Sparkling Christmas Cranberry Lemonade

Refreshing holiday cheer in a glass! This cranberry lemonade is an easy mocktail to sip on all through the season. It combines cranberry syrup with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and sparkling water for a fizzy finish. You can also easily turn this cranberry lemonade recipe into a cocktail for more merriness.

Maybe you’re hosting a holiday gathering or want an easy and refreshing drink to sip on while trimming the tree – either way, this fizzy sparkling cranberry lemonade is one to try. It’s sweet and tart with a little sparkle – perfect for the season!

I love a great mocktail that can convert into a grown-up drink easily and this lemonade does just that. You can make most of it ahead, and when it’s time to for the toast and cheers, just add the sparkling water and, if you’re feeling festive, a splash or two of vodka.

How to Make It

We’re making our own cranberry simple syrup (totally easy, I promise!) and mixing it with fresh lemon juice with a topper of sparkling water or club soda for the refreshing fizz. Pour the drink over ice, add a sprig of rosemary or fresh mint for a holiday garnish, and enjoy. The holiday spirit is built right in.

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Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade

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This homemade sparkling cranberry lemonade is perfect for the holiday season. It combines cranberry simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and sparkling water for a fizzy and festive holiday mocktail (or see the notes if you want to make it even more merry). This recipe makes enough for six drinks, but it easily doubles or triples if you’re hosting a crowd.

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Drinks
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 4 cups sparkling water or club soda
• Optional garnishes: cranberries, lemon slices, and fresh rosemary sprigs

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Instructions

Combine the cranberries, sugar, and water in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and then adjust to medium heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the cranberries have broken open.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large Pyrex measuring cup or a heat-proof bowl. Strain the syrup into the container and discard the solids. Set the syrup aside to cool.

Combine the lemon juice and cranberry syrup in a large pitcher. Add the sparkling water and stir to combine. Pour the lemonade into glasses filled with ice. Garnish each drink with cranberries, lemon slices, and rosemary if using.

Notes

You can make the cranberry syrup ahead and store it in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Make-ahead: You can make the syrup and mix it with the lemon juice up to a day ahead. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve the drinks, add the sparkling water and garnishes.

Vodka cranberry lemonade: If you want to make it a cocktail, add 1.5 ounces of vodka for each serving (or adjust to your taste). So, for six drinks, add 9 ounces of vodka when you mix the syrup and lemon juice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 146
• Sugar: 35.1g
• Sodium: 23.5mg
• Fat: 0.1g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 38.3g
• Fiber: 0.8g
• Protein: 0.2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Recipe Tips

If you’ve never made simple syrup, I am very excited to share that it’s very simple! For this drink, all you need is sugar, water, and cranberries.

Simmer the cranberries with the sugar water in a small pot until they burst open. Strain it, and you have homemade cranberry simple syrup.

You can also swap the cranberries for other kinds of fruit – it’s an easy way to switch up the drink.

I love to use sparkling water or club soda because fizzy drinks are so refreshing. You can skip those and use plain water, but you might miss the sparkle.

It’s easy to double or triple this recipe for a holiday party. You can mix up the cranberry syrup and lemon juice, store it in the fridge, and when it’s time to serve the drinks, just add the sparkling water.

You can give your guests a mocktail, or they can turn it into a vodka lemonade: Mix up the drink as is, set up glasses filled with ice, the pitcher of lemonade, and some vodka on the side. Your guest can pour their own drinks and add a splash or two of vodka if they like.

The garnishes are optional, but if you want to amp up the holiday feel, garnish each drink with a sprig of rosemary (or fresh mint works well, too), a few cranberries, and lemon wedges.

Cheers to the holiday season – I hope you try a batch of cranberry lemonade this year!

Happy holiday-ing,

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