This cranberry mocktail is the perfect festive drink to brighten up your holiday season! With tart cranberry juice, fresh orange, rosemary, and a splash of sparkling water, it’s bursting with refreshing, seasonal flavors that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
If you’re hosting a holiday party, you need this cranberry mocktail recipe that comes together in about 5 minutes flat! For an ultra-festive spread, serve it alongside my cranberry salsa.
Why I Love This Recipe
This cranberry mocktail recipe is my go-to when I need an easy, festive, and crowd-pleasing beverage. It only requires a handful of simple ingredients, like cranberry juice, sparkling water, and a squeeze of fresh orange juice, but it packs a flavor punch!
Plus, my sugared cranberries and rosemary garnish make it look absolutely stunning. And the best part? This mocktail is kid-friendly and perfect for all ages, making it a great choice for family gatherings, parties, or whenever you need a non-alcoholic option that still feels special.
I also love sipping on it while I’m wrapping presents or setting the holiday table. It's quick to make and doesn't require any fancy tools, so you can focus on visiting with your loved ones!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a full breakdown of the ingredients you’ll need for this mocktail with cranberry juice:
- Sparkling Water: Adds effervescence to the drink, making it light and bubbly. For the best results, choose plain sparkling water.
- Cranberry Juice: Provides a tart and fruity base. For a more natural flavor, opt for 100% cranberry juice.
- Navel Orange: Fresh orange juice and zest add sweetness and a citrusy brightness.
- Maple Syrup: Acts as a natural sweetener, adding a caramel-like depth to this cranberry mocktail. Use 100% pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Rosemary: You’ll need fresh rosemary sprigs for a fragrant, festive garnish.
- Sugar: To rim the glasses and coat the cranberries. Feel free to use cane sugar or regular granulated sugar here.
- Cranberries: You'll need fresh cranberries to make the sugared cranberry garnish!
Substitutions
- Sparkling Water: Feel free to use club soda in place of sparkling water.
- Cranberry Juice: For a slightly sweeter and less tart flavor, use pomegranate juice instead of cranberry juice.
- Orange: For a unique citrus twist, you can substitute navel oranges with mandarin oranges or blood oranges.
- Maple Syrup: You can replace maple syrup with an equal amount of simple syrup or agave.
- Rosemary: Swap rosemary with mint leaves for a refreshing, minty aroma.
How to Make
This mocktail with cranberry juice couldn’t be quicker or easier to make! Just follow my tips for the best results.
Preparation
Pour a tablespoon of maple syrup into a small bowl, then add the fresh cranberries and roll them around until they're fully coated. Transfer the cranberries to another bowl with your sugar. Roll the cranberries in the sugar until each one is evenly coated. Carefully zest the navel orange using a zester or fine grater, avoiding the bitter white pith beneath the skin.
Assembly
Step 1
Combine the freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and four tablespoons of maple syrup in a glass pitcher.
Step 2
Place some sugar in a shallow saucer. Take the halves of the squeezed orange and rub the juicy side along the rims of your serving glasses. Then, dip the moistened rims into the sugar to create a sugared edge. Fill each prepared serving glass with ice cubes.
Step 3
Pour 6 ounces of chilled sparkling water into each glass over the ice. Adding the sparkling water first helps preserve its fizz while adding the other ingredients.
Step 4
Add ¼ cup of the sweetened orange juice mixture and ½ cup of cranberry juice to each glass, stirring to combine (stir gently to prevent the loss of carbonation from the sparkling water).
Step 5
Garnish each cranberry mocktail with a sprig of rosemary and some sugared cranberries before serving!
Expert Tip
For the perfect fizzy, refreshing finish, assemble your cranberry mocktails just before serving. Make sure all your ingredients, including the sparkling water and juices, are chilled before mixing.
Once everything is combined, serve your mocktails immediately! If you let them sit too long, the bubbles will fade, leaving you with flat drinks. For maximum bubbles, opt for freshly opened sparkling water, as the carbonation tends to diminish once opened.
Recipe Tips
- Fresh Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed juice provides a vibrant flavor and a much cleaner, brighter taste compared to bottled juice. If possible, choose fresh oranges here!
- Zest the Orange Carefully: Zest only the outer layer of the orange peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Use a microplane for the easiest zesting experience.
- Adjust the Sweetness: Taste your cranberry mocktail before serving, and adjust the sweetness if needed. Depending on the tartness of your cranberry and orange juice, you may need to add more maple syrup.
- Muddle in Rosemary: Rosemary pairs unbelievably well with the citrusy notes of this cranberry mocktail. In addition to the garnish, you can muddle a bit of rosemary into the drink to release its fragrant, herbal oils.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have orange juice, you can substitute it with grapefruit juice for a tangier flavor. You could also try lemon juice for a more tart, citrus-forward drink.
To reduce sweetness, reduce the amount of maple syrup or add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a sharper, tangier flavor.
In a pinch, you can use frozen cranberries instead of fresh ones. Just be aware that they may not roll in the maple syrup as easily, but they’ll give your drink a nice chill.
Storing
This mocktail with cranberry juice is best served immediately to preserve its carbonation. If you have leftovers, keep the juice mixture separate from the sparkling water.
Fridge
The juice mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Keep it in an airtight container and stir well before serving to blend the flavors again.
Freezer
You can also freeze the juice mix (without sparkling water) for up to a month. When you’re ready to serve, simply add fresh sparkling water!
More Vegan Drinks
Cranberry Mocktail
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
Mocktail
- 12 ounces sparking water chilled
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1 whole navel orange
- 4 tablespoon pure maple syrup or simple syrup
- ice desired amount
Garnish
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or simple syrup
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon cranberries
METHOD
- Prep: Add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup into a bowl with 2 tablespoon of fresh cranberries. Roll around the cranberries till they are all coated with a layer of maple syrup. Then remove each cranberry by hand and place them in a separate bowl with 2 tablespoon of sugar. Roll around the maple coated cranberries in the sugar till the sugar sticks evenly around each cranberry. Set these sugar coated cranberries aside for garnishing at the end.
- Zest the orange without going too deep into the white pith (bitter in taste). Then squeeze the juice out of the oranges using a citrus squeezer. Note: Comes out to about ⅓ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Add sugar to a saucer. Rub the flesh of the squeezed orange slices along the rim of the serving glasses, and then dip the rim in the sugar.
- Mix together the freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and maple syrup in a glass.
- Add the desired amount of ice into the prepared serving glasses, and then pour over 6 oz (evenly divided amount) of sparking water in each glass.
- Next add the ¼ cup sweetened citrus juice, and a ½ cup of cranberry juice in each glass.
- Garnish you mocktails with a sprig of rosemary, and sugar coated cranberries.
NOTES
- Fresh Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed juice provides a vibrant flavor and a much cleaner, brighter taste compared to bottled juice. If possible, choose fresh oranges here!
- Zest the Orange Carefully: Zest only the outer layer of the orange peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Use a microplane for the easiest zesting experience.
- Adjust the Sweetness: Taste your cranberry mocktail before serving, and adjust the sweetness if needed. Depending on the tartness of your cranberry and orange juice, you may need to add more maple syrup.
- Muddle in Rosemary: Rosemary pairs unbelievably well with the citrusy notes of this cranberry mocktail. In addition to the garnish, you can muddle a bit of rosemary into the drink to release its fragrant, herbal oils.
Puja Verma says
So festive and delicious for the holiday seasons.