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Welcoming the holiday season with this festive Jingle Bell Cranberry Paloma. Silver tequila mixed with leftover cranberry sauce, lime juice, a squeeze of grapefruit juice, and topped off with ginger beer…for a touch of sweetness, spice, and a little bit of bubbly too! It’s the quickest cocktail to mix up, but one that everyone always loves. Perfect for a cold winter night by the fire, or make this by the pitcher for your holiday party. Bonus this will use up any of that leftover cranberry sauce sitting in the fridge!
It’s the last day of November, but the first day of HBH “Christmas Drink Saturday”. It’s crazy that I’ve been sharing these holiday cocktails for four years now. Do you guys remember the first Christmas drink I shared?
It was my North Pole Cocktail and to this day it remains my personal favorite drink I’ve ever shared with you guys. It also happens to be in the top twenty most popular recipes of all time. I can’t really figure out just why it’s so incredibly popular, but it was the cocktail that started my love for mixing up fun drinks for my family over the holidays.
I say this all the time, but these holiday recipes are my favorites to create. I have a lot of fun making them extra special…but still keeping them simple. Because the truth is, I’m not a mixologist. I just make what my family loves and what I enjoy creating!
Anyway, just a little fun back story on “Christmas Drink Saturday” for you. I’m excited to kick off the series today with this festive Paloma. As always with these Cocktail Saturday posts, I’ll still be keeping them short and sweet, so…
Here are the details…
In a few words, this cocktail is sweet, spicy, and everything nice…
So cheesy, but kind of true. The base of the drink is made using cranberry sauce. I figured after Thursday’s turkey dinner that many would likely have leftover cranberry sauce sitting in the fridge today. Do you? Personally, I always have so many leftovers anytime I make a fresh batch and this year I’m using up the leftovers with this cocktail. If you don’t have any cranberry sauce on hand, not a problem, you can also easily use cranberry jam.
The cranberry sauce is then mixed with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice, and silver tequila. I do this all in the bottom of a cocktail glass, then just stir to combine. To finish, top each drink off with ginger beer, my go-to cocktail mixer.
A little holiday tip…
During the holiday season always keep the essentials for a few good cocktails on hand. For me, I keep bourbon, vodka, and tequila stocked this time of year. These are my family’s alcohols of choice.
Then I always have pomegranate juice, limes, and ginger beer in the fridge, as these are my go-to mixers. You never know when you’ll need to mix up a quick drink…it’s always a good idea to be prepared!
Make the cocktail extra pretty…
For a sweet and festive touch, I love finishing with sugared cranberries. Completely optional, but they add a nice “sparkle” to each drink. I make mine using maple syrup instead of just sugar. The maple syrup provides a delicious flavor and makes these festive cranberries super easy to make.
The best part about this drink? It takes only minutes to make but always turns out looking so impressive and extra pretty with its dark red color. I’m already planning to make the pitcher version over Christmas break this year. My family didn’t get any Thanksgiving cocktails since we spent it apart. To make up for that I’ll be serving these Palomas over Christmas. This drink has definitely made my “must make again” list.
It’s delicious.
If you make this Jingle Bell Cranberry Paloma, 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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Jingle Bell Cranberry Paloma.
Servings: 1
Calories Per Serving: 316 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or jam
- 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice, plus grapefruit slices for serving
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- 2 ounces silver tequila
- ginger beer for topping
- fresh mint and sugared cranberries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Fill your glass halfway with ice. Add the cranberry sauce, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and tequila. Stir to combine. Top off with ginger beer. Garnish with mint and sugared cranberries, if desired. *If you prefer to not have whole cranberries in your drink, shake everything together in a cocktail shaker or mix in a glass (except the ginger beer), then strain into a glass filled with ice.
Sugared Cranberries
- 1. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups fresh cranberries with 1/2 cup maple syrup. Let sit 10-15 minutes. Strain the cranberries, then add them to a parchment lined baking sheet. 2. Toss the cranberries with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until all the cranberries are coated. Allow the cranberries to dry, in a single layer, for at least one hour.
Jingle Bell Cranberry Paloma Pitcher
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 275 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce or jam
- juice of 2 limes (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice (about 2 small) (about 2 small grapefruits)
- 8 ounces silver tequila (about 1 cup)
- 2 (12 ounce) ginger beers for topping
- fresh mint and sugared cranberries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a large pitcher, combine the cranberry sauce, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and tequila. Stir to combine. Chill until ready to serve. 2. When ready to serve, fill the pitcher with ice and top off with ginger beer. Or fill the glasses with ice, then pour the mix over and top off with ginger beer.Â
I hate ginger! All of your drinks seem to have ginger beer in them… any substitutions you can suggest?
Hi Jodi,
You could use sparkling water in place of the ginger beer:) Happy Holidays! xT
I dont like the bitterness of grapefruit juice. Do you have any suggested replacements?
Any recommendations on storing the cranberries so I can make a day or two ahead of time?
I LOVE your round glasses they look so festive… where are they from, can’t seem to find them anywhere.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, some of them are my family’s favorites
Keep the good work
Hey Muriel,
They are from Crate and Barrel, but a bit old. Here are similar glasses. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
https://rstyle.me/+sESYUAMsJOeYPrc82AUHNw
Any recommendations on storing the cranberries so I can make a day or two ahead of time?
This is a great drink. I made it with vodka also and very good
Hey Maggie,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Happy Holidays!?? xTieghan
I made this for a cocktail competition this past Christmas and won 1st place. There were just under 10 entries but the competition was stiff. Making this one again this weekend as it is sooo good.
Hi Carla,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I was wondering if this recipe would work using bottled cranberry and grapefruit juices. Also maybe sugar lined rimmed?
Hey Jen,
Sure, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made a big pitcher of this for our holiday party, and it went so quickly, I ended up having to make a second batch. (I also replaced the cranberry jam with juice, and it still came out great.) Will definitely be making again for NYE!
Hi Lea,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Hi Lea,
Did you use the same amount of juice as sauce per the recipe? Did you use fresh grapefruit juice or bottled?
Thanks,
Jen
Would a salt rim go with this drink at all?
Hey Amanda,
I would probably skip a salt rim for this one. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
served this as the main drink at a birthday party – huge hit! we used cranberry juice to make it easier to serve everyone over an extended time, but can’t wait to try in the future with the cranberry sauce. love the spin on a regular paloma, and the tequila flavor is masked so well!
Thank you so much Morgan! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, these look amazing! Would bottled lime juice work here or detract too much from the flavor?
HI!! I always recommend using fresh lime juice whenever possible for very best flavor. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
Your drink recipes are just amazing, the combo of flavors are always different & spot on. This was a huge success!
Great recipe thank you.
Momma like!
Thank you so much Karen! I am really glad you liked this! xTieghan
I made the Jingle Bell into a mocktail by taking the first three ingredients and adding 1 liter of diet ginger ale to the drink. My office party participants loved it.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you for sharing it with them, Dusty! xTieghan
Did you use whole cranberry sauce that you made from scratch or canned? I wasn’t sure if you needed to muddle the cranberry sauce? Looks delicious!
HI! I use whole cranberry sauce that I homemade. You can muddle the berries if you want to break them down a bit. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi, it looks incredible. What to use instead of tequilla?
Hi Nina, you can use vodka or bourbon OR omit the alcohol all together. Whatever your prefer. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi! Any suggestions for making this one a mocktail? We have nondrinking gals in our group AND maybe want to offer to the kiddos too. Thanks much JUST now found you and ordered your Simple Cookbook today.
Hi Alissa! I would just leave out the alcohol! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Where are these lovely glasses from?
I’ve been looking for round glasses and these are perfect!!
Thank you!
Hi Sigi! They are from Crate and Barrel, but a bit old. Here are similar glasses. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
https://rstyle.me/+sESYUAMsJOeYPrc82AUHNw