Signature co*cktail: The Best Cranberry Old Fashioned Recipe (2024)

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This Cranberry Old Fashioned is a delicious and beautiful co*cktail recipe to celebrate the holiday season.

Signature co*cktail: The Best Cranberry Old Fashioned Recipe (1)

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a dozen times: “When hosting a gathering, have a signature co*cktail.” Today I’m teaming up with Ocean Spray and their cranberry farmer Grandmas, or as they call them – CranMas, to share tips for first-time Thanksgiving hosts. Naturally, one of those tips is to create a signature co*cktail. My Thanksgiving libation? A Cranberry Old Fashioned. Let’s shake one up and get this party started.

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This post is sponsored by Ocean Spray. As always, allopinions are my own.

Back in early November, I scooted off to Rockefeller Center® in NYC for Ocean Spray’s Thanksgiving Boot Camp. (If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember seeing some live shots of the fun!) At the boot camp, I met with several CranMas to learn their foolproof tips for hosting a delicious, memorable, and stress-free holiday. Below, I’m sharing what I learned, a few hosting tips of my own, and my recipe for a Cranberry Old Fashioned.

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While in NYC, I was also invited to a Thanksgiving lunch with the CranMas and a few other folks. What made this meal incredibly special is that the table was set in a cranberry bog. Yep. There in the middle of Rockefeller Center® was a stunning dining table set in a bog filled with cranberries.

I put on my waders, hopped in, and had a magical and memorable experience. Just like Thanksgiving should be.

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While you may not be able to recreate a cranberry bog in your living room, you can host a fabulous and almost-effortless Thanksgiving.

Tips for First-Time Thanksgiving Hosts

1. Listen to Your CranMa
If this is your first-time hosting Thanksgiving, chances are you’ve watched your grandmother, mother, or someone older than you prepare the feast. Look to these experienced folks for advice and ask them to share their favorite recipes with you. Why reinvent the wheel? At its core, Thanksgiving is about family (even if your family is your friends), so use this opportunity as a way to connect and spend time with those you love.

2. Plan Ahead
At the Cranberry bog event, one tip I heard over and over again was to plan ahead. If possible, set the table a few days in advance. Prepare any food you can the day before. Things like casseroles, bread, desserts, and even mashed potatoes can be made the day before and warmed up for the big feast. To make it even easier on yourself, invite your guests to bring a dish, so you’re not left cooking the entire meal yourself. If you take care of the bird, they can take care of the rest.

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3. Let Nature Inspire Your Decor
Naturally, my favorite part of the cranberry bog experience was the decor. From the flowers to the table setting to the decorations around the rest of the space – it was magical. Based on that, I have a couple ideas to share.

First, use cranberries to decorate. Add cranberries to a wire cord then shape it into napkin rings or a candle ring. Hot glue cranberries to a foam ball to create a topiary. Layer some cranberries in a jar and pop in a candle.

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Next, add fruit and vegetables to your flower arrangement by skewering them with a dowel and then tucking them in like you would any other stem.

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Finally, vintage is back. Hit up your local thrift store for dollies to create a vintage-inspired runner or grab a collection of vintage plates for serving.

4. Create a Separate Pre-Dinner Entertaining Area
People tend to congregate in the kitchen, which can add to the stress and confusion as you’re preparing the big meal. Set up a separate entertaining area in another room to ease congestion in the kitchen. Make a few self-serve appetizers and drinks, including a signature co*cktail. Which leads me to my next tip …

5. Serve a Signature co*cktail
It’s fun to serve a unique co*cktail when you’re entertaining. It gives your guests a chance to try something new, and it can be a delightful complement to your menu. I’ve recently been enjoying the classic Old Fashioned, so I thought I’d craft one inspired by the cranberry. Thus, this Cranberry Old Fashioned was born.

How to Make a Cranberry Old Fashioned:

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A cranberry simple syrup is used to cranberry-ify this drink. It’s just your usual simple syrup with the addition of cranberries. Add a quality bourbon and a splash of bitters, and you’ve got yourself a Cranberry Old Fashioned.

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Cheers!

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I hope you enjoyed this delicious holiday co*cktail recipe! If you try my Cranberry Old Fashioned, I love love to hear! Let me know in the comments below.

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Cranberry Old Fashioned

This Cranberry Old Fashioned is a delicious and beautiful co*cktail recipe to celebrate the holiday season.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas, co*cktail, cranberry, holiday, old fashioned

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 co*cktail

Calories: 303kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces quality bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup*
  • 3 shakes Angostura bitters
  • Garnish with orange peel, Ocean Spray® Fresh Cranberries, and rosemary

Instructions

  • In a serving glass with ice, stir together the bourbon, cranberry simple syrup, and bitters.

  • Garnish with orange peel, fresh cranberries, and rosemary.

Notes

*Cranberry Simple Syrup – In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, and one cup of fresh cranberries to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 4-5 minutes. Strain with a fine mesh sieve. Cool before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Sodium: 16mg | Sugar: 21g | Iron: 1mg

Signature co*cktail: The Best Cranberry Old Fashioned Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between cranberry juice and cranberry co*cktail? ›

Cranberry juice is usually labeled "100% juice." Other fruits are sometimes added to balance the tart cranberry taste, but that label indicates that the product is made with 100% fruit juices. Cranberry juice co*cktail, meanwhile, has added sugars or high-fructose corn syrup for extra sweetness.

What alcohol goes well with cranberry? ›

With: Vodka, triple sec, falernum, cranberry juice, and lime juice. With: Gold rum, lime juice, falernum, cranberry juice, and Daiquiri Bitters. With: Reposado tequila, triple sec, falernum, lime juice, cranberry juice, and Margarita Bitters.

What are the ingredients in ocean spray cranberry juice co*cktail? ›

FILTERED WATER, CRANBERRY JUICE (WATER, CRANBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE), SUGAR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), VEGETABLE CONCENTRATE FOR COLOR.

What can I mix with cranberry juice to make it taste better? ›

I sweetened my juice with honey which adds a sweet floral touch to the beverage. I also use a couple of freshly squeezed oranges which gives the juice a nice hint of citrus flavor. I'm sure apple juice or apple cider would work well too.

Which is healthier cranberry juice or cranberry co*cktail? ›

Since cranberries are a great source of vitamin C you'll get plenty in both kinds of juice, but you'll have the added benefit of other vitamins and minerals like potassium in the naturally sweetened cranberry juice, thanks to the added fruit. Both can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Is cranberry co*cktail good for kidneys? ›

Kidney stones are a common disorder, affecting around 1 in 11 adults in the United States ( 1 ). While there are many causes of kidney stones, diet plays a major role. In particular, cranberry juice is thought to help get rid of kidney stones, similarly to how it reduces incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Is it OK to drink Ocean Spray cranberry juice Everyday? ›

Although cranberry juice is safe to consume in moderation, drinking too much can cause side effects such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and blood sugar spikes. In the past, it was believed that cranberry juice can slow the growth of bacteria and therefore is useful in treating urinary tract infections.

What not to mix with cranberry? ›

Possible Interactions
  1. Warfarin (Coumadin): Cranberry may raise the risk of bleeding, especially if you already take medications to thin the blood such as warfarin. ...
  2. Aspirin: Like aspirin, cranberries contain salicylic acid. ...
  3. Other medications: Cranberry may interact with medications that are broken down by the liver.

What percentage of ocean spray cranberry juice is actually cranberry juice? ›

It's 100% juice made with the crisp, clean taste of real cranberries straight from the bog. Plus, it has no added sugar, a daily dose of vitamin C, and one cup of fruit, so it tastes good and it's good for you, too. *Not a low calorie food - See Nutrition Facts for sugar and calorie content.

What do you call a cranberry and vodka? ›

The Cape Cod or Cape Codder is a type of co*cktail consisting of vodka and cranberry juice. Some recipes also call for squeezing a lime wedge over the glass and dropping it into the drink.

Does cranberry juice make your 🐱 taste better? ›

While one study list diets as one of several factors that influence the vagin*'s microbiome, no scientific evidence supports the claim that cranberry juice can improve vagin*l taste ( 1 ). Thus, drinking cranberry juice is unlikely to boost your sex life.

Why do I feel better after drinking cranberry juice? ›

Cranberry juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system healthy and functioning properly. It fights against oxidative stress from free radicals and helps kill harmful bacteria. Some studies also link low vitamin C intake to poor immune function.

Is Ocean Spray cranberry juice co*cktail 100% cranberry juice? ›

It's 100% juice made with the crisp, clean taste of real cranberries straight from the bog.

Is ocean spray cranberry co*cktail good for you? ›

Research shows drinking Cranberry Juice co*cktail daily can help maintain urinary tract health and help reduce the recurrence of urinary tract infections. In addition, you can get urinary tract health benefits from a variety of other products, including 100% Pure Cranberry Juice.

Is ocean spray cranberry juice co*cktail real cranberry juice? ›

Because Ocean Spray DOES make a product it calls "100% juice", but in their case it is cranberry juice that uses grape juice as a sweetener. It's all juice, it's just not all CRANBERRY juice.

Why do they call it cranberry co*cktail? ›

On its own, cranberry juice is quite tart so many juice makers sweeten it with high-fructose corn syrup…the same ingredient found in soft drinks. It sweetens but provides no nutritional value. These products are typically labeled “cranberry juice co*cktails.”

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