Shake up a beautiful and bubbly Sparkling Cranberry Martini to ring in the New Year! This beautiful drink is perfect for memorable occasions!
Welcome in each New Year, filled with hope and promise, surrounded by great friends and bubbly drinks like Sparkling Cranberry Martini! Mix warmly flavored vanilla vodka, amaretto, citrusy Grand Marnier, sweet cranberry simple syrup, club soda, and a splash of lime together to celebrate every special occasion in style!
Cranberry Bubbly
We love to throw one last holiday party of the season, even when we’re a little worn out and have already had waaayy too many sweets over the last few months. New Year’s is the perfect time to appreciate where you’ve been the last year and dream about where you’ll go in the next year, which is always easier with a beautiful Sparkling Cranberry Martini in your hand. Cranberry simple syrup is the secret ingredient you didn’t know you needed in your life, with its perfect balance of sweet and tart flavor that is holiday magic when combined with the orange, almond, and vanilla spirits. Sparkling Cranberry Martini is a wonderful drink for cheering in the New Year!
Cranberry is a delightful fall and winter cocktail ingredient and makes every drink look impressive! Offer Cranberry Champagne Cocktails and Pomegranate Cranberry Moscow Mules to wow all of your guests.
Other Recipes to Serve with Sparkling Cranberry Martini
- Warm your friends and family of all ages with a tasty and comforting mug of Crock Pot Cranberry Apple Cider.
- Need a fancy appetizer to go with all of these beautiful drinks you’re making? Cranberry Goat Cheese Bites are simple to make and look stunning on the Hours’ Dourve table!
Ingredients
Liquor: To make this martini, you will need vanilla vodka, Amaretto, and Grand Marnier.
Soda: Bring a splash of bubbles to this party with a little club soda.
Juice: You will also need lime juice for this martini. Freshly squeezed is always preferred, but bottled lime juice can be used instead.
Cranberry Simple Syrup: The key to this drink is the Cranberry Simple Syrup so you will need fresh or frozen cranberries, granulated sugar, and water.
Garnish: While optional, a beautiful garnish helps to make the occasion, so finish these drinks with plain or sugar-coated cranberries and a thinly sliced twist of lime.
How to Make a Sparkling Cranberry Martini
STEP ONE: In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and cranberries. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for five minutes.
STEP TWO: Press the cranberries to help them release the cranberry juice, and then strain the syrup into a jar or other container. Allow the syrup to cool completely before using.
STEP THREE: To make the martini, combine vodka, Amaretto, Grand Marnier, and ice in a shaker and shake for a few seconds. Strain the drink into a chilled martini glass.
STEP FOUR: Slowly pour in the cranberry simple syrup so that it settles at the bottom of the glass. Top the drink off with a splash of club soda and lime juice.
STEP FIVE: Garnish the drink with a few cranberries and a lime twist, if desired.
Tips for Success
- Cranberry simple syrup can be made well ahead of time and stored in a jar or other container for up to a week. The syrup can also be frozen in an ice tray for convenience.
- After making the simple syrup, the leftover sweetened cranberries can be saved and used in another recipe.
- Don’t have a shaker? Combine the drink and ice in a jar with a lid, and then use the lid to strain the drink into a martini glass.
Is a Cosmopolitan the same as a Martini?
Cosmopolitans are popular drinks like a Sparkling Cranberry Martini containing cranberries, lime juice, and an orange liquor. On the other hand, a Martini is characterized by the main flavor of either a herby gin or neutral vodka and a little sweet vermouth. The cranberry martini in this recipe more closely resembles a Cosmopolitan, but like most drinks served in a martini glass, it can simply be called a martini. Like a great Cosmo, a Sparkling Cranberry Martini is also delicious year-round!
How do I make sugar-coated cranberries?
Serving sugar-frosted cranberries on drinks and other holiday fare can make the occasion feel a little more festive, and luckily, making sugar-coated cranberries is a snap! Since you’re already making cranberry simple syrup, you have two options: add more cranberries or keep the quantity in the recipe the same and remove a portion of cranberries before smashing the rest to finish the simple syrup. Once you’ve removed your cranberries from the syrup, allow them to dry thoroughly on a paper towel. When the cranberries are dry, they should have a sticky coating. Roll the cranberries in coarse or fine cane sugar (not powdered sugar) and then skewer to garnish your drinks.
More Festive Holiday Drinks to Love!
- Peppermint Bark Martini
- Cherry Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail
- Holiday Sangria
- Eggnog Martini
- Cranberry Ginger Fizz Cocktail
*This post was originally posted on 11/01/2013.
Ingredients
Sparkling Cranberry Martini
- 1 ounce vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce Amaretto
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier
- 2 teaspoons cranberry simple syrup
- ¼ ounce club soda
- Fresh lime juice
- Sugared cranberries for garnish
- Lime wedge for garnish
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries (see note)
Instructions
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- Combine the water, sugar, and cranberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a mesh sieve, pushing on the cranberries to pop them and get the liquid out.
- Cool the syrup before using it in cocktails. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Martini
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the vodka, amaretto, and Grand Marnier. Secure the lid and shake vigorously until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass. Slowly spoon in the cranberry simple syrup so that it sinks to the bottom of the glass.
- Top off the martini with a splash of club soda and a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with sugared cranberries and/or a lime wedge.
Notes
- If you can’t find fresh cranberries in the produce section, frozen fresh cranberries (in the freezer section) can be used. Thaw the bag overnight in the fridge and proceed to make the simple syrup as directed. Do not use canned cranberries or cranberry sauce.
- The simple syrup recipes make about 1 cup of syrup, enough for 24 martinis.
- To make sugared cranberries, dip cranberries in some of the simple syrup. Set the cranberries out on a plate to dry for 1 hour (while the rest of the syrup cools. The cranberries will be sticky. Roll them in sugar until coated.
Pamela Wolf says
this is so pretty for the holidays.
Aubrey says
Thanks Pam! It was so yummy too!