Put a festive spin on your cocktail routine with a cranberry ginger ale cocktail and be prepared for a new regular in your brunch drink rotation!
Tart cranberry juice, zesty lime juice and sweet, bubbly ginger ale come together with vodka for a cocktail that hits in all the right places. Sweet, tart and lively with a subtle kick from the vodka, these cocktails are an easy and delicious way to shake up any brunch gathering.
Cranberry ginger ale cocktails are incredibly versatile and go just as well at a fancy holiday brunch get-together as they do at a leisurely spring or summer garden party. They’re great on their own or with food, and are a spectacular companion to both savory and sweet brunch items.
Serve them with vegetable quiches, omelettes, bacon and spicy eggs benedict if you’re in the mood for something savory, or match them up with fruit scones, blueberry pancakes or strawberry French toast for a sweeter pairing.
However you serve them, make sure there’s plenty to go around!
What You Need to Make a Cranberry Ginger Ale Cocktail
To make this cocktail, you’ll need plain vodka, cranberry juice, ginger ale and lime juice. If you don’t have plain vodka on hand, white rum or a mild gin can be used in its place. If you’re not a cranberry juice fan, pomegranate juice is an excellent substitute.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Cranberry Juice
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 3 oz Ginger Ale
- Rosemary Sprig for garnish (optional)
- Fresh Cranberries for garnish (optional)
How To Make a Cranberry Ginger Ale Cocktail
Fill a cocktail glass halfway with ice. Add vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice to the cocktail glass, then top off the cocktail with ginger ale.
Using a cocktail stirrer or a spoon, gently stir the drink a few times to thoroughly combine. Optionally garnish with a rosemary sprig and fresh or dried cranberries.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips
- Though cranberry juice is very tart, avoid using a sweetened cranberry punch and opt for 100% cranberry juice. The sweetness from the ginger ale will balance out the tartness of the cranberry juice, and you can add more or less ginger ale depending on your desired sweetness levels.
- This recipe is portioned out for one drink, but it is incredibly easy to scale-up and pre-batch. To pre-batch, add the desired amount of vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice to a pitcher, but don’t add the ginger ale (waiting to add the ginger ale will prevent a flat cocktail). Stir to combine then cover the pitcher and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. When you’re ready to serve, add in the ginger ale and fill the pitcher with ice before distributing in cocktail glasses.
Yes! The tartness of the cranberry juice goes great with the sweetness and subtle ginger qualities of the ginger ale. They’re an unlikely but excellent combination.
Definitely! The great thing about this cocktail is that cranberry juice, lime juice and ginger ale are a delicious combo with or without alcohol. Just omit the vodka and everyone can partake!
It depends. Ginger beer has a significantly stronger and spicier ginger flavor than ginger ale and it will make the cocktail much more intense. If you’re a fan of ginger beer it will definitely work in this recipe, but it may not be for everyone.
Cranberry Ginger Ale Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- 1 oz lime juice
- 3 oz ginger ale
- rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)
- fresh or dried cranberries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail glass halfway with ice.
- Add vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice to the cocktail glass.
- Top off the cocktail with ginger ale.
- Using a cocktail stirrer or spoon, gently stir the drink a few times to combine.
- Optionally, garnish with a sprig of rosemary and fresh cranberries.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
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