This Cranberry Mocktail is made with homemade cranberry syrup and spicy ginger ale, and it's the perfect drink for the holidays! It's really easy to make and it's a great non-alcoholic drink to serve at any Thanksgiving or Christmas parties during fall and winter. You can easily make it in a pitcher for a big crowd!
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Why You'll Love This Cranberry Mocktail
Perfect for the holidays - Anything with cranberries is made for the winter holidays and this mocktail is no different! Whether this is your first cranberry drink or you like my Cranberry Margarita and want to add something similar but non-alcoholic to your holiday menu, definitely make this mocktail!
Lots of flavor - This cranberry drink is full of flavor and unlike most mocktails, it's not overly sweet. It's sweetened with homemade cranberry syrup and has freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon juice. The drink is topped with spicy ginger beer which ties all the flavors together.
Homemade syrup - While you can totally make this mocktail with store-bought syrup like Monin, I highly recommend making your own Cranberry Syrup! You only need cranberries, sugar, and water to make it and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can also make it with just cranberry juice and sugar for an even easier version!
Great in a pitcher - You can multiply all measurements by however many servings you need and mix everything together in a big pitcher with ice. I recommend leaving out the ginger beer and pouring it into each glass separately right before serving to avoid it going flat in the pitcher.
Ingredients
- Orange juice - Freshly squeezed orange juice will provide the best flavor but any orange juice will work in a pinch.
- Cranberry juice - Make sure to use 100% cranberry juice with no added sugars, ideally not from a concentrate.
- Cranberry syrup - I used homemade Cranberry Syrup but store-bought syrup also works if you don't have time to make your own.
- Lemon juice - I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever possible.
- Ginger ale - Any ginger beer, ginger ale, or ginger soda works here. They all tend to be sweetened, some more than others, so keep that in mind when choosing the brand. I use Betty Buzz for this mocktail. If you don't like ginger, you can use plain sparkling water or club soda.
Variations and Substitutions
- Garnish - I added sugared cranberries and sugared fresh rosemary as a garnish for these drinks but that's totally optional (recipe below and in recipe card). You can also garnish it with some orange slices or plain fresh cranberries or rosemary. Orange slices are really big so I like to cut them in half and use one slice for two drinks.
- Different sweetener - If you don't have cranberry syrup you can use plain simple syrup instead or skip the sweetener completely. Alternatively, you can also sweeten the drink with maple syrup or agave nectar. I would use half the amount if using maple or agave syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add cranberry juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and cranberry syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds until cool to the touch and frothy.
- Fill a double old-fashioned glass with ice and strain the mocktail over the ice.
- Top up the drink with ginger beer and garnish with cranberries, rosemary, a lemon slice, or half an orange slice, and enjoy!
Sugared Cranberries
This step is totally optional but if you want to make the mocktail extra special, you can prep sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary as garnish. Make sure your cranberries and fresh rosemary are always completely dry before starting.
- Simmer ⅓ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water for 5 minutes.
- Add washed and dried fresh cranberries to the syrup and spread them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Let them dry for 10 minutes, sprinkle them with cane sugar, and toss to coat.
- Let the cranberries dry again for another 30 minutes before using them to make sure the sugar sticks to them. You can do the same thing with fresh rosemary.
- Toss with more sugar if needed.
Pitcher Version
This mocktail is super easy to make in a pitcher. You can easily multiply all measurements by however many servings you need. I recommend leaving out the ginger ale and adding it to your individual drinks right before serving. If you add it to your pitcher, you risk it going flat.
For 10 servings, you will need:
- 20 oz cranberry juice
- 10 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 5 oz cranberry syrup
- 20-40 oz ginger ale
All the measurements are also in the recipe card below.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
The finished mocktail is best enjoyed right away but there are a few components of the drink you can make ahead.
If you're making your own cranberry syrup, it will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice will last you in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
I also recommend refrigerating your ginger ale in advance to avoid the mocktail getting watered down too much.
FAQs
I recommend any brand that's 100% pure cranberry juice, preferably organic. Make sure it doesn't have any added sugar or other fruit juices.
You can add a shot of vodka or dark rum to the drink if you want to make both cocktail and mocktail versions of the drink for your party. I think bourbon could also work.
More Mocktails
If you want to make some more mocktails for your holiday party, check out any of the four below. There's something to choose from for everyone! To see all the latest ones, head over to Non-Alcoholic Drinks.
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Mocktail
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Mocktail
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Cranberry Mocktail is made with homemade cranberry syrup and it's the perfect drink for the holidays! It's really easy to make and you can easily make it in a pitcher for a big crowd!
Ingredients
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- 1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ½ oz cranberry simple syrup
- ice
- 2-4 oz ginger ale
- Garnish: sugared fresh cranberries, fresh rosemary, lemon slice, or orange slice (optional)
Instructions
- Add cranberry juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and cranberry syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds until cool to the touch and frothy.
- Fill a double old-fashioned glass with ice and strain the mocktail over the ice.
- Top up the drink with ginger beer and garnish with cranberries, rosemary, a lemon slice, or half an orange slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Sugared cranberries: To make sugared cranberries, simmer ⅓ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water for 5 minutes. Add washed and dried fresh cranberries into the syrup to coat and spread them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them dry for 10 minutes, sprinkle them with cane sugar, and toss to coat. Let them dry for another 30 minutes before using them to make sure the sugar is sticking to them. You can do the same thing with fresh rosemary.
10 servings pitcher: 20 oz cranberry juice, 10 oz freshly squeezed orange juice, 5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, 5 oz cranberry syrup, 20-40 oz ginger ale. Mix everything except ginger ale in a pitcher with ice. Serve over ice and top up each drink with the ginger ale.
The nutritional info is counted without any ginger ale because it may vary a lot based on the brand of ginger ale you use.
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