Blood Orange Elder-flower Gin Cocktail - 2 ways

This was one of the very first fancy cocktails I ever tried to make, and my first adventure with gin since college.  I came back from Europe with a love of fancy gin and tonics, and renewed my interest in gin. When I first made this back in 2018 the recipe called for blood orange juice.  I could not find blood oranges or blood orange juice (perhaps out of season) even after going to 5 grocery stores.  So I made it with blood orange soda.  It was good.  Recently I found blood orange juice at an international grocery store in Sun Prairie, and I had to buy it to compare. Below is the recipe, and below that, comparisons. 

Ingredients: (Juice Version)

• 1 oz gin
• 3/4 oz St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 2 1/2 oz ginger ale
• 1 oz blood orange juice

Ingredients: (Soda Version) 

• 1 oz. gin
• 3/4 oz. St. Germain (Elder-flower liqueur)
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 3 1/2 oz. blood orange soda 

*Note - ginger ale was eliminated because the soda had carbonation, and also to increase the blood orange flavor as it is more watered down than direct juice. 

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice.  
2. Shake, pour, enjoy.

First on: Cooking with Doyle

Remade from: The Little Epicurean 

Notes:

*They tasted quite similar. The one with the soda instead of the juice was a little bit lighter.  

*Before checking the original recipe I followed the soda one and simply replaced the soda with juice and didn't use ginger ale because I had forgotten I changed the ratios to adjust.  Also good.  Heavier though.