Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail

Tart cranberry juice, sparkling water, and a hint of lime come together in this Sparkling Cranberry Mocktail.  Make this cranberry drink for the entire family as a special addition to your holiday meal.  Made with only 4 ingredients - you can add it to the menu even at the last minute!

What Is A Cranberry Mocktail?

The word "mocktail" is play on the word cocktail, and means a mixed drink without the alcohol. Mocktails, an abbreviation for "mock cocktails".  

The word "mock" implies a facade of the alcoholic cocktail without any of the alcoholic content. 

We've made this special drink kid friendly, but it's still special and delicious. Serve alongside cranberry mint water for a festive combo!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• A festive holiday drink! But also works year round!
• Kid-friendly. Lightly sweet and bubbly it's a fancy drink the whole family will love.
• Perfect for parties. Make your non-drinking friends feel comfortable by creating a special drink just for them!
• Only four simple ingredients.
• Works great for small and large groups! Make in big batches for a crowd.

What You Need Make This Cranberry Juice Mocktail

Super simple to make! All you need are four easy ingredients to make this mocktail with cranberry juice. Let's take a look!

You will need:

• Frozen cranberry juice concentrate: Easy to find in most grocery stores rather than big box stores such as Walmart and Target.
• Lime juice: We really encourage using fresh limes to squeeze for lime juice. The flavor is much better than the stuff in a bottle and in such a simple drink that really matters.
• Sparkling water or club soda: Turns this simple drink into a sparkling cranberry soda.
• Coarse sugar and simple syrup: It's totally optional but these two ingredients combine transform sparkling cranberry juice into a stunning holiday mocktail.

How to Make Cranberry Mocktails

Are you ready to mix up a batch? Here's an overview with photos but be sure to check the detailed instructions in the recipe card.

1. Add your thawed cranberry juice cocktail to a large pitcher.
2. Add the juice of four limes.

1. Add sparkling water and mix. Gently stir the drink. Mix until combined, but don't vigorously mix or over mix to preserve the carbonation of the soda water.
2. Pour into glasses that have been rimmed with sugar.

How Make Sugar Rim on a Glass?

I really love a little crunchy sugary class rim for this drink. Especially because the drink is a little tart making the sweetness of the sugar sooo good!

STEP 1: Place a bit of simple syrup in a small shallow plate or bowl. It needs to be wide enough to dip the glass into. Pour just enough syrup to cover the rim of the glass. Place the coarse sugar on another plate.

STEP 2: Dip the end of your glass rim in a small amount of syrup. I use a clear Torani (coconut or vanilla)  but you can use a homemade simple syrup that has no flavor.

STEP 3: After dipping into sugary syrup dip the rim of the glass into the coarse sugar on a plate. I used a mixture of coarse sugar and fine for a more dramatic effect.

PRO TIP: Leave cups upside for about 10-15 minutes until the syrup and sugar has dried. This help so the sugar and syrup don't drip down the side of the cups. 

STEP 4: After the sugar is dried, add ice and sparkling cranberry juice to the glass. Garnish with sugared cranberries and sprigs of rosemary for a more dramatic presentation.

Variations

We really like this cranberry sparkling water just as it's written but here are some ideas to change it up!

• Skip the sparkling? If you don't enjoy the bubbles you can skip the sparkling water and replace it with still water instead.
• Want a sweeter cranberry juice mocktail? Swap the sparkling water for a lemon-lime soda such as Sprite or 7-up.
• Prefer a cranberry orange mocktail. Replace the lime juice with freshly squeezed orange juice.

How to Serve Cranberry Lime Sparkling Water

We love this mocktail year around but it works really great as a Christmas Cranberry Mocktail. For special occasions we prefer to make it a bit more extravagant.

You can garnish this drink with:

• easy, beautiful sugared cranberries
• sprigs of rosemary
• lime wedges
• fresh cranberries (they float!)

Can I make cranberry sparkling water for a group?

Yes, of course! It's perfect for parties. I like to setup a little station so everyone can serve themself. Here are some tips:

1. Mix up the cranberry juice concentrate and lime juice in advance. Store in the fridge. Also refrigerate the sparkling water.
2. When ready to serve, place the mixed drink in a glass pitcher in smaller increments to help preserve the bubbles. You can also serve the juice in a pitcher with the sparkling water on the side.
3. Set out a combination of sugared rimmed glasses and plain along with bowls of the garnishes.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Mix up right before serving for a more bubbly drink!
• Don't skip the fancy garnishes! It's what makes this holiday mocktail so special.
• Serve in a clear glasses and a pitcher. This really shows off the bright color of your sparkling cranberry drinks.
• Give the sugared rim time to dry. This way it will stay in place rather than drip down the side of the glass.

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