Cranberry Spritzer

This vodka cocktail is a has Christmas written all over it. Filled with cranberry juice, triple sec, fresh cranberries, sugared rosemary and topped with ginger ale it can be made in no time.

A simple and delicious cocktail to make your festive celebrations even better. You don’t need much to make this drink but the sugared rosemary is definitely something work investing your time into. It not only adds an element of flavor but also looks very appetizing.

What ingredients do you need?

To make this cocktail you will need vodka, preferably one which isn’t flavored. Cranberry juice – I have used a good store bought juice without added preservatives so it is a little tart/sour in taste. Triple sec – you need that orange flavor here, a little goes a long way hence I would recommend having it, you could use Cointreau as well. Fresh cranberries are added into the glass as they float to the top making for a very christmasy look, you can leave them out tho. I top off the cocktail with ginger ale but you can use any soda you have as well, try to avoid something too sweet. I also use lime juice to rim the edge of the glass before dunking into castor sugar for that snow fall look on the glass. Lastly you will need ice and the sugared rosemary stem.

How to make the Sugared Rosemary?

Get your rosemary sticks and run them under hot water. Shake off the excess water and place on a tray. Sprinkler the sugar (castor or white granulated sugar) over the wet rosemary stems and ensure to coat every inch. Rather have more sugar at this stage than less. Spread them out to dry for 30 mins or so in a dry place in your kitchen. Once the sugar hardens the rosemary stick should have become crispy, save the excess sugar for later.

How to make the Cocktail?

I like using a shaker for this, you don’t need it but to make a couple of cocktails at a time it makes sense. I put the vodka, cranberry juice, trip sec and ice in the shaker. Shake it up real nice and pour into a sugar rimmed glass, around 3/4 of the way. Add your fresh cranberries and top with the ginger ale. You can add the sugared rosemary at this stage.

What glass to serve the Cocktail in?

You want to serve this in a tall glass, doesn’t have to be a highball glass either. Something that looks festive and goes with the drink as well. I like serving this drink in a sparkling white wine/brute glass. The size of the glass will affect the amount of liquid in the glass hence what serves 1 might serve 2 if you use a smaller glass.

Make ahead tip –

If you want to make many drinks in one go, make a large batch of this cocktail in a bowl without a shaker and leave out the ginger ale, when ready to serve pour the drink in individual glasses, top with ginger ale, rosemary garnish and serve. However it does need to be chilled with ice.

Food Pairing –

Roast turkey is a good option here but so it roasted chicken or pork. It pairs well with a barley and kale salad, quinoa salad with goats cheese and butternut squash. I would also serve a cheeseboard with this cocktail and even a charcuterie platter as well. Pecan pie or even cheesecake would be a good dessert option. In saying this you could serve this drink with ragu and pasta or a white sauce pasta bake.

Now that we have covered the main elements of this cocktail recipe, let us actually make it, watch how I made it here. Happy Drinking Ninjas!