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Cranberries are the most holiday-vibe food, bringing a pop of bright red to the table, or in our case, the glass. We’ve pulled together dozens of Cranberry cocktails for Christmas, no matter what type of alcohol you’d like to mix them with! With such a versatile cocktail to see you through your holiday entertaining needs, it’ll be perfect for any occasion.
The Best Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas
Cranberry juice is wonderfully balanced, especially if you’re considering it as a cocktail ingredient. It takes on other flavors well, has a wonderful rich color and a nice dose of acidity that isn’t too overpowering. If you’ve ever enjoyed the ever present, ever so delightfully simple vodka cranberry juice mixer, then you’ll know just how well it pairs with a spirit.
Since lifting holiday spirits is what we’re all about, we’ve found some of the most delicious cranberry cocktails for Christmas you could possibly imagine. One thing’s for sure, this is one holiday drink that can be prepared sweet, dry and even sour. When we’re talking versatility, cranberry juice cocktails can seriously do it all.
See also: Looking to gift wine or spirits this holiday season? Check out our favorite wine bottle bags and holders!
What Alcohol Does Cranberry Juice go With?
Thankfully, you couldn’t have picked a more versatile base for a Christmas themed cocktail! Cranberry goes wonderfully with white liquor. White rum, vodka, gin and even sake make a great match for cranberry juice.
What Cocktail Ingredients Should I Buy?
Stocking your fridge, pantry and spice rack around the holidays is absolutely crucial. A lot of these cocktail use some of the more basic ingredients that you might have sitting around already, but it always helps to prepare ahead of time. Especially when you’re expecting guests!
Here’s a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing for making the perfect cranberry cocktails:
- Lime
- Mint
- Cranberries
- Fresh Rosemary
- Cranberry Juice (of course!)
- Lemon
- Bitters
- Brown Sugar
- Oranges
- Star Anise
- Sparkling Wine
Wow your guests with the colors, flavors and styles below. There is even a selection of cranberry mocktails, so you have something for everyone. Enjoy!
Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas
Tequila & Cranberry Christmas Drinks
This is a light, refreshing cocktail that pairs wonderfully with holiday dinners. It won’t weigh you down further, so you can eat as much stuffing and turkey as you want!
Wow everyone with the vibrant red color of this festive margarita.
This cranberry margarita is made with just a handful of ingredients. Made in under 10 minutes and perfect for the holidays.
This delicious margarita is made with tequila. If you like lemonade and a good margarita, this one's for you.
Rum Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas
This Cranberry Mojito Punch is a festive, sparkling, and fruity large-batch cocktail made with rum that’s sure to have everyone dancing the night away at your holiday party!
With dark rum, ginger beer, cranberry, and lime these Cranberry Dark & Stormys add the perfect holiday twist to a traditional island drink!
If you think mojitos are a summer-only cocktail, let these Cranberry Mojitos change your mind! This perfect holiday cocktail is made with homemade cranberry simple syrup, lime, rum, and plenty of mint!
Non-Alcoholic Cranberry Mocktails for Christmas
The easiest cranberry drink that’s perfect for the holidays!
Cranberry Pineapple Punch is at amazingly delicious! It can be me with or without alcohol and perfect for any holiday!
This delicious Cranberry Apple Infused Water is so simple to make, and you need just 2 ingredients! This Cranberry Apple Mocktail is a perfect beverage to serve for Christmas.
Simple Cranberry Cocktail {Cranberry Mocktail} – The Gifted Gabber
This simple cranberry cocktail marries cranberry juice with vodka for a festive party drink. This drink can be easily made into a mocktail version with no vodka!
Vodka Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas
The flavors in the Randy Reindeer are some of my Christmastime favorites: crisp cranberry, orange from the triple sec, hints of brown sugar and pops of bubbly. You can serve these at any holiday gathering, it’s the perfect beverage for a happy hour, festive party, Christmas eve, or to wind down the day after opening gifts.
This Double Cranberry Cosmopolitan is amazing all year long, but especially pretty as a holiday cocktail! With fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, Cointreau, and vodka (I used my cranberry infused vodka!) this cosmo martini is a favorite!
This Cranberry Grapefruit drink combines grapefruit vodka and cranberry juice for a "kiss" of citrus. If you love cranberry juice, this is for you!
A novel use for leftover cranberry sauce - a cocktail! Mix up some juice, vodka and orange liqueur. So refreshing!
Baby, it’s cold outside. And you should be drinking your cranberry cocktail warm with plenty of seasonal spices and vodka. This is the perfect holiday drink and will warm you right up!
The Madras cocktail is the perfect blend of tangy cranberry with sweet OJ. It's a nice drink for the holidays with it's festive color and light taste.
Cranberry Moscow Mules are a refreshing, easy to make cocktail for holiday entertaining. Only 5 simple ingredients to get your party started!
Add this festive Cranberry Moscow Mule Cocktail to your holiday party menus. Your guests will love this delicious easy to make adult beverage.
The Cranberry Bliss Cocktail is the perfect drink to serve at your holiday parties and get-togethers. Enjoy the sweet-tart taste of cranberry this holiday season with this delicious holiday beverage.
Serve this holiday cranberry spritzer all season long. It’s festive, refreshing and perfect for entertaining.
This cranberry and orange infused vodka recipe walks you through how to infuse vodka. The resulting cocktail is perfect for a small batch at home, or a large batch to divide into gifts!
This homemade Vodka Cranberry Orange Juice drink is so refreshing! The drink is easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients including cranberry ice cubes to keep the beverage chilled & infuse flavors of cranberry.
Orange cranberry vodka cocktail is the combination of cranberry and orange juice along with mandarin and raspberry vodkas for a crisp refreshing Christmas Eve cocktail.
There's nothing like fresh, seasonal cranberries! But blending them into a homemade simple syrup and creating a cold, frothy Cranberry Vodka Lemon Drop is the ultimate way to enjoy them this holiday!
A simple vodka cranberry cocktail perfectly balanced to quench your thirst for a sweet, yet tart beverage. Vodka blended with a simple syrup, cranberry juice and a touch of lime is all you need.
Gin Cranberry Cocktails
A twist on the classic French 75 recipe. This French 75 cocktail is infused with cranberry to bring the holiday season together. Gin, sparkling wine, with bright cranberry and lemon flavours.
A classic negroni cocktail gets a holiday flare with the addition of cranberry! Besides the gorgeous color, the cranberry adds a sweet tartness to the negroni! Perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas cocktail!
The Red Queen cocktail: beautiful, capricious and a little dangerous… this festive gin-based cocktail was named after the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland.
Wine & Cranberry Christmas Drinks
Start Christmas morning with a festive spin. This cranberry-spice Christmas mimosa gets a bubbly finish from Champagne and goes down smoothly.
This White Christmas Sangria is such a pretty drink for the holidays. I love decorating this with sprigs of rosemary – festive holiday cheer in a glass!
Cranberry lovers everywhere will fall in love with this delicious bubbly cranberry mimosa. It is easy to prepare and perfect for holiday brunches.
Christmas Cran-Apple Sangria is the most beautiful drink to grace your holiday table. This is not only SO easy, but looks BEAUTIFUL on your party tablescape.
Fill your holiday parties with pitchers of winter sangria with the flavors of cranberries, cinnamon, orange and more!
Hosting for the holidays is easier than ever with this simple Christmas Punch! It’s a classic holiday sangria made with an affordable merlot wine. It is perfect to serve at any holiday cocktail party or last minute get together with friends.
Pomegranate Cranberry Punch | Nibble and Dine | An easy party punch!
Pomegranate Cranberry Punch with sparkling wine and orange liqueur is perfectly tart and a bit sweet. This deliciously sparkly and festive holiday punch is super easy to make (and drink)!
Other Alcoholic Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas
Cranberry Limoncello Spritzer, a delicious holiday cocktail with cranberry juice and limoncello. Perfect for holiday parties!
This easy cocktail is delicious. Sweeten as much or little as you’d like.
This Cranberry Rosemary Shrub Cocktail is the perfect Christmas cocktail! A homemade cranberry shrub with hints of black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon is combined with bourbon and seltzer for a festive and colorful drink.
Instant Pot Cranberry Moonshine is my favorite winter moonshine to sip on. Pair with ginger ale, sprite or sip on it straight. This cranberry moonshine is so easy to make and offers the perfect sweet punch you are looking for.
Full of warm spices and fresh cranberries, this chai-cranberry bourbon smash is the perfect holiday sipper. It’s simple to make and always a hit with any bourbon lover.
Our Orange and Cranberry Vodka Cocktail is tangy, tart, and sweet! The perfect combination and a must try today to cool off on a hot day. So refreshing!
