I have a new and vivid fascination with champagne cocktails. An elegant champagne flute, some bubbly, a little flavoring, maybe a touch of fruit, and you’ve got perfect party fare. And endless possibilities.

I’ve yet to try the most classic iteration, with bitters and a sugar cube, but you can bet your strawberry I’ll be trying it soon. Once I figure out what bitters are.

Meanwhile, I’ve got a cranberry lime champagne cocktail for you. Red and green for Christmas Eve! So perfect I can hardly stand it. Oh, totally unrelated, speaking of hardly being able to stand something, you’ve got to check out these Candy Cane Christmas Tree Cupcakes over on Bakerella’s blog. So cute I’m pretty sure I just plain can’t stand it.

Okay, okay, tear yourself away from Bakerella’s fabulous blog and come back to me, will you? We’ve got some drinking to do!

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Cranberry-Lime Champagne Cocktail

This super-simple champagne cocktail with tangy cranberry, zingy lime, and sparkling wine adds a delicious - and festive - touch to the holidays.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cocktails

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cranberry juice the sweetened kind
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 cups Champagne or sparkling wine we like Prosecco for this
• Frozen cranberries and thin slices of lime for garnish

Instructions

• Divide cranberry juice and lime juice between champagne flutes. Fill with champagne (about 1/2 cup each).
• Float the cranberries and the thin lime slice on top. Serve.

First published December 24, 2009. Updated and republished December 13, 2016.

The post Cranberry-Lime Champagne Cocktail appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I first caught wind of the idea of hot cranberry cider, or mulled cranberry juice, on a Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Special, over a decade ago. Time fliiiieeees man. But I digress.

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider is good stuff, especially for the holidays, and – in my opinion for those over 21 – especially with rum. It’s perfect for if you prefer your Christmas drinks with alcohol, but also makes a super festive non-alcoholic Christmas drink. And because you add the booze directly to your mug, it’s great having a Crock Pot simmering on the counter for holiday entertaining, and everyone can partake – drinkers and non-drinkers alike.

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider Ingredients

So what do we have in this festive Christmas drink? Here goes:

• Cranberry juice – for a rosy red hue and holiday flair.
• Apple cider – of course!
• A clove-studded orange – Cloves are my favorite mulling spice. When you stick them in a whole orange, they release the oils in the peel for even more mulled goodness.
• Cinnamon sticks – A mulled Christmas drink must!
• Lemon peel – No pith, please. We like citrus without the bitter taste!
• Honey – Completely optional (and for a vegan version, you can use Grade A maple syrup or sugar). Add only if you like your hot cranberry cider on the sweeter side.
• Rum – Optional of course. Because what’s better than Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider? SPIKED Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider!

How to Make This Make Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider Recipe

The full printable recipe is below, but in a nutshell, you want to very gently simmer all of the ingredients together (except the optional honey and/or optional booze) either in a Crock Pot or on your stovetop. Then add honey (or other sweetener) at the end if you decide you want it sweeter, and spike each individual mug with booze if you so desire.

Then plop in an orange slice, some cranberries (sugared cranberries or fresh), and sugared rosemary, if you like, for a festive garnish.

Whichever method you choose, do not boil! That cooks the solids in the cider and makes for a cloudy drink.

I hope you love this Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider. I truly think it’s the ultimate warm Christmas drink.

Cozy, warm, happy holidays to you!

More Mulled Drinks Perfect for the Holidays

• Hot Apple Cider (Crock Pot or Stovetop)
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Rosemary Mulled Cider
• Gluhwein: Hot Spiced Red Wine
• Slow Cooker Cranberry-Orange Mulled Wine

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The Ultimate Warm Christmas Drink: Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider

One of our favorite Christmas drinks! With cranberry juice, apple cider, a clove-studded orange, cinnamon, lemon peel, and rum if you like, this wassail warms you from your fuzzy Santa socks to your rosy nose.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 133kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 whole orange
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 4 cups cranberry juice 1 quart or approx. 1 liter
• 4 cups apple cider 1 quart or approx. 1 liter
• 3 lemon peels from 1 medium lemon; just the peel and not the pith [which can cause bitterness]
• 3 3-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey optional to taste; can substitute Grade A pure maple syrup or granulated sugar
• spirits if desired; sometimes I add 1/2 cup red wine for just a bit of extra oomph or a good splash of rum to the mug to spike it up a bit

Optional garnishes

• Orange slices
• Fresh cranberries
• Cinnamon sticks
• Sugared rosemary

Instructions

Stud the orange with cloves

• Use a toothpick to poke holes in the orange and then stuck the sharp end of the cloves into the orange. Set aside.

To make in a Crock Pot

• Add cranberry juice, apple cider, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and the clove-studded orange to a 3-quart or larger Crock Pot. Cook on low for about three hours, until warmed through but never boiling. Switch the Crock Pot to the warm setting, and it's ready to serve when you're ready to drink!

To make on your stovetop

• Set a heavy 3-quart or larger pot over the stove. Add cranberry juice, cider, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and the clove-studded orange. Turn the heat to medium and heat until just below a simmer. Don't let it boil or the cider will separate – it'll still taste good but will look cloudy. Turn the heat to low and cover. Lightly simmer for about 30 minutes.

Garnish and serve

• Ladle the cider into mugs. Garnish if desired.

Notes

2021 recipe update: I’ve tweaked this recipe to include a clove-studded orange (now a staple in all of my mulled cider drinks!) and, instead of slices of citrus, we’ve got just the lemon peel. I have learned over time that citrus slices = a bitter wassail because of the pith in sliced citrus. I also find that the honey is a matter of taste; without the bitter note from the citrus slices, I find that it’s not needed. But if you like a sweeter cider, by all means stir some in!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

The post The Ultimate Warm Christmas Drink: Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.