Red Christmas Cocktail with Vodka
Make this red Christmas cocktail with cranberry juice, vodka, and sparkling grape juice. Give it a festive name like “Rudolph’s Shiny Red Cocktail” and serve it as a signature drink for a Christmas cocktail party.
Nothing completes a Christmas party like a color-coordinated signature drink with seasonal flavors. I created this red Christmas cocktail with Vodka, and two types of cranberry juice for a festive drink for adults.
The taste is a little sweet and a little tart, and goes down smooth. Garnish with fresh cranberries threaded onto a pick, or freeze some in ice cubes.
This is a crowd pleaser because so many people love vodka drinks, and it has balanced flavor between sweet and tart. Enjoy it at home for adult gatherings like a Naughty or Nice Christmas party or even Christmas brunch.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need for this drink.
- Vodka. Some top brands for mixing party drinks are Tito’s, Effen, Stoli, Absolut, or Smirnoff. But really, choose your favorite!
- Cranberry juice. Make sure you get cranberry juice, not “juice cocktail.” The juice is less sweet than the cranberry juice cocktail so it has better balance with the other flavors.
- White Cranberry juice. This version of cranberry juice is a pale yellow color and is a little bit sweeter. It creates depth in the cocktail. You could substitute with white grape juice or a sparkling white juice.
Garnish
Top each glass with a festive garnish. Thread fresh cranberries onto a stem of fresh rosemary and lay it across the top.
Tips & Tricks
Freeze the bottle of vodka in an ice mold to keep it cold on the bar during a party. Since the alcohol doesn’t freeze solid, it’s the perfect trick to keep it cold.
Chill all the ingredients beforehand so they stay colder longer.
Add festive ice cubes by freezing sliced citrus, whole cranberries, and a short rosemary spring in silicone ice trays with cranberry juice. As the ice melts, the juice keeps the drink from being diluted.
More Red Drinks
Give these red drinks a fun name when you serve them at parties. Call it Rudolph’s Red Nose, or Santa’s Red Sleigh, Santa’s Red Suit, etc.
- Christmas mimosa
- Santa’s Helper cocktail
- Pomegranate sparkle cocktail
- Pomegranate hula breeze cocktail
- Pomegranate sparkling martini
- Red Valentine’s day cocktail (just give it a holiday name)
There’s no better time to celebrate the holidays at home; cheers!
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Red Christmas Cocktail with Vodka recipe
This red Christmas drink is a twist on vodka and cranberry juice, for a festive signature party cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Vodka
- 1½ ounces Cranberry Juice, unsweetened (NOT cranberry juice cocktail)
- 1½ White Cranberry Juice
- ½ ounce Simple Syrup
- Fresh cranberries for garnish.
Instructions
- To make simple syrup, bring 1 cup of water and ¾ cup of sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, in a small sauce pan. Let it cook until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool completely. Keep in airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- For the drink, combine ingredients over ice, and garnish with several fresh cranberries threaded onto a pick of rosemary stem.
Notes
Use sparkling white grape juice in place of the white cranberry for a fizzy twist.
I could go for one of these right now! Tis the season after all. 😉
Cheers to that! Thanks for stopping by, Leah 🙂