Holiday Cocktails: Tips, Tricks and Recipes
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Author: Daniel Winer
Recipe type: Cocktail
Serves: 1
Have a healthy and festive drink with this cocktail recipe.
Ingredients
- 2⅛ cups cranberries
- 1 apple
- 1 ounce vodka (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2-3 lime slices
- ice
- 1 cup club soda
- Agave nectar or other liquid sweetener, to taste (I use ½ teaspoon agave)
Instructions
- Add the vodka into a 16-ounce tall glass. Now add a handful of cranberries and a couple lime slices. Add the ice on top.
- Juice 2 cups of cranberries and 1 apple
- Pour in the cranberry-apple juice into the glass followed by the club soda.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice (if desired) and agave to taste. Stir to combine.
- Enjoy immediately!
- For a mocktail, simply omit the vodka and add a couple extra tbsp of cranberry-apple juice.
- For a fun variation, try pomegranate-apple juice + arils instead of cranberry-apple juice and cranberries.
Mother’s Ruin Punch
Mother's Ruin Punch
Author: Daniel Winer
Recipe type: Cocktail
Serves: 8
This punch is a healthier twist on a traditional holiday punch.
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup chilled club soda
- 1½ cups gin
- 5 to 6 grapefruits = 1½ cups fresh grapefruit juice, plus 3 thinly sliced grapefruit wheels, for garnish
- large lemons = ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup sweet vermouth
- 2¼ cups chilled Champagne or sparkling wine
- Ice
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, stir the sugar with the club soda until dissolved.
- Stir in the gin, freshly juiced grapefruit and lemon juices and sweet vermouth and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the punch to a large bowl. Gently stir in the Champagne and float the grapefruit wheels on top.
- Serve in punch glasses over ice.
Which of these will you try first this weekend? I’ve been so into using cranberries in my smoothies lately that the sparkling cranberry punch seems like a no brainer! —Kristen