I love a good fizzy mocktail. There’s just something about a tart, sort of sweet, fizzy little drink that screams “Holiday Party!” And trust me, this super simple drink is exactly what you’ll want at your Christmas party this year. A little cranberry, a little orange, a little fizz to tickle your nose before you hit up the mistletoe… this cranberry orange spritz is going to become your go-to Christmas mocktail, trust me.

I’m going to start you off with a totally optional part of the recipe. I know that seems backwards, but if you’re wanting to do this totally optional part, you’re going to want to do it the night before your party, so that’s why I’m telling you…like right now. This part will not make your drink any tastier, really, but it will make it SO pretty (and we love snacking on these sugared cranberries anyway). To make sugared cranberries as a delicious garnish for your drink, start by pouring 2 cups of cranberries in a pie dish or 9×13 pan.

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water with 1 1/2 cups of sugar– you want this syrup to be extra sweet. Boil it for about 5 minutes to really reduce that sugar down into a syrup. Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes, then pour it over your cranberries.

Let them soak overnight. The next day, drain off the syrup and place your cranberries in a plastic bag with about a cup of sugar. Shake shake shake, then lay them out on a pan to dry until you’re ready to party!

To make the drink, it’s pretty simple. I’ll put the punch bowl quantities down below, but for a glass, you simply mix together 1 1/2 ounces of cranberry juice (not the cocktail… the straight up cranberry juice with nothing added. The really, really tart stuff that may be in the health food section instead of the juice aisle), 1 ounce of orange juice (it sweetens it and gives it the pretty color), 1/2 ounce lemon juice, and a teaspoon of sugar. Give the drink a little stir, then fill the glass the rest of the way with cranberry ginger ale.

I like to garnish with a slice of orange and a few of those cute little sugared cranberries, but you can leave it plain, too (which is what I’ve done when enjoying the drink any time but party time).

Cranberries aside, the drink seriously takes like a minute to make, and it’s just as easy and pretty to make it in a punch bowl for the party than in the individual glasses.

Cranberry Orange Spritz (Punch Bowl Style)

2016-12-14 09:30:52

Serves 16

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Prep Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Ingredients

1. 3 Cups Cranberry Juice (not juice cocktail, but pure cranberry juice)
2. 2 Cups orange juice
3. 1 1/2 Cups lemon juice
4. 1 Cup sugar
5. 2 Cups cranberry ginger ale
6. Sliced orange
7. 2 Cups sugared cranberries (optional)

Instructions

1. In a punch bowl, combine cranberry juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar.
2. Stir.
3. Top with 2 Cups cranberry ginger ale.
4. Garnish with orange slices and sugared cranberries.
5. Serve chilled.

Mama Plus One https://www.mamaplusone.com/

What’s your favorite quality in a party drink? Tart? Sweet? Extra fizzy? Let me know in the comments below! Who knows? It may even inspire my next drink recipe! Looking for more party drinks? Just go to my Mocktails category for tons of inspiration!