Impress your friends with this sweet and tart booze-less drink with a festive twist! Made using freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, tonic water, and a house-made holiday spice syrup.
This non-alcoholic drink is:
- kid friendly
- great for pregnant mothers
- inexpensive to make (no zero-proof alcohols used)
- fruity and refreshing
What makes this recipe unique is the house-made easy holiday spice syrup! It adds a subtle hint of spice and aroma to the citrusy and tart flavours of the cranberry and orange juices.
Ingredients
The house-made holiday spice syrup consists of: water, granulate white sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, fresh ginger, and fresh rosemary.
The drink itself is made with freshly squeezed orange juice, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, the holiday spice syrup, tonic water (or any unflavoured carbonated beverage), and ice cubes.
The garnishes I chose for this drink are: sugar-coated cranberries, sugar-coated fresh rosemary, and fresh orange slices. I’m a strong believer of using ingredients in the mocktail as garnishes!
Instructions
To make the holiday spice syrup, all you have to do is simmer the ingredients in a small saucepan until the fragrance of the spices fill the air! Remove the spices and allow the syrup to cool completely before proceeding.
Tip – store leftover syrup in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Other ways to use up the syrup: make a holiday spice oat milk latte (tried and loved), use as a pancake topper, or add to baked goods!
Next, squeeze the juice of an orange into a shaker and shake with cranberry juice, cranberry sauce (for texture), some of the holiday spice syrup, and a handful of ice.
Tip – use a mason jar if you don’t have a cocktail shaker! Works just as well. Use a small sieve to “strain” the drink in the next step.
Strain the contents into two 12oz glasses, each filled with half glass of new ice cubes (not the ice cubes in the shaker).
Tip – stick the sugar-coated rosemary in the ice cubes first if you have a longer sprig of rosemary. Scroll down to see how to make sugar-coated garnishes!
Top each glass with tonic water, club soda, or sparkling water. Any flavour-less carbonated beverage works! Pour slowly so that each glass gets filled without overflowing.
Tip – stick a slice of fresh orange in the drink prior to pouring the tonic water so that the drink doesn’t overflow if you try to place it in after.
Drop a couple of sugar-coated cranberries on top for the last garnish and serve!
FAQs
1. Dip the garnish with simple syrup (or use the leftover holiday spice syrup in this recipe!)
2. Coat the garnish with granulated white sugar and let it sit and harden.
For a slightly quicker and easier alternative, yes!
You can, but the unique notes of holiday spice will not be there 🙁
Yes! You will not need to make a double portion of the holiday spice syrup though.
Have a questions about this recipe? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me a DM on Instagram! I’d love to help you out. 🙂
Other Mocktail recipes for any occasion!
- Pineapple Ginger Mocktail (always a top #3 recipe on my blog!)
- Virgin Kiwi Margarita (no booze but still packs a punch)
- Slushy Virgin Cosmopolitan (a classic)
- Grapefruit Paloma Mocktail (personal favourite)
Holiday Cranberry Orange Mocktail
Ingredients
Holiday Spice Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- ½ sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 piece fresh ginger, pinky-sized, peeled
Cranberry Orange Mocktail
- 1 large orange, juiced, ~3oz
- 3 oz cranberry juice
- 2 tsp cranberry sauce
Other
- Ice cubes
- 7.5 oz can tonic water, club soda, or sparkling water, (1 can)
Garnish
- Sugar coated cranberries
- Thin orange slices
- 2 sprigs sugar coated rosemary
Instructions
- Make the holiday spice syrup: bring the water to a simmer and melt in the sugar while stirring constantly. Add the spices and ginger and simmer on low for 10 mins, or until the syrup is fragrant. Remove the spices and ginger and allow the syrup to cool completely.½ cup water, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, ½ sprig fresh rosemary, 1 piece fresh ginger, pinky-sized
- Make the mocktail: In a shaker, add the ingredients for the cranberry orange mocktail with a handful of ice cubes, and minus the tonic water. Shake for 10 seconds. Fill two 12oz glasses with half glass of ice each. Strain the shaker contents into the two glasses and top each off with your choice of flavourless sparkling beverage.1 large orange, juiced, 3 oz cranberry juice, 2 tsp cranberry sauce, Ice cubes, 7.5 oz can tonic water, club soda, or sparkling water
- Garnish each drink with a slice of fresh orange, sugar coated cranberries, and a sprig of sugar coated rosemary.Sugar coated cranberries, Thin orange slices, 2 sprigs sugar coated rosemary
Notes
- Use leftover Holiday Spice Syrup to make the sugar coated cranberries and rosemary for the garnish! The syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Use store-bought orange juice for a sightly quicker and easier recipe
