Festive Cranberry Mocktail

This festive Cranberry Mocktail is the perfect non-alcoholic beverage for both teetotalers and those who are just trying to cut back on the booze this holiday season! Made with real cranberry juice, this mocktail is easily customizable to suit any taste.

Whether you’re trying to reduce the amount of alcohol you consume this holiday season or you simply do not drink, you’re going to love this super festive Cranberry Mocktail. It transforms easily into a well balanced cocktail so you have plenty of options for yourself as well as your guests when it comes to holiday beverages.

If you enjoyed this cranberry juice mocktail then you might also enjoy this Pumpkin Mule that can easily be made into a mocktail by omitting the gin.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Mocktail Recipe

• It’s festive. Cranberries are ubiquitous during the holiday season and when they’re paired with wintery herbs like rosemary or thyme and a little something sparkly they make for an incredibly festive drink.
• It’s highly customizable. You can make this recipe as simple or as complex as you like by adding different flavors like orange, ginger beer or even a little vodka or gin if you’d like to enjoy a festive cocktail.
• It’s simple. This cranberry mocktail uses very simple, easy to find ingredients that don’t require any extra special effort on your part to hunt down. It also requires very little prep time to put together.

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Cranberry Mocktail Ingredients & Tested Substitutions

• Cranberry Juice. I prefer to use real cranberry juice rather than cranberry juice cocktail because it is 100% juice and does not contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup.

• Pomegranate Juice. Pomegranate juice pairs beautifully with cranberry juice, but you can substitute this for tart cherry juice or more cranberry juice. Alternatively, you can also add orange juice to make this drink a cranberry orange mocktail.

• Seltzer or Something Sparkling. I love using cranberry lime seltzer, ginger beer or a combination of both. You can also kick the relaxation factor up a notch by adding CBD Seltzer. Like to keep things simple? Ginger ale or plain sparkling water will do the trick.
• Herbs, Fresh Cranberries & Citrus Garnish. Finishing touches like adding fresh cranberries, pomegranate arils, herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary and citrus like orange or lime are some of my favorite ways to uplevel this christmas time drink.

Cranberry Mocktail Step by Step Instructions

1. Build the cocktail. Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in equal parts cranberry juice + pomegranate juice and shake to mix. To make this a cocktail, add in 2 oz vodka or gin + shake to mix.
2. Serve. Pour over cubed or crushed ice in a rocks glass. Top with seltzer & garnish with fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs.

If you are following a low fodmap diet and want to learn more about low fodmap friendly alcohol, like whiskey & bourbon, you can check out this helpful guide I created.

Cranberry Mocktail FAQs

What’s the difference between cranberry juice and cranberry juice cocktail?

Cranberry juice is made with 100% juice and will be labeled as such. Sometimes other fruit juices are added depending on the brand in order to make the tart cranberry flavor more palatable, but ultimately it is still 100% fruit juice. Cranberry juice cocktail on the other hand contains added sugars as well as high fructose corn syrup and contains less nutrients than 100% cranberry juice.

Is cranberry juice low fodmap friendly?

Cranberry juice is low fodmap friendly in 200 ml servings, which is about 6 oz according to Monash University.

Can I make this Cranberry Mocktail into a cocktail?

You can easily turn this festive cranberry mocktail into a cocktail simply by adding 2 oz of your favorite vodka or gin to the cocktail shaker when mixing the drink.

What To Pair With A Cranberry Mocktail

• Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Homemade Cornbread Stuffing
• Pomegranate Rosemary Brisket
• Truffle Mashed Potatoes

If You Liked This Recipe You Might Also Enjoy:

• Black Walnut Old Fashioned
• Pumpkin Mule(Cocktail or Mocktail)
• S’More’s Mocktail
• Cranberry Vanilla Sangria

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating & a review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!