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So excited to be sharing this festive and fun Cranberry Thyme Spritz with you guys today.
Happiest Saturday everyone! I’m writing today’s post from my hotel room in NYC, and I must say, I’m sad to be getting ready to leave this incredible city. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I would love the city as much as most, but I have had such a great time on this trip, and am already planning my next trip back (literally). Can’t wait to give you guys all the details in tomorrow’s Favorites post. So much to share!
For now, I am dying to share one of my favorite cocktails I’ve created to date…this one is just so good.
Plus, I absolutely love how festive it is. You guys all know I am a sucker for a festive cocktail, see here and here. I realize I might be jumping into the “holiday” recipes a bit too soon, but with Thanksgiving so early this year (we are less than two weeks away!) and after a week spent in very festive NYC (and they’re not even fully decorated for the holidays yet!), I just could not help it. Hoping you’re all on the same page as me!
With every Thanksgiving, I love creating a new punch style recipe that easily feeds a crowd and is simple to make. This cranberry thyme spritz is this year’s party punch. Not only is it extra festive and pretty, but it’s sweet, hinted lightly with flavors of thyme, spiked with a little vodka, and made with my very favorite, elderflower liquor. I used honey for sweetness, to balance out the tart in-season-cranberries, and both grapefruit and lime juice, for a nice hit of citrus. It’s basically the perfect sweet holiday drink.
I know that traditionally when most people think of cranberries they immediately think cranberry sauce, but I’m a huge believer that cranberries can be used in so many other delicious ways…like this spritz.
Trust me, once you try this drink you’ll be wanting to make up a big batch of these come Thanksgiving Day!
Cranberry Thyme Spritz
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 252 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 honey
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- 8 ounces vodka
- 4 ounces elderflower liquor
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, plus slices for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 4-6 ginger beers
- star anise, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, cranberries, thyme, and ginger to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from the heat. Let cool. Remove the thyme and ginger. If desired, strain out the cranberries. 2. In a large pitcher, combine the cranberry syrup mix, vodka, elderflower liquor, grapefruit juice, and lime juice. Chill until ready to serve. 3. Add the ginger beer just before serving. Garnish each drink with a grapefruit slice and star anise, if desired.
Hope you all have a great Saturday!
I made this cocktail for Christmas Day and it was fantastic! So festive and delicious for any holiday celebration.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Megan! xTieghan
You give the best cocktails recipes . They are super delicious. Keep it up!!
Ps: where did you get this cocktail glass?
HI! These are from anthropologie. Linked below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and I hope you had Merry Christmas! Sorry my response is a bit late! xTieghan
https://rstyle.me/+Qqw8_JJsQ-6Cphv2lIvVng
Hi! Planning on making this for a holiday get together with friends, however trying to make it less sweet, any suggestions?
Hey Nicole, this drink is really not sweet and you need the honey to balance the tartness from the cranberries. If you’d like, you can try reducing the honey to 1/4 or 1/3 cup and seeing how that taste to you. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
The Cranberry Thyme Spritz was a huge hit at our Thanksgiving Day dinner party! I’ll be making a double-batch for Christmas Eve. Thank you!
Thank you Pamela! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
Thanks for the great recipe! Question: my husband can’t haven anything grapefruit related because of a medicine he is taking (weird but true). Do you think orange juice would work or would that make it too sweet?
Hi Tracy! Orange juice will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this for thanksgiving last year and wih I had doubled up on the recipe! Making a giant batch for this year’s Thanksgiving because it was such a hit.
Question – If I make the cranberry syrup in advance, can it be frozen then thawed the day before? Just trying to do everything in advance to save time on the actual day.
Hi Karia! Yes, you can certainly freeze the syrup, then thaw. That will work so well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe was so delicious and refreshing. It was not too difficult to make either. I received so many compliments on it during thanksgiving this year, as well as many requests to share the recipe! LOVED!
That is so amazing! I am so glad all your guests loved this Carson! Thank you!
This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Fontini!
That punch looks delicious : perfect for my leftover cranberries for new year! I am in love with the glasses you used, would you happen to remember where you found them?
Thank you! The glasses are from Anthoropolgie. Link below. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s 🙂
https://rstyle.me/n/cv8vreb9wzf
Hello! I’m so excited to make this for my family for Thanksgiving this year! It looks delicious. I was wondering how much ginger beer and how much of the cocktail goes into each glass. I don’t want my ratio to be off. Love the pictures! Thank you for this!
HI! I use about 1/4 cup or so of ginger beer per drink! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Is there another kind of citrus you think would work well besides grapefruit? I always find it overpowering and too tart when I have it in drinks.
You can either leave it out or use more lime juice. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Do you think I could make it the day before minus the ginger beer and keep it in the fridge overnight? I want to serve it at Thanksgiving. Thanks!
Yes! Making the day before minus the ginger beer works great. I am doing the same! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Tieghan!
Sorry been so offline…having sadly many great friends passing and feeling the fallout of it.
This cocktail sounds spectacular…question, I am unable to consume grapefruit to due a drug i
take and it will screw up the effectiveness…I do see lime juice already in the recipe (which I
usually sub out for recipes with grapeftuit). If you have time, what might you recommend…just
additional lime juice or an alternate juice fruit? Thanks!!
HI! I would use additional lime juice or just leave the grapefruit out completely. That will be great! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
So pretty, this is a must make for Thanksgiving!
Totally agree! I hope you love this!
Yum! I’ve been looking for something like this for the holidays! Approximately how much of the cocktail mixture goes in each glass before topping it with the ginger beer? Like 4 oz maybe? I️ like to leave a little notecard out with directions and a liquid measure for guests to mix up their own drinks so nobody goes thirsty! Thanks!
I’d use 4-6 ounces. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks Tieghan! Happy Thanksgiving! ?
this cocktail looks so refreshing and tasty. I will obviously try it. thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you! I hope you love this!