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This Christmas Cranberry Cocktail recipe is the ultimate drink for your next Christmas party! The combination of cranberry and cinnamon make for the perfect Christmas cocktail.
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We love a good cocktail around here and Christmas cocktails are always fun to make and serve to friends and family.
This Christmas Cranberry Cocktail is a simple drink made with cranberry juice, orange liqueur, vodka, and a homemade cinnamon syrup. <— Don’t worry, it’s easy!
You can easily make just enough for a couple of cocktails or you can make a big pitcher and serve these up at your next holiday party.
Serve these next to our Spiked Eggnog or Christmas Sangria and your party will be hoppin’!
Ingredient Notes:
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Vodka – Any brand will do! We often purchase the Kirkland’s brand from Costco or use Tito’s.
Orange Liqueur – It’ll add some great citrus flavor and it packs some extra punch. Grand Marnier or Cointreau are perfect choices!
Cranberry Juice – We use 100% pure cranberry juice, but diet juice will work here if you’re watching calories.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup – We’re including our recipe to make this at home, but you can also use a premade syrup if you prefer. All you need for the homemade version is sugar, water, cinnamon, and vanilla extract!
Sparkling Water – Sparkling water will add the perfect bubbly fizziness to these Christmas cocktails!
Cinnamon & Sugar – For dipping the rim of the glass. It adds that extra bit of sweet and spicy flavor with each sip!
What We Love About This Recipe:
- These drinks will fit right in at any Christmas party or event! They’re the perfect adult beverage to keep your party going.
- You can easily make a big pitcher of these or serve them up one by one.
- The cinnamon and cranberry are a delicious combination for this time of year.
How to Make Christmas Cocktails:
Syrup: If you choose to make your own homemade simple syrup (which I recommend!) you’ll start by heating a saucepan over medium high heat with all of the cinnamon syrup ingredients.
Bring the mix to a simmer until the cinnamon and sugar have dissolved. When it is ready set it aside to cool completely before proceeding.
Rim: Nothing beats a sugared rim! Combine cinnamon and sugar on a small plate. Dip the rim of your glass into cranberry juice and then roll it through the cinnamon and sugar.
Shake: To start preparing the drink add the cranberry juice, orange liquor, vodka, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add in some ice and shake it up well to combine!
To finish off these Christmas punch cocktails pour the mix into a cocktail glass and top it off with some sparkling water and a sprig of rosemary for garnish. It’s the perfect Christmas party drink!
Non Alcoholic Christmas Cranberry Cocktail
If you have guests that would like a non-alcoholic version of this Christmas cocktail, that’s no problem!
Just swap out the vodka for more sparkling water (or Sprite for a sweeter drink), and swap out the orange liqueur with orange juice!
FAQs:
You can but you’ll want to store the sparkling water separately and add it to the Christmas cocktail just before serving so that it’s good and fizzy!
Yes, you can stir together the ingredients vigorously and then strain the liquid into your glass.
More Cocktail Recipes:
Christmas Cranberry Cocktail
Ingredients
For the cinnamon syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For rimming the glass
- 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cocktail
- ¼ cup cranberry juice
- 1 ounce orange liqueur
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce cinnamon simple syrup
- 2 ounces sparkling water more to taste
- rosemary sprig for garnish
Instructions
To make the cinnamon syrup:
- Add the sugar, water, and cinnamon to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Cool completely before using. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To rim the glass:
- Pour cranberry juice onto a rimmed plate.
- Add the sugar and cinnamon onto a second plate and stir gently to combine.
- Dip the rim of the glass first in the cranberry juice and then in the cinnamon and sugar, rolling the rim of the glass through the sugar to coat.
To make the cocktail:
- In your cocktail shaker combine cranberry juice, orange liquor, vodka, and cinnamon syrup. Add ice and shake well to combine.
- Strain the mixture into your rimmed glass and top with sparkling water and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Heather says
We loved this cocktail! I forgot to add the vanilla to the simple syrup but followed directions otherwise, using 100% cranberry juice, unsweetened. It looked exactly like the picture and was delicious.
Karly Campbell says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks, Heather!
Teri Sammis says
We made this drink and love the flavor. Question though. Your sample drink picture is a pretty red color, mine turned out more amber. What’s your secret?
Karly Campbell says
Hi Teri! Uh oh – I don’t think I have a secret here. It may have to do with the different brands of cranberry juice used. Grab one that’s vibrantly colored. Some of them do have color added to them, usually from vegetable juice like beets. We do often grab whatever’s cheapest so that may be it!
Heather says
This sounds amazing! However, I do have a question….do you use ALL of the cinnamon syrup for just ONE drink? I really enjoy your recipes and appreciate all of the work you put in to your site! Thank you!
Karly says
Hi Heather! You’ll just use one ounce of the syrup per drink. The rest can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 🙂
Heather says
Thanks so much, Karly! I guess if I would have read the directions more closely I would have seen that….so very sorry! I DO appreciate your reply!
Karly says
No problem! Have a great weekend, Heather!