin and 15ml / 0.5oz cherry brandy.
Is a Desert Cooler shaken or stirred?
A Desert Cooler is shaken. Shake it with ice in a cocktail shaker, then pour it into a highball glass and top it up.
Can I make a Desert Cooler without a cocktail shaker?
No. Without a cocktail shaker, you can make a Desert Cooler like this: Add ice, gin, cherry brandy and orange to a highball glass. Stir well. Top up with ginger beer.
What glass is a Desert Cooler served in?
Serve a Desert Cooler in a highball glass.
