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Putting a festive spin on a classic cocktail with this Cranberry Bourbon Sour. Homemade cranberry-orange syrup, warming bourbon, fresh citrus, and sweet candied rosemary. This cranberry bourbon cocktail is so easy to create, simply mix everything together for a merry cocktail thatโs perfectly sweetened, and so delicious! This can be made ahead of time for easy holiday entertaining. Tip? Make a large batch to serve to family and friends!
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Ingredients
- Maple syrupย
- Fresh cranberriesย
- Large orangeย
- Bourbonย (such as makerโs mark)
- Lemon juiceย and lemon peel
- Cranberry juiceย
- Orange bittersย
- Blood orangeย
- large ice cube
Kitchen supplies and tableware
- chilled rocks glass
- cocktail shaker
- pitcher or punch bowl
- saucepan
Itโs finally that time of year when I can share the more โfestiveโ holiday drinks, and I couldnโt be happier. Time might be very tight this seasonโฆsince I have a bit more travel on the calendar than usual. But as crazy as it is, Iโm still so excited to be cooking up new recipes and sharing these drinks.
Itโs what I LOVE most.
Anyway, keeping this post short and sweet as I prefer to do with these cocktail posts. So Iโm jumping right into this warming and oh so festive cranberry bourbon sour.
Today itโs all about taking a classic and making it just a touch sweeter, prettier, and well, extra delicious too! Enter this cranberry cocktail. Up until just a few weeks ago I really wasnโt that familiar with a bourbon sour. It was my brother who suggested I make one. And while he said I should do it with the egg white variation, I opted to just keep things simpleโฆish. Plus, incorporating an egg white into my cocktails still weirds me out a bit. Maybe someday Iโll get into it, but for now, keeping it simple and easy!
Here is how you make this cranberry bourbon sour.
The key to this bourbon sour is the cranberry syrup. Itโs what gives this drink color, flavor, and sweetness. Instead of your basic simple syrup with sugar and water (which I always find to be so bland), I did mine with fresh cranberries, maple syrup, and orange zest. If you prefer a different flavored simple syrup, try one of these four in this past holiday post entitled, holiday gifting: homemade simple syrups.
The cranberries and maple together add to the warmth of this drink. And the orange adds that classic citrus flavor that you know and love in any classic bourbon sour.
The cranberry syrup will make enough for six drinks, so you can also make a punch sour. Or just go for a single drink and save the syrup for later. Iโm giving you directions for both ways!
Once the syrup is made, the rest is EASY.
Just shake the syrup with your favorite bourbon (I typically use Woodford or Four Roses). Then add lemon juice, cranberry juice, and a dash or two of orange bitters. Pour over ice and garnish with a thin orange slice and candied rosemary.
SIMPLE. But GOOD.
As I mentioned, you can also make this into more of a punch for serving guests. If doing so, I would probably recommend doubling the recipe, depending on how many people you plan to serveโฆor if you just know your crowd will be going back for seconds.
Make the drink extra prettyโฆ
Candied rosemaryโฆmy favorite cocktail garnish to add to drinks this time of year. Itโs delicious and so pretty. I love the way it sparkles like snow!
And the best part? Itโs so simple to make. Just grab some fresh rosemary sprigs, dampen them with water, and cover in granulated sugar. Let the rosemary dry for an hour at room temperature. Now you have pretty, glistening rosemary thatโs the perfect final touch to this bourbon sour.
And you guys? Thatโs kind of it for this drink. Itโs a classic, but with a seasonal twist that makes it even better than the original. Cranberries are the perfect way to sweeten up this warming winter cocktail, and I love the bright-red color they add! Perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining.
I know this will be on repeat at my house when family arrives for the holidays. They love a straight-up bourbon drink and this is a GOOD one.
If you make this cranberry bourbon sour, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cranberry Bourbon Sour Punch
Ingredientsย
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- zest 1 large orange
- 8 ounces (1 cup) bourbon
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) lemon juice
- 1 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 1 blood orange or regular orange, sliced, or regular orange, sliced
Instructionsย
- 1. To make the cranberry syrup: In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the maple syrup, and cranberries to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. If you syrup thickens too quickly, just add additional water to thin. Let cool. If desired, strain out the cranberries. 2. In a punch bowl, combine the cranberry syrup, bourbon, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and orange bitters. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice. Garnish with an orange slice and candied rosemary (recipe below), if desired.ย
Candied Rosemary
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.ย Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with granulated sugar on all sides, making sure the rosemary is thoroughly coated in sugar. Allow to dry on the baking sheet for 1 hour. The rosemary can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Cranberry Bourbon Sour
Ingredientsย
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- zest 1 large orange
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1/4 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 blood orange , or regular orange slices
Instructionsย
- 1. To make the cranberry syrup: In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the maple syrup, and cranberries to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. Let cool. If desired, strain out the cranberries. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks. 2. In a cocktail shaker, combine 2-3 tablespoons cranberry syrup, the bourbon, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and orange bitters. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Garnish with an orange slice and candied rosemary (recipe below), if desired.ย
Candied Rosemary
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.ย Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with granulated sugar on all sides, making sure the rosemary is thoroughly coated in sugar. Allow to dry on the baking sheet for 1 hour. The rosemary can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hello, if I want to make a huge batch but don’t have enough of the cranberry sour mix, what else can I add?
Hi Jennifer,
Sorry, do you mean the cranberry syrup? You will want to make more of it:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Hi! Really looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving this week. I noticed that the first 3 ingredients (which I believe is the simple syrup?) are listed as the same amounts for both the single serving and the 6 serving punch. Is this accurate or an accidental typo? I just want to make sure I get this right! Thank you! ๐
Hi Angie,
Yes, that is correct. The syrup will make enough for 6 drinks, so if you are doing the single serving you can keep the remaining syrup in the fridge.
I hope this makes sense! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for such a quick reply! Oh ok, I get it – so there will be excess syrup for the single serving route. Thank you for this clarification – Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello, is my simple syrup suppose to be a little thick (I strained the cranberries). Thank you for any input, making for guests on Christmas Day ๐ค
Hi Sheila! Yes, that’s just fine! ๐ xT
Is the cranberry JUICE supposed to be the unsweetened version?
Whatever cranberry juice you prefer! xT
Made this for Thanksgiving with our friends and it was a huge success. Thank you! I want to make it for a Christmas party we have on Saturday. Our tradition is to make a Mexican food. Do you think I could sub tequila for the bourbon for a to pair well? do you think this would pair well Mexican food still? ๐
Hi there! Yes I think that would still be yummy! xT
We made this last year and some of our guests didn’t like bourbon so we made some with vodka and the all raved, so I bet tequila would be a hit also!
Made this for thanksgiving, both a cocktail and a mocktail version, and it was such a hit! I made the cranberry syrup then used an immersion blender so it was smooth then strained out any huge chunks or leftover skin. Thank you Tieghan!!
Hey Lily,
I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your review! Happy Sunday! xT
Making the syrup now for tomorrow and it tastes and smells delish. Should this be kept in the fridge or left out for use tomorrow? Can’t wait for the complete cocktail!
Hey Jen,
So glad to hear this!! Go ahead and keep the syrup in the fridge. Cheers! xT
Our neighbors had a holiday cocktail competition in the spirit of the Great British Bake-off called the Great American Cocktail-off. My husband made this and took second place. Lost to a pear-ginger martini but all agreed this was more true to the holidays. Our โPaul and Prueโ had a difficult time making a choice. We will make more at Christmas.
Made this for the 2nd year for a large Friendsgiving (made 7x the recipeโ no drops leftover!) and it was a hit once again!
Few notes:
– I split the cranberry juice ~60/40 100% cranberry juice to ocean spray cranberry cocktail. I was worried that the true sour version wouldnโt cater to the masses, but Iโm sure I would love it written as-is. Otherwise I made it as-written.
– Made the syrup a day ahead (recommend to save time if youโre hosting, especially since it has to cool anyways!)
– Strained out the zest and cranberries and saved in air tight container in the freezer for my familyโs Thanksgiving. Last year I thought it made a great cranberry sauce, this year I even kept a small bowl out for Friendsgiving and am freezing a bigger batch for the real day! Good way to avoid some food waste too ๐
– If youโre making a big batch for a pitcher or drink dispenser, I sliced the oranges after I grated the zest and froze overnight. Any extra cranberries went into the freezer as well. After mixing, I added frozen oranges and cranberries to the drink dispenser to act as ice to keep the drink cold without diluting. Also made the presentation even more beautiful, the colors were perfect!
Had a drink station with cups, ice cooler, and frosted rosemary, which was super easy and elevated the look of the drink. Used a 3 gallon drink dispenserโ 7x the recipe with frozen orange slices filled the dispenser 3/4 full for 30 people.
Hey Grace,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing all of your detailed notes! xT
This was exactly the perfect combination of sweet and sour-emphasis on the delicious sour.
would definitely make the syrup ahead of time so you can dive into this cocktail as quickly as possible!
Hey Barbara,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and your feedback! Cheers! xT
I would love to make a punch bowl full of this bourbon sour for my guests on Thanksgiving. Did you use an unsweetened 100% cranberry juice such as Knudsen?
Hi Christine,
Yes, I like to use an unsweetened cranberry juice for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xx
How much does this make ? Iโm hosting Thanksgiving and Iโm wanting to use those gallon drink stations
Hi there,
The recipe for the punch will make 6 servings. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! x
What type of glass did you use and where did you find them? I want to make this for Christmas and love the entire presentation!
Hey Denise,
Unfortunately, these glasses are super old from Anthropologie, I no longer have a link for them. So sorry! xx
What would you suggest for a mocktail version for this one?
Hi Lily,
You can use apple cider in place of the bourbon! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xx
Served it to our foodie friends and we all LOVED it. Guys and gals alike. Thank you. Very festive.
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a Happy Halloween! ๐ xT