Dutch Punch

A small gin punch of cranberry, grapefruit and blackcurrant liqueur, shaken and served over ice. Ounce and a half of gin, ounce each of cranberry and grapefruit juice, half ounce of blackcurrant liqueur. Drinks tart-berry and bright-citrus, named for the Dutch genever style of gin that gave the recipe its base.

Dutch Punch

4.42 from 12 votes

Calories: 165kcal

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Ingredients

▢ 1.5 oz Gin
▢ 1 oz Cranberry Juice
▢ 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
▢ .5 oz Blackcurrant Liqueur

Instructions

▢
Add all ingredients to a cocktail glass over ice and shake well. Garnish with a lemon wedge. and serve.

Estimated Nutrition:

Calories: 165kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Sugar: 10g (11%)

Punch

Where it came from

Dutch Punch is a small-format gin cocktail in the cranberry-grapefruit lane, named for the Dutch origin of gin as genever. The build pairs gin with cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and blackcurrant liqueur, shaken and served over ice. The recipe came out of European cocktail bar culture, where the genever style influenced the choice of berry liqueur and citrus mixer.

It sits in the gin-punch family with the Cosmopolitan, the Sea Breeze and the Greyhound. All three lean on gin or vodka plus cranberry plus citrus for the bright tart character. Dutch Punch separates itself with the blackcurrant liqueur lift and the grapefruit cut, which gives the drink a deeper berry note and a sharper citrus finish than the lighter Sea Breeze.

Best ordered at a cocktail bar, a casual restaurant or any setting where a small-format shaken cocktail makes sense. The drink is approachable, tart-and-bright, and works as a single-glass pour for one drinker.

What it tastes like

Sweet blackcurrant up front, soft gin through the middle, sharp grapefruit-and-cranberry on the finish. The blackcurrant liqueur carries the dark-berry sweetness; the cranberry juice adds tartness; the grapefruit juice cuts through with a sharper bitter-citrus finish. Reads as a layered tart cocktail, not a stiff cocktail.

Around 18 percent ABV in the glass once shaken and strained over ice. An ounce and a half of gin at 40 percent ABV plus an ounce each of cranberry and grapefruit juice plus a half ounce of blackcurrant liqueur at 16 percent ABV gives a moderate-strength short pour. Each cocktail glass holds about four ounces of the mixed drink.

The technique

Combine the gin, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and blackcurrant liqueur in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake hard for ten to twelve seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

The shake is the technique. Stirring instead of shaking under-mixes the citrus juices and the liqueur, leaving the cocktail with separated layers. Hard shake for ten to twelve seconds chills, dilutes and emulsifies the citrus pulp into the gin and the liqueur for a fully integrated pour.

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Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

The gin

Use: Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray or any 40 percent ABV London Dry gin; genever for a more authentic Dutch profile.
Skip: Flavoured gin such as pink gin or sloe gin. Wrong sweetness curve.
Why: London Dry gin is the spirit base and the juniper backbone. The dry juniper character cuts through the blackcurrant sweetness and balances the cranberry and grapefruit; flavoured gin adds sweetness layers that throw off the balance.

The blackcurrant liqueur

Use: Creme de Cassis, Chambord (raspberry-blackberry) or any 15 to 20 percent ABV blackcurrant liqueur.
Skip: Blackcurrant cordial. Different concentration, no spirit base.
Why: Blackcurrant liqueur is the dark-berry lift and the colour. The 15 to 20 percent ABV format integrates with the gin and the citrus juices; cordial lacks the spirit base and the cocktail reads as a juice mix with gin rather than a spirits-forward cocktail.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

The standard build

Dutch Punch, classic: Ounce and a half gin, ounce each cranberry and grapefruit juice, half ounce blackcurrant liqueur. Shake hard, strain over ice, lemon wedge.

The genever build

Dutch Punch, genever base: Swap London Dry gin for genever at the same ounce count. Different malt-forward gin character, deeper Dutch profile.

The dry build

Dutch Punch with soda: Top the strained cocktail with a splash of soda water in the highball glass. Loses the small-format presentation, gains a longer drink.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No blackcurrant liqueur?

Chambord or any berry liqueur. Different berry angle, holds the dark-fruit lift role.

No grapefruit juice?

Lime juice or lemon juice. Different citrus angle, holds the bitter-citrus cut.

No cranberry juice?

Pomegranate juice or red currant juice. Different berry profile, holds the tart-red role.

No gin?

Vodka for a Cosmopolitan-leaning version. Loses the juniper character, holds the cocktail structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Dutch Punch?

Ounce and a half of gin, ounce of cranberry juice, ounce of grapefruit juice, half ounce of blackcurrant liqueur, shaken hard and strained over ice with a lemon wedge garnish.

Why is it called Dutch Punch?

Named for the Dutch origin of gin, which started as genever in the Netherlands before the English adapted it as London Dry gin. The blackcurrant-and-berry character of the cocktail also riffs on Dutch berry liqueur traditions.

How strong is a Dutch Punch?

Around 18 percent ABV in the glass once shaken and strained over ice. Roughly equal to one standard drink per four-ounce serving.

What does it taste like?

Sweet blackcurrant up front, soft gin through the middle, sharp grapefruit-and-cranberry on the finish. Reads as a layered tart cocktail with a dark-berry lift and a bitter-citrus cut.

Can I use vodka?

Yes, that gives a Cosmopolitan-leaning version of the cocktail. The juniper character of gin is the standard build; vodka reads cleaner but loses the spirit-forward backbone.

What is the best gin?

Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray or any London Dry gin for the standard build. Genever delivers a more authentic Dutch profile with a malty-grain character; flavoured gin throws off the balance.

Should I shake or stir?

Shake hard for ten to twelve seconds. Stirring under-mixes the citrus juices and the liqueur, leaving separated layers; the hard shake emulsifies the cocktail and gives the integrated pour.

Can I batch Dutch Punch ahead?

Mix the gin, the juices and the liqueur in a small pitcher up to four hours ahead and refrigerate. Shake portions in a shaker with ice at service to chill and emulsify; do not skip the shake or the cocktail reads as a flat juice-mix.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read