Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail – Festive, Booze-Free, Easy

Pop the bubbles, get bright tartness, and skip the booze. This Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail drinks crisp and festive, yet stays simple. You build a fast cranberry-citrus syrup, batch the base, and finish each glass with cold fizz. Clear measurements and a tight workflow give you consistent results for two or twenty.

Ingredients

Yields 6 highball servings (8–9 oz / 240–270 ml each)

Cranberry syrup (makes ~1½ cups / 360 ml)

• Fresh or frozen cranberries: 2 cups (200 g)

• Water: 1 cup (240 ml)

• Granulated sugar: ¾ cup (150 g)

• Orange zest: 1 strip (2 × 1 in / 5 × 2.5 cm)

• Fresh ginger, thin slices: 6–8 g (about 6 slices)

• Cinnamon stick: 1

• Pinch fine sea salt

Mocktail base

• Unsweetened 100% cranberry juice (not cocktail): 1 cup (240 ml)

• Freshly squeezed orange juice: ½ cup (120 ml)

• Freshly squeezed lime juice: ¼ cup (60 ml)

• Cranberry syrup (from above): ¾ cup (180 ml) to start, plus more to taste

• Cold water: ½ cup (120 ml) (for balance in the batch; you’ll top with bubbles in the glass)

To build each drink

• Chilled sparkling water or club soda: 4–5 oz (120–150 ml) per glass

• Ice: 1 heaping cup per glass

• Optional bitters-free nonalcoholic aromatic drops: 2–3 dashes (ensure no alcohol if you need it 0.0%)

Garnishes

• Fresh cranberries: 18–24 (3–4 per drink)

• Orange peel strips: 6

• Rosemary sprigs (small): 6

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Instructions

1) Make the cranberry syrup

1. Combine cranberries, water, sugar, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a lively simmer. Cook 8–10 minutes until most berries pop and the liquid turns deep red.

3. Mash lightly with a spoon to release more juice.

4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing on solids. Discard solids.

5. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 30 minutes. Syrup thickens as it cools.

2) Mix the base

1. In a pitcher, combine cranberry juice, orange juice, lime juice, ¾ cup cranberry syrup, and ½ cup cold water.

2. Stir and taste. Aim for bright-tart with a soft sweetness. Add 1–3 tbsp more syrup if you want rounder edges. Chill the base until very cold.

3) Prep garnishes and glassware

1. Thread 3–4 cranberries onto a short cocktail pick.

2. Express orange peel over each glass to release oils, then reserve as a twist.

3. Rinse rosemary sprigs and pat dry.

4. Freeze clean highballs 10 minutes for extra chill.

4) Build the mocktail (each glass)

1. Fill a chilled highball with ice.

2. Add 3 oz (90 ml) cold mocktail base.

3. Top with 4–5 oz (120–150 ml) sparkling water.

4. Give one gentle stir from bottom to top to combine without killing bubbles.

5. Add 2–3 dashes nonalcoholic aromatic drops if desired.

6. Garnish with the cranberry pick, an orange twist, and a small rosemary sprig. Serve immediately.

5) Batch for a crowd (12 drinks)

1. Double all base ingredients: total volume ~7 cups (1.65 L).

2. Keep the base in the fridge on ice.

3. Pour 3 oz base per glass, then top with chilled cans of sparkling water at service. Do not pre-mix bubbles into the pitcher.

Tips for Perfecting the Drink

• Chill everything. Cold base and cold soda keep carbonation sharp and the finish clean.

• Control sweetness at the syrup step. Cranberry varies in tartness. If berries taste very sharp, extend simmer 2 minutes and add 1–2 tbsp sugar.

• Balance with acid. Lime lifts the finish. If the drink feels flat, add ¼ oz (7 ml) lime to the glass.

• Protect the bubbles. Stir once, gently. Avoid shaking with soda.

• Use real cranberry juice. Skip cranberry cocktail (already sweet). You control sugar with the syrup.

• Mind the ice. Large, clear cubes dilute slower and look clean.

• No alcohol assurance. Skip bitters with alcohol content if you need true zero-proof. Use alcohol-free aromatic drops or a strip of expressed orange peel.

Conservation and Storage

• Cranberry syrup: Refrigerate in a clean, airtight bottle up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze in ice-cube trays and bag for 3 months.

• Mocktail base (without soda): Keep chilled up to 3 days. Stir before use.

• Built drinks: Serve immediately. Carbonation drops within minutes.

• Garnishes: Cranberry picks hold 3 days refrigerated; rosemary and peels look best day-of.

Variations

• Ginger Cran-Fizz: Replace cinnamon in the syrup with ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh ginger juice stirred in after straining. Use ginger beer (alcohol-free) in place of soda for a spicier top.

• Cran-Apple Spritz: Swap ½ cup (120 ml) of the cranberry juice for ½ cup fresh apple cider; garnish with a thin apple fan.

• Vanilla-Orange Holiday: Split ½ vanilla bean into the syrup and double the orange zest. Garnish with a brûléed orange wheel.

• Herbal Tart: Steep 4–5 mint sprigs or 1 small thyme sprig in the hot syrup for 3 minutes before straining.

• Low-sugar version: Cut syrup to ½ cup (120 ml) in the base and lengthen with ¾ cup (180 ml) sparkling water per glass.

• Spiced Pomegranate Swap: Replace cranberry juice in the base with pomegranate juice; keep cranberry syrup as-is for layered berry-tannin notes.

• Frozen Slush: Blend 2 cups crushed ice with 1½ cups base until slushy. Top with a splash of soda for texture.

Serving Suggestions

• Glassware: Use tall highballs for a long, bubbly profile. Coupes work for a drier version with less soda.

• Rim options: Lightly coat half the rim with orange juice and dip into fine sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon.

• Garnish smart: Tap the rosemary sprig once to release aroma. Add 1–2 cranberries loose in the glass for extra pop.

• Food pairings: Serve with salty appetizers—prosciutto-wrapped dates (or cheese-stuffed dates), spiced nuts, sharp cheddar crisps, or citrus-marinated olives.

• Kids’ station: Pre-pour 2 oz base into small glasses; let kids add their own soda and cranberry picks.

• Brunch twist: Add ½ oz (15 ml) fresh grapefruit juice to the glass for a bitter edge that cuts richer dishes.

Conclusion

You build flavor in layers: a vivid cranberry syrup, a citrus-bright base, and clean bubbles on demand. Because you batch the still components and finish with sparkling water, service stays fast and consistent. Swap spices, adjust sweetness, or fold in apple or pomegranate and the mocktail still holds its structure. The result drinks crisp, aromatic, and refreshing—versatile enough for holidays, brunch, or any night you want a celebratory glass without alcohol.

Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail – Festive, Booze-Free, Easy

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• Author: Eleanor
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 highballs (8–9 oz each)
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Crisp, tart, booze-free spritz built on a fast cranberry–citrus syrup and finished with cold bubbles. Batch-friendly and festive.

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Ingredients

• Cranberry syrup: cranberries 2 cups (200 g); water 1 cup (240 ml); sugar ¾ cup (150 g); orange zest 1 strip; fresh ginger 6–8 thin slices (6–8 g); cinnamon stick 1; pinch fine salt

• Base: 100% cranberry juice 1 cup (240 ml); orange juice ½ cup (120 ml); lime juice ¼ cup (60 ml); cranberry syrup ¾ cup (180 ml) (plus more to taste); cold water ½ cup (120 ml)

• Per glass: sparkling water/club soda 4–5 oz (120–150 ml); ice 1 heaping cup; optional alcohol-free aromatic drops 2–3 dashes

• Garnish: 3–4 cranberries, 1 orange peel, 1 small rosemary sprig (each)

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Instructions

• Syrup. Combine all syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil; simmer 8–10 min until berries pop. Lightly mash. Strain. Cool, then chill ≥30 min.

• Base. In a pitcher: cranberry juice, orange juice, lime juice, ¾ cup syrup, ½ cup water. Stir. Adjust sweetness with 1–3 tbsp more syrup. Chill.

• Garnishes. Skewer cranberries. Express orange peel over glasses. Rinse and dry rosemary. Chill highballs 10 min.

• Build (each). Fill glass with ice. Add 3 oz (90 ml) base. Top with 4–5 oz sparkling water. One gentle stir. Add drops if using. Garnish and serve.

• Batch x2 (12 drinks). Double base. Keep cold. Pour 3 oz base per glass; top with soda to order.

Notes

• Keep everything cold to preserve carbonation.

• Use 100% cranberry juice, not “cocktail.”

• Stir once; don’t shake with soda.

• If berries run very tart, add 1–2 tbsp sugar at end of simmer.

• True zero-proof: avoid alcohol-based bitters; use alcohol-free aromatics or extra orange peel.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Drinks / Mocktails
• Method: Stovetop + Stirred
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 highball
• Calories: 75 kcal
• Sugar: 16 g
• Sodium: 10 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 18 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 g

Keywords: sparkling cranberry mocktail, cranberry spritz, zero proof holiday drink, cranberry orange mocktail, alcohol free cocktail