Apricot Ginger Cocktail Recipe ｜ Easy 3-Ingredient Highball

Apricot Ginger cocktail, a golden, sparkling apricot and ginger ale highball over ice in a stemmed balloon glass with a citrus peel, beside a whole citrus fruit and knife on a bar cutting board, Recipe No.158

True to its name, the Apricot Ginger is built on “apricot brandy,” which in most bars means a sweet apricot liqueur, and that rich fruit glows golden-orange the moment ginger ale meets it. A single bar spoon of fresh lime trims the jam-like sweetness, and a dry, spicy ginger ale poured gently over ice turns it into a crisp highball with a warm ginger finish. It’s worth pouring one tonight and discovering how three simple ingredients can taste this bright and refreshing.

Table of Contents

Recipe and How to Make It

Ingredients

Multiple rows of spirit bottles on backlit bar shelves against an exposed brick wall

Recipe no.158

Apricot brandy — 1 + 1/2 oz (45ml)
Lime juice — 1 tsp
Ginger ale — Full

1 tsp = one bar spoon
Full = fill the glass to about 80–90%

6 Recommended Ginger Ale brands

Directions

A bartender in a black apron stirring a cocktail in a mixing glass with a long bar spoon

Step

Prepare

Chill the ginger ale in advance. Squeeze a lime to make fresh juice.

Step

Combine the ingredients

Add ice, apricot brandy and lime juice to the glass.

Step

Top with ginger ale and stir

Gently fill the glass with ginger ale so it doesn’t foam up, then stir slowly and lightly, and it’s ready. When mixing carbonated drinks, one or two slow turns of the bar spoon, lifting the ice up and down, is enough to blend everything.

How to Stir

・Technique ｜ Stir
・Glass ｜ Collins Glass / Tumbler Glass
・ABV ｜ Around 7–8%
・Best Enjoyed ｜ Daytime / Before dinner

About the Apricot Ginger

Flavor and Character

Ginger ale being poured into a glass filled with ice, creating fizzy bubbles

The Apricot Ginger is a fruity, gently spicy highball. The apricot brandy used here is a sweet apricot liqueur, often made on a brandy base, so it brings ripe, jam-like fruit and a warm amber-orange color.

Ginger ale adds spice and sparkle, while a spoonful of lime keeps the sweetness from lingering. The finish is light, with a soft apricot aroma and a gentle ginger warmth.

I’d always use fresh lime here. That small squeeze makes the apricot taste brighter and more natural.

Points, Twists & Food Pairings

Two wheels of soft white-rind brie cheese on white plates, one cut into wedges to reveal its creamy interior, on a white linen cloth, a food pairing for fruity cocktails

Tips for Making It

Using a dry apricot eau-de-vie (a common mistake) — Outside Japan, some bottles labeled “apricot brandy” are unsweetened fruit spirits. Without the liqueur’s sweetness, the drink tastes sharp and thin. Choose a sweet apricot liqueur, such as Bols Apricot Brandy or Marie Brizard Apry.
Pick a dry-style ginger ale — Apricot liqueur is already rich and sweet, so a drier, crisper ginger ale keeps the balance. I’d always choose a dry ginger ale here, because its clean spice lets the ripe apricot shine without turning the drink syrupy.
Measure the lime exactly — Just one bar spoon of lime is enough to brighten the apricot. Too much can overpower the delicate fruit and clash with the ginger. Measure carefully to keep the lime as a fresh, subtle accent.

Twists

Orange Peel Apricot Ginger — Express a strip of orange peel over the glass and drop it in. The bright citrus oils lift the apricot aroma and add a fresh, bar-style finish that looks beautiful in a balloon glass.
Apricot Ginger Beer — Swap the ginger ale for ginger beer and serve it in a copper mug. The stronger, spicier ginger gives the drink a bold, Moscow Mule-style kick that balances the apricot’s sweetness.

Food Pairings

Brie with apricot jam — The creamy cheese softens the ginger’s spice, while the jam echoes the drink’s ripe apricot, making each bite and sip feel smooth and harmonious.
Roast pork — Apricot is a classic partner for pork, and the drink’s fruity sweetness works like a glaze, while the ginger ale’s spice cuts through the rich meat.
Chicken satay with peanut sauce — The sweet, nutty sauce matches the apricot’s warmth, and the ginger echoes the dish’s spices, while the bubbles refresh the palate.