I have a crush on cranberries this festive time of year. These cute little fruits are so full of color and flavor. But they can be a little tart, so I like to find different ways to make them a bit sweet. My Cranberry Crush cocktail celebrates the tartness of cranberries while introducing sweeter flavors that are pleasing to the palate.
Cranberry Crush
Makes 4 cocktails
- 3 jiggers (4.5 oz.) Solerno blood orange liqueur
- 2 jiggers (3 oz.) simple syrup
- 2 jiggers (3 oz.) chilled cranberry juice
- Mionetto Prosecco, chilled
- Cranberry Sugar – for flute rims (I like to use Morena Pure Cane Sugar for the sugar rim and garnish.)
- Cranberry Ginger garnish (prepare garnish one hour before serving cocktails)
Make cranberry sugar: Place ½ cup granulated sugar in a food processor or blender. Blend the sugar for about one minute to make it super fine sugar. Slice 8 fresh cranberries and add to sugar. Blend cranberries and sugar together so that the sugar has a little pink tint. Place the cranberry sugar on a plate.
Make cranberry garnishes. Place 16 fresh cranberries in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and barely cook cranberries (try not to let them burst but if a few burst it is okay). Remove from heat and drain. Cover cranberries with ginger beer and place covered in the refrigerator for an hour. Remove cranberries from ginger beer and roll in sugar. Place on cocktail pick for service.
Run the rims of 4 (4 oz.) champagne flutes under a trickle of running water to lightly moisten them. Dip and twirl the rims in the cranberry sugar. Allow the rims to dry while preparing the cocktails. Place the extra cranberry sugar in a covered container in the refrigerator for later use.
To make the cocktails: Place blood orange liqueur, simple syrup and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into the champagne flutes. Top off each champagne flute with chilled prosecco. Serve cocktails with cranberry ginger garnish.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.
