A cranberry spritzer is about the easiest holiday drink there is: cranberry juice, a squeeze of lime and something bubbly poured over ice. It takes five minutes, looks festive in the glass and works for kids and adults alike.
It’s also a low-cost way to make a holiday table feel special. One bottle of cranberry juice and a bottle of sparkling water make several rounds, and you can dress the glasses up with a few fresh cranberries or a lime slice.
Want more holiday drinks? Try Pomegranate Rosé Spritzers, Winter Sangria or homemade Egg Nog.
What You’ll Need
- Cranberry juice: Cranberry juice cocktail is already sweetened, so you can skip the syrup. With 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, plan on 1–2 tablespoons of sweetener.
- Something sparkling: Plain sparkling water or club soda keeps it light. Lemon-lime soda or ginger ale makes a sweeter drink, so leave out the syrup.
- Lime juice: Fresh is best, and half a lime is plenty. Orange juice is a nice swap.
- Sweetener: Simple syrup, agave or honey stirred into the juice until dissolved.
Tips for the Best Spritzers
- Chill everything first. Cold juice and cold sparkling water mean the ice melts slowly and the drink stays fizzy.
- Add the bubbles last. Pour the sparkling water in at the end and stir just once so it doesn’t go flat.
- Freeze the garnish. Frozen cranberries work like ice cubes and won’t water down the drink.
Cranberry Spritzers
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the cranberry juice and lime juice together in a pitcher or large measuring cup. If you’re using unsweetened juice, stir in the simple syrup, then taste and add more if needed.
- Fill 4 glasses with ice.
- Divide the juice mixture among the glasses, about ½ cup each.
- Top each glass with about ½ cup of sparkling water and stir gently once.
- Garnish with cranberries and a lime slice and serve right away.
Notes
- Add a splash of orange juice for a sweeter, citrusy version.
- Flavored sparkling water, like lime or cranberry, adds flavor without adding sugar.
- For an adult version, use prosecco in place of the sparkling water.
How to Make a Pitcher for a Crowd
For 8 servings, stir 4 cups of cranberry juice, 2 tablespoons of lime juice and any sweetener together in a pitcher. Keep it in the fridge, then pour over ice and top each glass with sparkling water as you serve. Adding the sparkling water glass by glass keeps the last drink as fizzy as the first.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Mix the juice, lime and sweetener up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate.
- Don’t add the sparkling water until serving. It goes flat within an hour or so.
- Leftover finished spritzers can be refrigerated for a day, but they’ll lose most of their fizz.
Cranberry Spritzer Questions
Can I make this a cocktail?
Yes. Swap the sparkling water for prosecco, or add 1 ounce of vodka to each glass before topping with sparkling water.
Can I use frozen cranberries for garnish?
Yes, and they’re often cheaper than fresh outside of the holidays. Drop them in straight from the freezer.
