The Holiday season is an inspirational time of year for baking, cooking, and cocktail making. I decided to start out on the first of December with a festive Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritzer. This drink was easy to shop for and to prepare, and it has Christmas vibes galore. Perfect for getting you into the holiday spirit.
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I had recently purchased these Vintage Art Deco Lowball cocktail glasses and couldn’t wait to use them! This set would make a perfect gift, as it arrived in a stunning, pink satin-lined box that contained 4 different drink recipes on the back. I am obsessed with these glasses and can’t wait to gift them to friends and family!
This Christmas cocktail is great because it is not overly sweet and is perfectly effervescent. I would suggest paying a little more and try searching for unsweetened cranberry juice, rather than the common cranberry juice cocktail. You will see the difference immediately. Unsweetened cranberry juice will have a brighter color and contains a lot less sugar. It will be more tart, but you are using sweet syrup in this cocktail, so the end result is nicely balanced.
You could serve this at your holiday party to guests, and pre-mix the vodka, rosemary syrup, and cranberry juice into a pitcher for quick and easy pouring. The sugared garnish of frozen cranberries and sugared rosemary spring give this easy ingredient cocktail a pretty, wintery finished appearance.
I mixed these using lowball glasses, but you could also use highball glasses, like this elegant, vintage set of 4 from Clapante Origami.
What I loved about this recipe, is that I was able to buy all of the ingredients from my local grocery store. This is especially handy when you are hosting a Christmas party and have so many other things to do!
Ingredients:
Cranberry Rosemary Vodka Spritzer
1.5 oz Vodka (I used Vido Vodka)
2 oz Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
1 tsp Rosemary Simple Syrup
Sugared cranberries
Sugared rosemary sprig
Ice ( I used concentrated frozen cranberry spheres, using these ice molds)
2 oz Sparkling water or Club Soda (or to taste)
Rosemary Simple Syrup:
A helpful tip for the planners like me: This spicy pine-flavored syrup will keep up to one week in your refrigerator!
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3 sprigs rosemary
Make Rosemary Simple Syrup
- In a saucepan combine water ad sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add rosemary sprigs and continue to heat for one minute. Remove from heat and allow the syrup mixture to infuse for 30-45 minutes, or until completely cooled. Strain syrup into an airtight container or mason jar, and chill in the fridge.
Assemble Cranberry Rosemary Spritzer
- Fill the glass 2/3 full with ice.
- Combine vodka, cranberry juice, and rosemary syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake.
- Strain into your glass of choice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with sugared cranberries and a fresh rosemary sprig.
* Pro tip: Use concentrated cranberry ice spheres for an added burst of flavor and color.
Check out my finished cocktail on our Instagram page, by clicking here.
Cheers!
~ Jen
