Festive Cranberry Cocktail Recipes

 The holiday season is near, and if you are gathering with friends to exchange gifts, or hosting a party, you are going to want to pin this list of festive cranberry cocktails for later. This list has some of the best options to help you ring in the holidays in style.

If you have been visiting me for a while, you know I love a good cocktail. This year I would love to include more cranberries into my happy hour, so I started visiting with some of my favorite bloggers to find the best recipes. I know you will find a few items you love on this list.

Cranberry Sage Cocktail by Salted Plains

Perfect Cranberry Cosmo by xoxo Bella

Cranberry Sangria by Flavor the Moments

Blushin Russian by The Good Hearted Woman

Frozen Cranberry Mimosa by Stephanie’s Way

Winter White Cosmos by Aleka’s Get Together

Cranberry Pear Mimosas by Entirely Elizabeth

Sorcerer's Stone Cocktail by Cooking with Curls

Cranberry Orange Margarita by Emily Fabulous

Cranberry Orange Daiquiris by Small Town Woman

Cranberry Moscow Mules by Our Crafty Cocktails

Mezcal Cranberry Cocktails by Gastronom Blog

Sparkling Cranberry Champagne Cocktails by Homebody Eats

Blackberry Cranberry Moscow Mules by The Forked Spoon

Cranberry Margaritas by A Splash of Taste

Don't these drinks sound perfect for the holiday season? Which would you like to make first? Don't forget to click over to view the full recipes and save them to your cocktail board.

While you are here you can find some of my favorite drink recipes here:

Wild Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Boozy Freezer Pops

Cherry Orange Soda Syrup

Best Boba Recipes

 My 9 year old, Harper, has developed an obsession with boba. She bats her big blue eyes at me and says "Mommy, let's go out for a tea..." almost everyday. It is so funny that I have this little bestie who thinks I am rich. To keep her happy and getting her boba fix at least once a week, we have been making some fun recipes at home. If you are wanting to save some cash and still have a treat, like us, you are going to love this list of the best boba recipes to make at home.

Before we get into this, can you believe Harper is 9 and a half already? It seems like just a few months ago that so many of my friends were chipping in to write posts for my blog so I could bask in the wonder of our new baby Harper.  Now here she is, a full blown tween with a boba tea habit.

Photo Credit: Sara Lehman and various artists.

Jasmine Milk Tea Boba by Greedy Girl Gourmet

Lychee Milk Tea Boba by My Vegan Minimalism

Hokkaido Milk Tea by Aubrey’s Kitchen

Vegan Boba Cake by Rainbow Nourishments

Homemade Black Boba Pearls by Delightful Plate

Fruity Bubble Tea by Kids Activities Blog

The Devil Wears Salad.

Watermelon Fruit Salad with Brown Sugar Boba by The Devil Wears Salad

Strawberry Milk Tea by Moon and Spoon and Yum

Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars by The Oregon Dietitian

Photo Credit: White Kitchen Red Wine.

Strawberry Milk Tea by White Kitchen Red Wine

Taro Bubble Tea by The Oregon Dietitian

Chocolate Milk Bubble Tea by The Littlest Crumb

Photo Credit:  Entirely Elizabeth.

Earl Grey Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth

Iced Boba Coffee by Recipes from a Pantry

Vegan Bubble Tea by Plant Based on a Budget

With so many tasty bubble tea recipes, the hardest part of getting your boba fix will be deciding which of these recipes to make first. Happy sipping!

You can find some of my favorite drink recipes here 
Sour Apple Margaritas
Hillbilly Cider
Bomb Pop Cocktails
Blueberry Lime Vodka Sorbet

Hillbilly Cider Cocktails

This recipe for hillbilly apple cider is the best easy cocktail for fall. This easy 2 ingredient recipe adds the perfect amount of apple pie moonshine to fresh apple cider for a smooth sipping drink that will really give you a kick in the pants! I love this cocktail for evenings when I don’t want to make a lot of effort for a cocktail because it is ready in about a minute.

Ingredients:

Apple Pie Moonshine

Fresh Pressed Apple Cider

Ice

Optional:

Cinnamon 

Directions:

Fill a glass with ice.

Add 1 ½ ounces of apple pie moonshine to your glass

Top off with 5 ounces of apple cider.

Give everything a good stir.

If you like you can garnish with cinnamon.

Find other favorite cocktail recipes here:

Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Sour Apple Margarita

Popsicles for Adults (Boozy Freezer Pops)

I know summer doesn't officially begin for a few weeks, but, it is HOT already, the kids are out of school, and the mosquitoes are biting at every opportunity. In my eyes, that means it is summer. I have been spending a ton of time in the pool, or poolside with the kids. Sometimes my mind wanders to thoughts of boozy popsicles but the ones at the grocery store are like  $20 for just a small package. Seems kind of excessive for what you are actually getting. So instead of shelling out my  cash I turned to the internet and found a few promising recipes for boozy popsicles to share with you. 

Please click through the link to get the full recipe.

4 Ingredient Raspberry Sangria Popsicles are the perfect afternoon indulgence. They are easy to make and they taste perfect after a sweltering day in the summer heat.

Blood Orange Negroni Pops are elegant and easy enough to make on a whim and wow guests this summer.

Pina Colada Popsicles

Give your day a tropical vibe with these totally indulgent popsicles. I love these almost as much as a pina colada itself!

Easy Mango Pina Colada Pops feel like the perfect substitute for a vacation mid week, tropical vibe included!

Blue Lagoon Cocktail Popsicles are so much fun to make and share with a of legal drinking age friend. 

Blueberry Vodka Lime Sorbet is the perfect way to beat the heat and get a little buzz too.

Which of these boozy popsicle recipes sounds the best to you? I would really appreciate it if you would pin this recipe to your cocktail board or share it on social media.

Reader favorite cocktails include:

Sour Apple Margarita

Night Kings

Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Homemade strawberry syrup is a must make this summer. It captures the essence of summer in a simple syrup that compliments everything from cocktails to homemade popsicles. I even drizzled it over cake, and it was perfect!

When I was a kid, early in the summer, my grandpa would come calling, looking for some helping hands who were willing to go to the U-Pick-Em strawberry patch and fill bushel after bushel of berries. As his only grandchild, many times, I was the willing partner. We would head over, taking all of the back country roads, and spend the morning in the sun, bent over, picking the best berries. My grandpa, Popaw, would always poke through and make sure you had some berries with some green showing yet, as this added the right tartness to all of the wonderful things he would make with his haul. We would spend days cleaning, coring and slicing the berries. Some would become jam and jelly. Some were frozen for pies and shortcakes when the season had passed. Some were enjoyed on the spot naturally.

My Popaw passed away in 1999. I was 19 years old. I have missed him everyday since then. I can't pass a U-Pick-Em berry patch without stopping for at least a quart of fresh berries, with a little green showing on a few for balance. From one batch of fresh berries I made this wonderful simple syrup. It is so sweet, and it has the essence of summer just waiting to add something special to whatever you desire. 

Add a splash to lemonade for a refreshing treat, or maybe add some to your sprite like my daughter likes to do for a pretty pink strawberry soda. I like to add it to vodka in the summer while I sip the stress of the day away.

All you need is berries, sugar and water to pull this off.

Ingredients:

Water- 1 cup

Sugar- 1/2 cups

Strawberries, cored 2 cups

Directions:

Place the cored berries into a sauce pan.

Add water.

Add sugar.

Simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

Place a mesh sieve over a mason jar.

Pour the mixture into the sieve, pressing the berries with a spoon to release the juices.

Discard the berry mash left in the sieve. (I like to feed it to the birds, but do so away from your house, as it will draw bees too.)

Store with a lid, in the fridge for a month.

Add a splash into cocktails or soda.

Drizzle it on white cake for a colorful and sweet berry flavor.

Make homemade strawberry soda by adding it to club soda.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out all of my homemade soda recipes.

Favorites include:

Cherry Orange Soda Syrup

Mulberry Lime Soda

Strawberry Peach Soda

Blueberry Lime Soda

Homemade Peach Soda

Sour Apple Margarita

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and this Sour Apple Margarita recipe is the best cocktail for the occasion!  This recipe is easy to make and has just the right mix of booze with the perfect pucker from the sour apple schnapps. Chances are you will make this one many times as summer rolls around.

When the pandemic began, I started collecting alcohol. I have never been a big drinker, but as I age, I can certainly appreciate a good cocktail recipe. These days, an afternoon cocktail is the pick me up I need.  This sour apple margarita is a favorite for the warmer months. It is so easy to mix and hits just right.  Pair it with taco night or make it and take it outside to savor the warm weather.

I look forward to the days when we can gather with friends and serve these by the pitcher. I know they will go down fast and smooth with friends laughing in the background, telling the stories of their lives.

The vibrant green color of this cocktail makes it so appealing, especially as the world begins to come in bloom. Bring on the green after such a long and gray winter!

Ingredients

Serving size is 1 8oz glass

1. 1oz Tequila
2. 2oz Sour Apple Schnapps
3. 1/2 oz Tripel Sec
4. 1/2 oz Cointreau
5. 2oz Sweet and Sour Mix
6. 1 splash of fresh Lime juice
7. 1 lime cut for garnishing

DIRECTIONS 

1. Pour Margarita salt onto one plate and simple syrup on the other plate
2. Take your glassware and dip the rims in the simple syrup and then the margarita salt and set to the side
3. Fill your glasses with ice 3/4 of the way full
4. Add ingredients to a bartender shaker along with 3-4 pieces of ice
5. Shake to combine and strain into your glass
6. Garnish with a lime wedge

See, I told you this was an easy cocktail recipe! So easy, you almost have to try mixing it yourself! I never knew margaritas could be so easy to make without using a mix.

You can find all of my cocktail recipes here.

Reader favorites include:

Night King Cocktails

Bomb Pop Cocktails

Wild Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Mulberry Lime Soda

Mulberry Lime Soda is a perfect summer treat! Make with fresh berries for a mocktail the whole family will love. There is nothing like this fresh, and perfectly tart homemade soda!

Summer is here and my neighbor has a mulberry tree. Lucky for me, he doesn't eat them himself and he is gracious enough to let my family linger in his yard and pick as many as we like. I love to pick them daily at the peak of ripeness, take them home to clean them, then pop them in the freezer for my pet turtle who loves to eat them. They make a nice treat in the winter for her. But this time, I decided to use a few to make a total summer treat. This mulberry lime soda is perfect for sharing or sipping solo.

This is such an easy soda to make. 

Use club soda, sprite or a soda stream machine for the base of the drink. 

Supplies:

1 lime

1/2 cup of mulberries

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Mesh Strainer

Directions:

Combine berries, water, juice from half of a lime and sugar in a saucepan.

Over medium heat bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and allow the fruit syrup to simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour through a mesh strainer.

Discard fruit (This is wonderful over ice cream if you are so inclined.)

Allow the syrup to cool then store it in a bottle or mason jar.

When you are ready to enjoy this mulberry lime soda fill a glass with ice. Add sprite or club soda, leave a little room at the top of the glass.

Add 1 to 2 ounces of syrup to the glass. 

Garnish with a lime wedge or a few fresh berries.

Enjoy.

You can find all of my homemade soda recipes here.

Reader favorites include:

Cherry Orange Soda

Strawberry Peach Soda

15+ Amazing Wine Cocktails

A glass of wine is nice, but these cocktails take it a step further to create something truly special. Make a few to sip with someone special, or try them all, spread out over the course of the summer. 

I love to mix drinks for the people in my life. It is fun to share  new concoctions and I love to see what I can come up with based on my home bar. Honestly though, I rarely indulged myself.  Then Covid-19 happened. Life got completely out of whack in a flash. By April I had begun making a cocktail for myself every day around 4, just to keep my even keel.

I found 15 amazing wine cocktails to try at home. I love how these are a good way to finish off a bottle, and when we are back to entertaining, I know several of these will be presented, with LOVE to my friends!

From Guava wine margaritas which happen to sound divine,  to a Moscato Sangria that goes down so smooth, there is something on this list for everyone. I know you will find one you love!

Guava Wine Margaritas by Growing  Up Bilingual
 Strawberry Lime Bellini's by Plating Pixels
Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria by Growing Up Bilingual
Wine Lemonade Cocktail by Food Wine and Sunshine
Spiced Pear Bellini by Cupcakes and Cutlery
Pineapple Moscato Sangria by The Taylor House
Spanish Rose Sangria by Bacon is Magic
Honey Peach Sangria Slushies by Snappy Gourmet
Basil Raspberry Sangria by Swirls of Flavor
Easy White Wine Spritzers  by My Kitchen Love
Sparkling Raspberry Wine by 5 Minutes for Mom
Berry Red Wine Spritzer by Girl Gone  Mom
Raspberry Lime Wine Spritzer by Centsless Meals
Cranberry Orange Sangria by The Taylor House
Moscato Sangria by Bolder Locavore

If you are looking for more great cocktail recipes check these out.
Blueberry Vodka Lime Sorbet

Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Blueberry Lime Soda

This blueberry lime soda syrup is so easy to make. It is perfect for a refreshing drink that you will want to sip all summer long!

We have a drink machine in the kitchen, and it is pretty great. I love making caffeine free soda to serve the family. It is fun to mix up a batch of syrup drawing inspiration from seasonal produce. This recipe came together with only 3 ingredients to create something sweet, tart and completely delicious!

After you make this, you might never buy a prepacked syrup for your soda stream machine again. This is so easy to make and tastes totally amazing! With only 3 ingredients and a few moments of time, this might be your new favorite.

Ingredients:
One fresh lime
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of water
2 cups of sugar

Tools:
A mason jar or something similar for storing
A mesh sieve/strainer
A medium size saucepan

Directions:
Combine water, sugar and blueberries in a saucepan.
Over medium heat,  cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
Allow the mixture to cool for about 20 minutes.
Place the mesh sieve/strainer over the mason jar.
Pour the liquid into the sieve, allowing it to drip into the jar.
As you go, you will crush the fruit to drain the liquid. I use a small mason jar for this.

Allow to cool completely then store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.


To use, add one to two ounces of syrup to your drink mate or soda stream with 12 ounces of water, then carbonate.

If you do not have a drink machine, no worries! Add this to sprite or carbonated water for a really delightful summer treat!

Don't miss my other homemade soda steam syrup recipes. Reader favorites include:

Cherry Orange Soda

Strawberry Peach Pop

Peach  Soda

7 Luscious Lemonade Recipes

Summer is near, so the time to stock up on lemonade fixings is now! I have 7 Luscious Lemonade Recipes to inspire your summertime sipping!

Pin this to your drink board for later!

There is nothing like a glass of lemonade on a hot day. I found 7 awesome recipes that I can't wait to try. I think you are going to love these too. From the traditional twist of a strawberry version that promises to be easy to an unforgettable Lavender punch that tickles the taste buds in style.  I can't wait to hear which of these recipes you want to try first!

Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade
Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade
Easy Strawberry Lemonade
Sparkling Pineapple Lemonade
Lavender Lemonade Punch
Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Blueberry Lemonade Punch

Making homemade lemonade is super easy to do! I have a few tips to help you make the best ever lemonade at home!

1. 5 or 6 lemons will yield 1 cup of juice.
2. Select lemons that are bright yellow and firm.
3. Washing lemons after purchase will keep them fresher longer.
4. Room temperature lemons will yield more juice than a cold lemon.
5. Simple syrup is much easier for making lemonade than dissolving sugar.

Have you ever made a special lemonade recipe? I would love to hear about it to inspire my summer sipping!

We have a cute lemonade craft for kids that goes perfectly with homemade lemonade!

You might want to check out these homemade soda ideas.

 Don't miss these infused water recipes!

7 Delicious Ways to Stay Hydrated

The days are getting warmer. Let's cool off with an infused water recipe that will hydrate you and offer a delicious fruity flavor to your summer days!

Pin it for later

Infused water is the perfect way to beat the heat while adding a delicious touch of flavor to your summer drinks. These recipes are some of my favorites and I couldn't wait to share them with you. With recipes as easy and delicious as these, drinking more water is just a tasty sip away

Strawberry Basil Lime Water
Kiwi Blackberry Water
Chia Lime Water
Cucumber Watermelon Mint
Apple Cinnamon Detox Water
Cucumber Lemon Water
Strawberry Lemon Water

If you love infused water but haven't made it at home, you will want to take note of these tips.

1. Always wash your fruits and veggies prior to adding them to water.
2. Allow them to soak overnight for the best flavor.
3. Don't be afraid to add herbs to your infused water!

Which of these is your favorite? Do you ever make infused water to keep your family hydrated? I would love to hear what fruits you like to include!

You Might Also Like

12 Homemade Soda Recipes

Chocolate Cherry Floats

I have a recipe for a Chocolate Cherry Float that is so good that even on the coldest fall day, it will appeal to your taste buds!

I love to serve ice cream floats to friends and family. They are easy to make and while it seems like a pretty simple thing, an ice cream float can be as complex and creative as you desire. The combinations for yum are endless.

In this Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Float recipe, you will find I went with basic ingredients you might already have in the kitchen. If you have them, get ready to dash in and make one of these!

You will need:

Dr. Pepper

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate Syrup

Maraschino Cherries

Begin by drizzling chocolate syrup around the inner rim of your glass so that it dribbles down the sides.

Next, add 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream into the glass

Top with Dr. Pepper.

Drop a cherry in and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

This is completely delicious. If you like chocolate and cherry, this is one easy yet delicious float recipe you won't want to miss.

You might also enjoy this Lazy Affogato Recipe.

Blackberry Cheesecake Floats are a reader favorite you will love too!

Find all of my favorite ice cream floats here