Classic Vodka and Cranberry Recipe for Your Holiday Party

A Vodka and Cranberry recipe may just be 2 ingredients but it’s delicious, and one of the easiest vodka recipes you can make!

With a sprig of sugared rosemary, this classic drink becomes perfectly festive for fall and winter parties, holiday gatherings and beyond!

A Cranberry Vodka cocktail you’ll love

While you can drink Vodka and Cranberry any time of year, it’s especially wonderful around Christmas. With that gorgeous color, this 2-ingredient cocktail is one of my favorites.

Like my Vodka and Coke, this Vodka Cranberry recipe is barely a recipe. Just the way I like it.

My cocktail mission statement is to use basic ingredients in delicious ways that don’t require any special skills or tools.

Classic cocktails, like this one sometimes called a Cape Cod, are sometimes overlooked but for their simplicity and taste they shouldn’t be!

Why This Recipe Works

Cranberry juice is a classic cocktail ingredient. And I hear it works wonders for your urinary tract health. Bonus!

Vodka is a bar staple that you probably have hanging around. It’s versatile in flavor and color and pairs well with just about anything you put with it (apple juice, orange juice, tea, etc).

Related post: Christmas Cosmo with Rosemary Cinnamon Simple Syrup

The color of the juice creates a pretty drink that looks extra celebratory. You can easily make the drink suit any occasion depending on when you are serving it.

Serve this drink at Friendsgiving, your Holiday Cookie Exchange, or any time you’re having a holiday happy hour.

Ingredients

• vodka
• 100% cranberry juice cocktail
• lime, optional

In my opinion, a squeeze of fresh lime makes any cocktail better.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1

To a short cocktail glass with ice, add vodka.

Step 2

Next, add the cranberry juice.

Step 3

A squeeze of fresh lime really does wonders to brighten this Vodka and Cranberry and give it another layer of flavor.

I don’t consider lime another ingredient really. It’s like salt and pepper in a recipe.

You can skip this if you don’t have it. Or use a splash of Rose’s Lime Juice if you have it.

Give it all a quick stir.

For the holidays, garnish with fresh herbs (rosemary looks like super tall skinny pine trees) and whole fresh cranberries.

Any other time of year, slap a lime wheel on top and you’re good to go. Or browse more garnish ideas.

Hint: The perfect holiday garnish for Vodka and Cranberry is sugared rosemary with a few fresh cranberries skewered on the stem.

How to Make Sugared Rosemary

To create the sugared rosemary, simply dip the sprig in a bowl of water. Shake to remove excess water.

Dip the moistened rosemary into sugar poured on a shallow plate. Let sit to dry before adding as a garnish.

This cranberry cocktail pairs perfectly with my Christmas Cranberry Cake by the way.

Variations

While it’s delicious to sip as is, by adding just one more or a few ingredients you can really level up the flavor and create many more cocktails.

This super simple Cranberry Vodka and make it into a handful of other delicious drinks.

• Cosmopolitan – Add Cointreau and you’ve got the signature drink of Sex and the City.
• Madras – Orange juice gives this cocktail some sweetness and a delicious kick of citrus.
• Sea Breeze – The addition of grapefruit juice makes this vacation worthy.
• Cranberry Mimosa – Make it brunch-worthy with the addition of some sparkling wine.
• Bay Breeze – Pineapple juice makes this version sweet and perfect for people who aren’t big drinkers.
• Cranberry Mule – A little ginger beer makes this into one of my favorite Moscow Mule cocktails.
• St. Germain and Cranberry – Skip the lime and use lemon instead. A splash of St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur gives this a delicious floral update.

Top Tips

• If you want this Vodka and Cranberry recipe to be a bit sweeter, you can use a little bit of simple syrup (or a flavored simple syrup like Vanilla Cinnamon Simple Syrup).
• You can play around with the ratio of vodka to juice to suit your taste preferences. Some people just like a splash of juice.
• Want to make this even more holiday-friendly? Make my Spiced Cranberry Juice and use that in place of plain juice.

Frequently Asked Questions

This quick and easy Vodka Cranberry drink makes the perfect simple cocktail for the holidays and beyond.

More easy cranberry recipes

• Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail – This yummy drink uses spiced cranberry juice to make a delicious cocktail perfect for winter.
• Cranberry Vodka Slush – This frozen cocktail with cranberry and vodka is full of flavor and a fun one to serve for a party.
• Cranberry Moscow Mule – I love this cranberry cocktail featuring flavorful ginger beer.
• Crockpot Christmas Punch with Cranberry Juice – This warm punch is made in a slow cooker and is great for parties.
• Spiced Cranberry Juice – This spice-infused cranberry juice is a great base for cocktails and mocktails.
• This Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe needs just 4 ingredients and makes a tasty holiday showstopper.

More easy cocktails

• This list of Winter Vodka Cocktails is full of seasonal flavors that you’ll love.
• Yummy Apple Spice Sangria is a great cocktail to serve a crowd!
• Make this Holiday Moscow Mule with spiced cranberry juice. So yum!
• This Easy Holiday Spiced Wine recipe makes a mulled wine with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and Tripe Sec perfect for holiday parties.

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