Spiced Cranberry Cocktails: 10 Warming Recipes for Any Season

Enhance your cranberry cocktails by adding spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise for a warm, flavorful twist perfect for any festive occasion.

Spiced cranberry cocktails blend tart cranberries with warming spices like cinnamon, clove, and star anise for festive drinks perfect year-round. These creative recipes transform simple ingredients into showstopping beverages.

Why Spices Pair Perfectly With Cranberry

Cranberries’ natural tartness makes them ideal for balancing sweet and spicy flavors. The acidity cuts through rich spirits while allowing spice notes to shine. Traditional mulling spices work particularly well:

• Cinnamon adds woody sweetness
• Clove provides intense warmth
• Star anise contributes licorice complexity
• Ginger brings bright heat
• Allspice offers peppery depth

Essential Equipment for Crafting Spiced Cranberry Cocktails

Having the right tools makes cocktail creation easier. For spiced cranberry drinks, we recommend:

Blending Equipment

A powerful blender like the best blender for mixed drinks handles frozen cranberries and ice perfectly. For single servings, try the best personal smoothie blender.

Tool	Purpose
Cocktail shaker	Chilling and mixing ingredients
Fine mesh strainer	Removing spice particles
Muddler	Releasing flavors from fresh cranberries

10 Spiced Cranberry Cocktail Recipes

1. Spiced Cranberry Orange Margarita

This festive twist on a classic combines:

• 2 oz tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz spiced cranberry syrup (recipe below)
• 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
• 1/4 oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Spiced Cranberry Syrup

Simmer 1 cup cranberry juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 cloves for 10 minutes. Strain and cool.

2. Mulled Cranberry Bourbon Smash

Warm spices meet bold bourbon in this winter warmer:

1. Muddle 5 cranberries with 1 tsp honey
2. Add 2 oz bourbon, 1/2 oz lemon juice
3. Top with 2 oz hot mulled cranberry juice
4. Garnish with star anise

3. Cranberry Ginger Sparkler

A non-alcoholic option bursting with flavor:

• 1/4 cup cranberry ginger syrup
• Sparkling water
• Candied ginger garnish

For the syrup, check out this cranberry ginger syrup recipe from Serious Eats.

Pro Tips for Perfect Spiced Cranberry Cocktails

Balancing Flavors

The key to great spiced cranberry drinks lies in balancing:

• Sweet (simple syrup, honey)
• Sour (lemon, lime juice)
• Bitter (cranberry, spices)
• Alcohol (optional)

Presentation Matters

Elevate your cocktails with:

• Cinnamon sugar rims
• Frozen cranberry ice cubes
• Fresh herb garnishes
• Smoked spices

Make-Ahead Spiced Cranberry Mixers

Prepare these components in advance for easy entertaining:

Spiced Cranberry Shrub

Combine equal parts cranberries, sugar, and apple cider vinegar with warming spices. Let ferment 3-5 days then strain. Keeps for months refrigerated.

Cranberry-Infused Spirits

Steep cranberries and spices in vodka or rum for 3-7 days. Try this cranberry-infused vodka recipe from Liquor.com.

Seasonal Variations

Summer Spiced Cranberry Cooler

Mix spiced cranberry syrup with:

• White rum
• Mint leaves
• Soda water

Fall Cranberry Old Fashioned

Update the classic with:

• Spiced cranberry simple syrup
• Bourbon
• Orange bitters