A cranberry vodka spritzer is a festive holiday drink and the perfect cocktail for entertaining for the holidays. It has bright beautiful colors from the cranberry syrup and just a little bit of bubbles from the club soda! This fruity vodka spritzer is a great way to use up the leftover cranberry sauce from your holiday dinner!
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Why This Vodka Spritzer Recipe Is The Best!
Making a beautiful cocktail during the holiday season is always fun when you are entertaining guests or even if you and your spouse just want to sit back, relax and watch your favorite Christmas movie! This simple cocktail has the perfect balance of flavors from the cranberries and squeeze of orange. It is light and not overly sweet which is perfect after indulging in perhaps one too many holiday desserts!
- Easy cocktail recipe that only requires 4 ingredients.
Key Ingredients
Most people think of spritzers being summery cocktails made with white wine, however there are many different ways to make a spritzer. This festive cocktail is made with simple ingredients and is perfect for holiday parties. Of course you can make this drink year round if you keep cranberries in the freezer or substitute for a raspberry syrup or fresh fruit juice.
cranberry sauce- use your leftover sauce from your holiday dinner or make your own with just a few extra steps and ingredients. I love the added flavor of orange to my sauce and always follow this cranberry orange sauce recipe!
vodka- pick out your favorite vodka, or even try a flavored variety to add more flavor! It's worth the splurge to spend a little more to get a good vodka!
orange- orange and cranberry go so well together but you could use lime or lemon slices.
Substitutions
Of course you might want to make fruity vodka spritzers in the summer time when you may not have leftover cranberry sauce. No problem just use cranberry juice to make this a fun summer cocktail. This can be your signature cocktail year around! The great thing about this classic cocktail is that it can be easily modified.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The first step to make your cranberry simple syrup is to add the cranberry sauce and water to a blender or food processer. Blend until smooth. Add a few extra tablespoons of water if needed.
Strain the cranberry in a fine mesh sieve to remove any pieces of peel.
Use a spoon to work the cranberry puree through the sieve. This will give a very smooth texture free from any peel or seeds. Discard the remaining pulp.
To assemble the drink, add the cranberry syrup and vodka to a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice cubes. If you do not have a shaker you can use a mason jar or any jar with a secure lid. Shake for 15 seconds, just enough to mix together. Add ice cubes to two serving glasses and pour the vodka mixture between the two. Add club soda to fill the glasses. Garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices.
If you try this recipe for Vodka Spritzers {With Cranberry Syrup}, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bluesbestlife on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day.
Looking For Other Cocktail Recipes? Try These!
Skinny Frozen Watermelon Margarita {Only 4 Ingredients}
Strawberry Tangerine Rosé Sangria
Strawberry Mojito Mocktail (Virgin Recipe)
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Vodka Spritzer
Equipment
- fine mesh sieve
- cocktail shaker
Ingredients
Cranberry Syrup
- 1 cup cranberry relish
- 1 cup water
Vodka Spritzer
- 2 ounces cranberry syrup
- 3 ounces vodka
- club soda
- 1 navel orange, cut into slices or use peel to make a twist
Instructions
Cranberry Syrup
- Add relish and water to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the cranberry syrup, removing any peel. This will make it very smooth.
Vodka Spritzer
- Add vodka and 2 ounces of cranberry syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Pour into 2 glasses with ice.
- If desired garnish with fresh cranberries, orange slices or an orange twist.
Notes
- Cranberry syrup will last for 2 weeks stored in the refrigerator.
- One cup of cranberry sauce will make enough for approximately 4 drinks.
Related Recipes
Linda
What a way to use your leftover cranberry sauce! I'd never thought to blend and strain it, and that's brilliant! Can we just call this a healthy cocktail since it's got all the fiber from the cranberries? That's what I'm going with. LOL!
bobbieblue
Hi Linda! I completely agree, it’s much lighter than most holiday cocktails 😉
Kayla DiMaggio
Loved this! Such a fun drink! I loved that I can make a normal one for my husband and a virgin one for me!
Andra
Super good-looking cocktail for the holidays. Love the garnish 😀
Dawn Conklin
I love cranberries and this vodka spritzer is perfect! I make homemade cranberry sauce and this is the perfect way to use up the leftovers. Easy and delicious.
Gina Abernathy
Nice mix of flavors. A perfect and festive drink.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
I'm not the biggest fan of club soda, but have started using flavoured sparkling water in my cocktails. This will be a wonderfully festive drink this season!