Looking for something different to offer to your guests this holiday season? Something full of flavor, but also easy to put together? A drink that makes you think of the holidays? Well, look no more. This recipe for Cranberry Ginger Fizz pairs a simple, make-ahead cranberry cinnamon syrup with ginger ale to produce a cranberry cocktail that is as tasty to drink as it is pretty to look at.
Hot Apple Pie Bourbon Cocktail
One thing I really love about this cocktail is that it starts with the ingredients for cranberry sauce. Actually, it’s a combo between basic cranberry sauce and a cranberry orange relish we sometimes make for Thanksgiving. So, right away, like with my Hot Apple Pie Bourbon Cocktail, I’m thinking holidays and Thanksgiving even before I have a sip! 🙂
Another thing I love is that, once you are done making the syrup, you’re basically all set. The syrup chills in your fridge until you’re ready to get the party started. And then it’s a simple pour and mix.
The third thing I love about this cranberry cocktail is that it uses basic ingredients. Nothing unusual or hard to find that will sit in your pantry or liquor cabinet for years to come. (Though I wonder if anyone would be interested in a ‘what can I make with this liqueur I bought for that one drink’ series? Where I could give 3-5 cocktail recipes.)
And the fourth thing I love? It’s really tasty! Developing this drink was lots of fun since we got to drink them too. I think developing cocktails is my husband’s favorite part of me having a food blog. 🙂 Well, that and the opportunities he takes to use my blog title to get me to add bacon to things.
– Happy Drinking, Annemarie
- 6 oz cranberries
- 1 cup (8 oz) cranberry juice
- ⅔ cup (5 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (4 oz) orange juice
- zest from one large orange
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cups (24 oz) ginger ale
- 1½ cups (12 oz) vodka
- ice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- For the syrup: Puree the cranberries and the cranberry juice in a blender until finely chopped.
- Combine cranberries with all other ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to get all the liquid out.
- Let the syrup cool to room temperature and use in drinks or cover tightly and put it in the fridge. The syrup can be stored for up to 5 days.
- For the cocktail: Combine syrup, ginger ale, and vodka in a large pitcher and stir to combine.
- Mix together cinnamon sugar in a small bowl. Spread some of it out onto a plate, adding more as needed while you work. Wet the rims of 8 glasses and then rub them in the cinnamon sugar to coat the rims. I used a piece of the orange that I had juiced for the syrup, but water works just as well.
- Add ice to the glasses and pour about 6½ oz of the cocktail into each glass.
For a 'kid friendly' version, replace the vodka with more ginger ale.
To make one drink at time - Use 3 oz of ginger ale, 1½ oz vodka, and 2 oz of the syrup.
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Thalia @ butter and brioche says
What a delicious cocktail! I definitely can see myself making it for the holidays.
justalittlebitofbacon says
It is indeed a great holiday drink and is easy to make up in larger batches. I will be serving it this Thanksgiving myself. If you make it, please let me know if you enjoyed it.