Whether you’re going alcohol-free, are sober-curious, or soberish over the holidays, this aromatic non-alcoholic spritz cocktail is the perfect sip. The zero-proof cocktail brings fresh seasonal and herbal aromas of rosemary, white cranberry and ginger, without compromising on the complexity of traditional boozy cocktails. The perfect Christmas cocktail!
It’s a light, refreshing drink you’ll want to sip all night long for any festive occasion this December. No alcohol (or hangover) required.
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ingredients
For the ginger-infused water:
For the rosemary simple syrup:
For the Christmas cocktail:
directions
Chill Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour.
For the ginger-infused water, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 cups of water.
In the meantime, grate or peel ginger using the back of a teaspoon or a pairing knife, chopping it into small cubes. When the water is about to simmer, add in the ginger.
Leave water and ginger to gently simmer, until it reduces to half its volume, about 15-20 minutes.
Strain the ginger water into a glass or small mason jar, and set aside, leaving to chill in the fridge for about an hour before preparing your cocktail.
Note: if you have a carbonator device, we recommend you can also carbonate the ginger water, for extra fizz.
For the rosemary simple syrup, coarsely chop 2-3 sprigs of rosemary.
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In a small saucepan over medium heat, add water, ½ cup sugar and chopped rosemary.
Bring to a simmer, stirring with a whisk until all the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Strain using a sieve into a reusable container, leave to cool completely. Cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before making the rest of the cocktail (the simple syrup keeps in the fridge for about two weeks).
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To assemble the Christmas cocktail, in a shaker with ice, add juice of 1 lime, 2 ounces of chilled simple syrup, 6 ounces of chilled ginger-infused water, 6 ounces of white high quality cranberry juice.
Shake until the sound of the ice makes a lighter, higher-pitched clinking sound, about 10-15 seconds.
Fill highball glass halfway with ice cubes, and strain shaker mix into it.
Add splash of soda and stir.
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To garnish the cocktail, slap a rosemary sprig against the palm of your hand a few times to release aromatic oils.
Add the sprig to the cocktail and top with pomegranate arils. Serve and enjoy.
Modifications: You can also prepare this as a pitcher drink. Just multiply ingredients by five or more and stir in a pitcher, in place of a shaker. If you’re pressed for time, simply swap out the ginger-infused water with high quality ginger beer, such as Fever-Tree’s Ginger Beer. Just be sure to half the sugar in the rosemary simple syrup. For a boozy option, you can also add in spiced rum or vodka.
