This Cranberry Bourbon Smash is sure to be a hit this holiday season. Finished with a bubbly sparkling water, this festive cocktail is made with a silky vibrant homemade cranberry puree, fresh cranberries, infused with a rosemary and orange syrup and shaken over ice with bourbon.  

Tis the season for festive holiday cocktails and this drink is all about the holiday season. It’s bursting with those classic seasonal ingredients and flavours. Cranberries always make an appearance Christmas time, so they are no stranger come December. The same goes for darker liquors and heavier cocktails. it’s cold out so something that warms us up with lots of flavors is a must. 

To get a smooth consistency and really showcase the cranberries, I decided to make a puree. It’s almost like a dessert puree or sauce that serves multiple purpose by using it in drinks or to make some sweets like brownies or cheesecakes. So i thought it would be fun to make something I can use for a few different recipes. I’ll be sharing those later on this holiday season so stay tuned! 

CRANBERRY PURREE

Silky rich and creamy cranberry puree that’s almost like a cranberry infused caramel sauce. It’s velvety, has that beautiful vibrant pink hue from the cranberries and super festive for the holidays. It’s paired with rosemary and orange which complements cranberries so well and of course bourbon which is a darker alcohol that typically has underlying sweet aromas with notes of caramel, butterscotch, and vanilla. This puree is pretty simple to make, it has sugar, cranberries, a touch of water, some vanilla extract and orange zest and thickened with a touch of cream. It’s thickened on the stovetop and then transferred into a blender to get it nice and smooth and eliminate any chunks. 

This cocktail has a lot going on but everything is easy and simple. Once you have your puree ready and syrup, they both store well refrigerated so all that’s left is shaking up the cocktails and serving guests. I always like to have a “fancy” or made from scratch cocktail to wow the guests and welcome everyone into the party. I think it’s definitely something that everyone will remember and set the mood to kick start the night off on a good note. This cocktail isn’t just for parties- treat yourself to a tasty drink to sip on while you cozy up by the fire and wind down after a long week. It’s for anyone and everyone!

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Cranberry Bourbon Smash

This Cranberry Bourbon Smash is sure to be a hit this holiday season. Finished with a bubbly sparkling water, this festive cocktail is made with a silky vibrant homemade cranberry puree, fresh cranberries, infused with a rosemary and orange syrup and shaken over ice with bourbon.  

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz cranberry puree
• 0.25 oz rosemary syrup substitute simple syrup
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• sparkling water to top
• ice
• garnish: sugar rolled rosemary sprig and cranberries
• Cranberry puree:
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 TBS water
• 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• orange zest

Instructions

• Make the cranberry puree: in a medium sized saucepan, cook the sugar, cranberries, water, and vanilla until the cranberries soften and entire mixture begins to caramelize. Whisk in the cream cooking until mixture thickens. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Let cool.
• To a shaker tin: muddle 3 cranberries with the cranberry puree and lemon juice. Add the bourbon, rosemary syrup, and bitters. Fill with ice and shake until combined for 20 seconds.
• Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with sugared rosemary and cranberries.

Notes

Rosemary simple syrup: Bring to a slow boil equal parts sugar and water (1/2 cup each) toss in 3 rosemary sprigs and 1 orange peel. Let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes to infuse. Transfer to a glass jar or let cool and pour into a squeeze bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.