It wouldn’t be the holidays without cranberries, and the same goes for cocktails. Combine the best of both worlds and celebrate the festive season in style with these three beverage recipes featuring seasonal cranberries.
ingredients
Holiday Fizz - Spiced Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup
Holiday Fizz Assembly
Vanilla-Cran Mules
Cran-Apple Sangria
directions
In a medium saucepan, bring all simple syrup ingredients to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved and cranberries have started to pop, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into a glass jar; discard solids. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until chilled. Store simple syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Skewer 2 cranberries on each rosemary sprig. Set aside.
In each of 6 cocktail or wine glasses, add a few slices of orange, 1 Tbsp prepared simple syrup and ½ cup sparkling wine or champagne. Serve chilled.
In a cocktail shaker or pitcher, per mule, gently stir ¼ cup vodka, ½ cup ginger ale and 1 Tbsp cranberry juice.
Add ½ cup ice, 3 cranberries and a couple lime slices to each glass (use traditional copper mule mugs or regular cocktail glasses).
Pour prepared cocktail into each ice-filled glass. Garnish with evergreen twigs. Serve.
In a large pitcher or punch bowl, stir together cranberries, apple slices, apple cider, cinnamon, brandy and white wine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Pour or ladle sangria into glasses, being sure to include the wine-soaked apples and cranberries. Serve chilled.