Christmas Cranberry Cocktail

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

I don’t know about you but I find the holidays to be a little stressful.  Don’t get me wrong, they can also be super fun and magical but that time period in between Thanksgiving and Christmas tends to get a little hectic which in turn can cause some major stress.   I find that when I’m doing my holiday baking or wrapping gifts or having people over it’s a great idea to have a signature cocktail that you can whip out in just a few minutes.

My Christmas Cranberry Cocktail is one of those recipes.  You can make the cranberry simple syrup up to 2 weeks in advance and keep it in your refrigerator.  Then as long as you have the rest of the ingredients on hand you can make a batch of these cocktails in under five minutes.

If you want to get super fancy you can make sugared cranberries and spear them on fresh rosemary as a garnish but I find that regular old cranberries on some type of cocktail pick work just as well.  If I were hosting a holiday party I might get fancy but for everyday use or when my husband and I are enjoying a cocktail at home the cranberries on a pick work just fine.

In order to make the cranberry simple syrup all you need are fresh cranberries, sugar, and water.   It’s that combination boiled down to a thick syrup that gives the Christmas Cranberry Cocktail a sweet and tart flavor.  I personally love that it’s a little bit tart because over the holidays everything is so darn sweet!

To the simple syrup you add vodka, orange liqueur, and sparkling water.   That’s it!  It’s a super simple recipes but it looks really festive and it tastes great as well.  I’ve given you the measurements I use in my cocktails but feel free to play around with them to give you the taste you are looking for.

If you want to do a twist on this cocktail you can add orange juice instead of the liqueur.   Another great twist is to add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the cranberry simple syrup.  It makes the drink a little spicy which is perfect at the holidays.

However you choose to serve it up, this is the perfect holiday cocktail for parties, gatherings, or a simple night at home!

Christmas Cranberry Cocktail

A sweet and tart cranberry cocktail made with vodka and orange liqueur.

5 from 17 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

For the cranberry simple syrup:

• 1 c. fresh cranberries
• 1 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla optional

For the cocktail:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. orange liqueur
• 4 oz. cranberry simple syrup
• sparkling water
• fresh cranberries for garnish

Instructions

• To make the simple syrup place the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
• Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until most of the cranberries have broken open.
• Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer reserving the clear liquid. Discard the solids.
• Add the vanilla to the clear liquid mixture if desired.
• To make the cocktail fill two glasses with ice.
• In a shaker combine the vodka, orange liqeuer, and cranberry syrup with ice. Shake for 30 seconds.
• Strain equal parts of the mixture between the 2 prepared glasses. Top each glass with sparkling water and give it a stir.
• Top each cocktail with fresh cranberries if desired.

Notes

A Hezzi-D Original recipe