This sparkling Christmas Berry Cocktail is the perfect drink to ring in the Christmas season. It's a little tart and a little sweet with a touch of bubbles from sparkling wine. Just stir together vodka, apple cider, cranberry juice and orange liqueur then top with a bit of effervescence. Perfect for 2 or by the pitcher for your holiday party.
This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Wheatley Vodka. All opinions are 100% my own.
When Wheatley Vodka asked me to do a Christmas cocktail for them, I was ecstatic! I mean, what could be better than creating a delicious cocktail made especially for the holiday season with a craft vodka that has won numerous gold medal awards and is made in small batches in America's oldest continually-operated distillery. Ummm, nothing!
It was the perfect opportunity to develop my yearly Christmas cocktail. Past years have seen my Creamy Eggnog Martini, my ever-popular White Christmas Margarita, and my dangerous Pecan Pie Martini Shots. What do all these cocktails have in common? They contain seasonal flavors we love and associate with a joyful holiday season. This Christmas Berry Cocktail carries on that tradition in style!
So what makes this Vodka Cranberry Apple Cocktail so special. Well, it combines just the right amount of fresh sweet apple cider balanced perfectly with a little bit of tart from cranberry juice. Complementing all that fruitiness is the pure, crisp taste of Wheatley craft vodka, with its delicate taste showing hints of vanilla. Plus the color is all about Christmas with its cheery red tones. And it wouldn't be the holidays without a little bubbly, right? The sparkling wine adds the perfect festive touch that I just couldn't pass up.
Variations
- Love sweet cocktails? Add a little agave to the mix.
- Want more orange flavor? Add a double dose of orange liqueur or orange juice.
- No sparkling wine on hand? Try sparkling water, tonic water, or lemon-lime soda.
- Make this vodka apple cider cocktail into a Moscow Mule by subbing ginger beer for prosecco.
How to make Vodka Cranberry Apple Cocktail
Gather the 5 ingredients - Wheatley vodka, apple cider, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and sparkling wine.
Decorate the rim of a cocktail glass with cinnamon sugar. This will give the drink that touch of sweetness to contrast with the cranberry juice.
First, rub the rim with a slice of orange. On a plate, mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together then dip the glass rim into the mixture until well coated. This makes more than you'll need so save some for delicious cinnamon toast in the morning.
- Pour apple cider into a cocktail shaker or pitcher.
- Add cranberry juice.
- Sweeten it with your favorite orange liqueur. Or, if you prefer, orange juice.
- Pour in Wheatley Vodka. I know there is a plethora of vodkas to choose from on the market but, I promise you, this Award-Winning vodka will exceed your expectations.
- Stir with ice.
- Pour into prepared cocktail glasses.
- Top with sparkling wine.
This Christmas Berry Cocktail looks beautiful when garnished with frozen sugared cranberries and a sprig of sugared rosemary. You could also add a slice of orange and a stick of cinnamon for stirring.
This Sparkling Cranberry Apple Cocktail is great for a romantic tete-a-tete in front of a fire or make it by the pitcher for your next holiday party. Garnish each drink with some sugared cranberries, sprigs of rosemary, and curled orange peels, and let the festivities begin. Have a berry merry Christmas and enjoy!
More Christmas cocktails
Buckeye Latte Cocktail will warm you up this winter with its rich flavors of peanut butter and chocolate. Add coffee and a touch of white chocolate liqueur and it's guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.
Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail is perfect to celebrate Christmas or ring in the new year. While the champagne makes this light and bubbly, the pomegranate juice brings a nice tartness to the cocktail offset by the sweet orange liqueur and agave.
Cranberry Mimosa is an easy-to-make light cocktail with only 3 ingredients - champagne, cranberries & orange juice. The perfect Christmas cocktail decked out in red & green.
Check out other Featured Wheatley Cocktails for more holiday cheer.
LOVE QUICK & EASY RECIPES? FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, & PINTEREST FOR ALL THE LATEST RECIPE INSPIRATION! PLUS JOIN MY EMAIL LIST AND RECEIVE A FREE E-BOOK.
Christmas Berry Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 oz apple cider
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- 1 oz orange liqueur
- 2-3 oz Wheatley vodka
- 4 oz sparkling wine or more depending on size of glass
- Garnishes: Cinnamon sugar frozen sugared cranberries, rosemary sprig, orange rind curl
Instructions
- On a plate, mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon together.
- Rub rim of glasses with orange slice then dip glass rims into mixture until well coated.
- In a cocktail shaker or pitcher filled with ice, combine apple cider, cranberry juice and orange liqueur.
- Add Wheatley vodka and stir to chill.
- Divide contents between 2 cinnamon rimmed glasses then top with sparkling wine.
- Garnish with frozen sugared cranberries and a sprig of sugared rosemary.
Video
Notes
Variations
- Love sweet cocktails? Add a little agave to the mix.
- Want more orange flavor? Add a double dose of orange liqueur or orange juice.
- No sparkling wine on hand? Try a sparkling water, tonic water or lemon-lime soda.
- Make this vodka apple cider cocktail into a Moscow Mule by subbing ginger beer for prosecco.
Nutrition
Amy says
Sounds like a great cocktail to make! I will be making this for Thanksgiving. I wanted to see if it would be okay with sparkling apple cider or just regular apple cider will do?
Thanks!
A
Linda Warren says
I haven't tried it with a sparkling cider I'm sure you it would work. However, you may have to go a little easier with the prosecco. Let me know how it goes.
Naiby says
The orange flavor and the cranberry flavor pair so well. I liked the fact that you kept that in mind by using the orange liquor. It's also refreshing to see colorful drinks to pep things up during the holidays.
Linda Warren says
Orange and cranberry are great in my shortbread cookies so I thought why not combine it in a drink. This will definitely bring some color to your Christmas table. Enjoy!
Neha says
I simply adore berries in my cocktails and this is such a flavor packed recipe. Can't wait to get tipsy on it. 😉
Linda Warren says
I like the way you think! Cheers!
Cindy says
I've been searching for all the cocktail recipes this week and this one tasted so good! I never tried orange liqueur before and really enjoyed it in this cocktail.
Linda Warren says
Grand Marnier or other orange liqueurs do such a good job of smoothing out a cocktail and adding just a touch of sweetness. It's great in margaritas too! Glad you enjoyed it.
Jamie says
What a festive drink! I love the floating cranberries and lemon peel in here. I'll definitely be making this for the holidays!
Linda Warren says
I love those cranberries in it too! It just lends that Christmassy feeling to the drink. Cheers & Merry Christmas!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
Love the flavors of this Christmas berry cocktail! And it looks so festive, perfect to cheer up this holiday season!
Linda Warren says
It's like Christmas in a glass. lol It will definitely help with the celebrating! Wishing you both a Merry Christmas.
Moop Brown says
This cocktail looks so perfect and festive for this season. I love the photos as well!
Linda Warren says
Thank you so much! It was a fun cocktail to make look Christmassy and the seasonal flavors just made the drink.
Sam says
Such a fun and festive drink! I love the flavour combo you have put together here. So perfect to serve with Christmas dinner.
Linda Warren says
It would go perfect with Christmas dinner or prep! Cheers to a Merry Christmas.
Sharon says
The combination of apple cider & cranberry juice makes this the perfect cocktail for Christmas!
Linda Warren says
Totally! The taste is like the holidays in a glass.
Laura says
Had this for a pre Christmas preparation. My husband loved it! I will definitely be making it again.
Linda Warren says
So happy he enjoyed it! And it's the perfect sipper to help with the Christmas prep.
Chef Dennis says
Hmm delish! This cocktail is perfect for our Christmas dinner! My family will surely love to have this on their glasses.
Linda Warren says
It would go well with Christmas dinner! Hope everyone enjoys.