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This cranberry mocktail with ginger beer and orange is sweet tart and delicious with only 3 ingredients! It’s easy to whip up for parties and everyone raves!
When Alex and I are entertaining, we love having a signature drink that works as both a cocktail and a mocktail. Introducing our new favorite: this fun and festive cranberry mocktail! Often mocktails can taste like glorified juice, but this one tastes bubbly, sweet tart and delicious with only three ingredients.
It’s a ginger beer mocktail that has a hint of spicy complexity, and you can muddle in a little rosemary for a sophisticated finish. We first made this as a Christmas mocktail version of our Cranberry Aperol Spritz, but it also works in summer as a cranberry orange mocktail. It gets rave reviews every time we serve it!
Ingredients in this cranberry mocktail
Alex and I love mocktails almost as much as we love cocktails (we have over 300 cocktail recipes in our library). But often when we’re out and we order one, it tastes one note: basically like fruit juice! This cranberry mocktail is more interesting without the need to make fancy ingredients like fancy simple syrups. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 100% cranberry juice: We like using 100% juice because it’s naturally sweet tart and has a bright red color. Juice labeled cranberry cocktail has added sugar.
- Orange juice: You can use purchased juice (without added sugar) or fresh orange juice for an even tastier cocktail.
- Ginger beer: Ginger beer adds a nuanced, spicy kick to this cocktail and a bubbly fizz. Ginger ale works as a substitute, but it makes a sweeter drink.
Top brands of ginger beer
There are many types of ginger beer brands on the market. We love using small cans or bottles, since if you open a large bottle the bubbles subside after a few minutes. Here are a few notes on the top brands:
- Q Ginger Beer: This is our top choice! It has great flavor and is made with real ginger. It comes in small cans that are perfect for a few drinks.
- Fever Tree Ginger Beer: Fever Tree also has great flavor and is our backup! It’s made with real ginger and has no artificial sweeteners.
Also, here’s what to know about the differences between ginger beer vs ginger ale.
Garnish ideas
We garnished our cranberry mocktail with fresh rosemary and mint. If you’re making it as a Christmas drink, fall drink, or winter drink, rosemary is perfect. It also works in summer, so mint is preferable in the warmer months.
If you’d like, you can also add an orange slice to this drink as a garnish to make it even more festive!
Cranberry Mocktail
This cranberry mocktail with ginger beer and orange is sweet tart and delicious with only 3 ingredients! It’s easy to whip up for parties and everyone raves!
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Mocktail
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 sprig rosemary (or mint*)
- 2 ounces 100% cranberry juice
- 2 ounce orange juice
- 3 ounces ginger beer
- For serving: Ice, frozen cranberries, orange slice (optional)
Instructions
- Remove 4 leaves from the rosemary sprig (or mint sprig). In a highball glass, gently muddle the rosemary to release its oils.
- Fill the glass with ice. Pour in the cranberry juice and orange juice, stirring to combine.
- Top with the ginger beer. Garnish with frozen cranberries, an orange slice (optional) and the rosemary sprig.
Notes
If making this drink in summer, you can use fresh mint instead.
A few more mocktail recipes
There are so many fun mocktail recipes to try. We love this virgin margarita with a secret ingredient, this refreshing mojito mocktail, a bubbly lime rickey, or a classic virgin strawberry daiquiri.
