Cranberry Mocktail

This cranberry mocktail recipe is the perfect mocktail recipe for the holiday season. The simple syrup and fresh cranberries create a festive drink the whole family will love.

Of course, holiday parties are fun to attend, but I love to throw these events for a different reason. I am all about creating memories. When you add little details to a party, that is what makes it more memorable.

Creating delicious recipes specifically for a season is one way to add details to an event. That way, you will remember that party whenever you have that food or drink. It is just like having gingerbread and thinking of Christmas.

That's why I love making this Elf pancake spaghetti and having an Elf themed movie night! This Starbucks white hot chocolate is a a great addition as well.

This Valentines mocktail is like Valentine's Day in a glass. Like this layered 4th of July mocktail, the Valentines mocktail matches the holiday with its coloring and flavoring. And this non alcoholic champagne is perfect for any celebration!

Our spooky Halloween mocktails does the same thing because of the spooky "smoke" it gives off, creating the look of a witch's cauldron. Of course, we also have a fantastic Thanksgiving punch for the holiday of being thankful.

We have plenty of mocktail recipes, but this non-alcoholic version of a cranberry cocktail may be one of my favorites. I love how the tartness of the cranberry balances out the sweetness of the syrup. It's one of my favorite sparkling non-alcoholic drinks.

This sparkling mocktail has wonderful bubbles that your holiday guests, especially the young ones, will love. Serving non-alcoholic drinks at parties is great because everyone can feel included.

It goes great with our white chocolate Christmas crack or Christmas charcuterie board. Or even along with our hot cocoa bar.

Why you should make this recipe

• Fun drinks should be a part of the festivities, such as Christmas dinner, a holiday dinner, a New Year's Eve party, or other winter celebrations (well, really you can have a fancy drink any time of the year).
• Making this recipe is a great way to try something new.
• It is the perfect holiday drink especially at our Bethlehem dinner
• This beverage is beautiful and looks great in pictures.

Ingredients needed

• Apple - Cut the apple into 4 slices and remove the core so it is easier to blend.
• Orange - Adding an orange to this drink gives it a tangy flavor...so good.
• Fresh cranberries - Make sure you divide up the cranberries because you use them in different steps of the recipe.
• Sugar - Regular sugar works great for this recipe.
• Cranberry simple syrup - The key to a good mocktail is simple syrup. It makes or breaks a mocktail, in my opinion.
• Pomegranate arils - Divide up the pomegranate arils like you do with fresh cranberries.
• Non-alcoholic drink - You can use brut, champagne, or sparkling wine. You can also use sparkling apple cider, but the drink will be much sweeter.
• Rosemary sprigs - Totally optional, but it looks cute in the drink.

How to make cranberry mocktail

Make simple syrup

First, you will need to make the simple syrup. Bring 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil with 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries.

Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes, then set aside the cranberries. Pour the simple syrup into a jar.

Combine fruit

Grab a peeled orange and a cored apple. Cut the apple into 4 slices.

In a blender, combine the orange, apple slices, 1 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Let them blend together until well combined.

Prepare the glasses

Grab 8 champagne flutes to serve this festive drink. Place 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce in the bottom of each glass.

Refrigerate the remainder of the cranberry sauce. You can use this to make more if you would like later.

Prepare the drink

Add 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry simple syrup to each cup. Then add 1 teaspoon of pomegranate arils to each glass.

Add 0.0% non-alcoholic sparkling wine, brut, or champagne, pouring slowly as not to overfill. It will be bubbly, so it is easy for the drink to overflow.

Tips for recipe success

• Use little ice cubes - Little ice cubes are so cute, and they don't take up as much space in the glass.
• Add a rosemary sprig - It is optional, but I love how it looks in the glass! Your guests will think the drink looks so fancy with it garnished.

Storage and Freezing

Storing - You can store the syrup at room temperature for 1-2 weeks and in the fridge for 1 month. If you notice the color changing, it has gone bad.

Everything else should be made fresh. You can prepare the fruit beforehand, but make sure you add the non-alcoholic sparkling wine right before serving the drink.

Freezing - We don't recommend freezing this beverage because of the carbonation. If you put the drink in the freezer, it will lose carbonation, making the drink flat.

FAQ

What is a mocktail?

A mocktail is a cocktail without the alcohol. Mocktails are great to serve at any event because everyone can feel included.

Mocktails are also called non-alcoholic drinks, fake cocktails, and virgin drinks. Many people drink them for many different reasons, and they are a great option for anyone who chooses not to drink alcohol.

What is the difference between a cranberry mocktail and cranberry juice?

A cranberry mocktail, or any kind of mocktail, will have added sugar (most likely from a syrup) for a sweeter taste. Mocktails also have multiple ingredients.

Cranberry juice is one ingredient. It is a tart juice that can be used in cranberry mocktails, but cranberry juice alone is not a mocktail, just like other fruit juices are not mocktails by themselves.

Ways to enjoy

This incredibly delicious drink would pair well with these Christmas side dishes with prime rib or beef tenderloin. A Christmas feast has to have a bunch of side dishes to choose from, and what better than a tasty drink to serve with them?

We also love these green Christmas drinks because of how festive they are. This Christmas reindeer chex mix recipe is also incredibly festive and is great to snack on while decorating for the holiday season.

There are also these Christmas crockpot recipes because let's be real: Christmas time is amazing but also incredibly busy. You are running around trying to get gifts for everyone and the last thing you need to worry about is cooking dinner.

If you and your family want to get away this holiday season, check out these fun Thanksgiving vacation ideas that also work for the winter. And while you are spending time with family, cuddle up and watch the best family Thanksgiving movies.