Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Putting a festive spin on a classic cocktail with this Cranberry Bourbon Sour. Homemade cranberry-orange syrup, warming bourbon, fresh citrus, and sweet candied rosemary. This cranberry bourbon cocktail is so easy to create, simply mix everything together for a merry cocktail that’s perfectly sweetened, and so delicious! This can be made ahead of time for easy holiday entertaining. Tip? Make a large batch to serve to family and friends!
Ingredients
- Maple syrup
- Fresh cranberries
- Large orange
- Bourbon (such as maker’s mark)
- Lemon juice and lemon peel
- Cranberry juice
- Orange bitters
- Blood orange
- large ice cube
Kitchen supplies and tableware
- chilled rocks glass
- cocktail shaker
- pitcher or punch bowl
- saucepan
It’s finally that time of year when I can share the more “festive” holiday drinks, and I couldn’t be happier. Time might be very tight this season…since I have a bit more travel on the calendar than usual. But as crazy as it is, I’m still so excited to be cooking up new recipes and sharing these drinks.
It’s what I LOVE most.
Anyway, keeping this post short and sweet as I prefer to do with these cocktail posts. So I’m jumping right into this warming and oh so festive cranberry bourbon sour.
Today it’s all about taking a classic and making it just a touch sweeter, prettier, and well, extra delicious too! Enter this cranberry cocktail. Up until just a few weeks ago I really wasn’t that familiar with a bourbon sour. It was my brother who suggested I make one. And while he said I should do it with the egg white variation, I opted to just keep things simple…ish. Plus, incorporating an egg white into my cocktails still weirds me out a bit. Maybe someday I’ll get into it, but for now, keeping it simple and easy!
Here is how you make this cranberry bourbon sour.
The key to this bourbon sour is the cranberry syrup. It’s what gives this drink color, flavor, and sweetness. Instead of your basic simple syrup with sugar and water (which I always find to be so bland), I did mine with fresh cranberries, maple syrup, and orange zest. If you prefer a different flavored simple syrup, try one of these four in this past holiday post entitled, holiday gifting: homemade simple syrups.
The cranberries and maple together add to the warmth of this drink. And the orange adds that classic citrus flavor that you know and love in any classic bourbon sour.
The cranberry syrup will make enough for six drinks, so you can also make a punch sour. Or just go for a single drink and save the syrup for later. I’m giving you directions for both ways!
Once the syrup is made, the rest is EASY.
Just shake the syrup with your favorite bourbon (I typically use Woodford or Four Roses). Then add lemon juice, cranberry juice, and a dash or two of orange bitters. Pour over ice and garnish with a thin orange slice and candied rosemary.
SIMPLE. But GOOD.
As I mentioned, you can also make this into more of a punch for serving guests. If doing so, I would probably recommend doubling the recipe, depending on how many people you plan to serve…or if you just know your crowd will be going back for seconds.
Make the drink extra pretty…
Candied rosemary…my favorite cocktail garnish to add to drinks this time of year. It’s delicious and so pretty. I love the way it sparkles like snow!
And the best part? It’s so simple to make. Just grab some fresh rosemary sprigs, dampen them with water, and cover in granulated sugar. Let the rosemary dry for an hour at room temperature. Now you have pretty, glistening rosemary that’s the perfect final touch to this bourbon sour.
And you guys? That’s kind of it for this drink. It’s a classic, but with a seasonal twist that makes it even better than the original. Cranberries are the perfect way to sweeten up this warming winter cocktail, and I love the bright-red color they add! Perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining.
I know this will be on repeat at my house when family arrives for the holidays. They love a straight-up bourbon drink and this is a GOOD one.
If you make this cranberry bourbon sour, 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!
Cranberry Bourbon Sour Punch
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 285 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 maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- zest 1 large orange
- 8 ounces (1 cup) bourbon
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) lemon juice
- 1 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 1 blood orange or regular orange, sliced or regular orange, sliced
Instructions
- 1. To make the cranberry syrup: In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the maple syrup, and cranberries to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. If you syrup thickens too quickly, just add additional water to thin. Let cool. If desired, strain out the cranberries. 2. In a punch bowl, combine the cranberry syrup, bourbon, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and orange bitters. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice. Garnish with an orange slice and candied rosemary (recipe below), if desired.
Candied Rosemary
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with granulated sugar on all sides, making sure the rosemary is thoroughly coated in sugar. Allow to dry on the baking sheet for 1 hour. The rosemary can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.
Cranberry Bourbon Sour
Servings: 1
Calories Per Serving: 1455 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 maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- zest 1 large orange
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1/4 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 blood orange or regular orange slices
Instructions
- 1. To make the cranberry syrup: In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water, the maple syrup, and cranberries to a boil over high heat. Boil 5 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst, then remove from the heat. Stir in the orange zest. Let cool. If desired, strain out the cranberries. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks. 2. In a cocktail shaker, combine 2-3 tablespoons cranberry syrup, the bourbon, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and orange bitters. Add ice and shake. Strain into a glass. Garnish with an orange slice and candied rosemary (recipe below), if desired.
Candied Rosemary
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently run rosemary sprigs under a little water to dampen and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rosemary with granulated sugar on all sides, making sure the rosemary is thoroughly coated in sugar. Allow to dry on the baking sheet for 1 hour. The rosemary can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.
Hello, is my simple syrup suppose to be a little thick (I strained the cranberries). Thank you for any input, making for guests on Christmas Day 🤗
Hi Sheila! Yes, that’s just fine! 🙂 xT
Is the cranberry JUICE supposed to be the unsweetened version?
Whatever cranberry juice you prefer! xT
Made this for Thanksgiving with our friends and it was a huge success. Thank you! I want to make it for a Christmas party we have on Saturday. Our tradition is to make a Mexican food. Do you think I could sub tequila for the bourbon for a to pair well? do you think this would pair well Mexican food still? 🙂
Hi there! Yes I think that would still be yummy! xT
We made this last year and some of our guests didn’t like bourbon so we made some with vodka and the all raved, so I bet tequila would be a hit also!
Made this for thanksgiving, both a cocktail and a mocktail version, and it was such a hit! I made the cranberry syrup then used an immersion blender so it was smooth then strained out any huge chunks or leftover skin. Thank you Tieghan!!
Hey Lily,
I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your review! Happy Sunday! xT
Making the syrup now for tomorrow and it tastes and smells delish. Should this be kept in the fridge or left out for use tomorrow? Can’t wait for the complete cocktail!
Hey Jen,
So glad to hear this!! Go ahead and keep the syrup in the fridge. Cheers! xT
Our neighbors had a holiday cocktail competition in the spirit of the Great British Bake-off called the Great American Cocktail-off. My husband made this and took second place. Lost to a pear-ginger martini but all agreed this was more true to the holidays. Our “Paul and Prue” had a difficult time making a choice. We will make more at Christmas.
Made this for the 2nd year for a large Friendsgiving (made 7x the recipe— no drops leftover!) and it was a hit once again!
Few notes:
– I split the cranberry juice ~60/40 100% cranberry juice to ocean spray cranberry cocktail. I was worried that the true sour version wouldn’t cater to the masses, but I’m sure I would love it written as-is. Otherwise I made it as-written.
– Made the syrup a day ahead (recommend to save time if you’re hosting, especially since it has to cool anyways!)
– Strained out the zest and cranberries and saved in air tight container in the freezer for my family’s Thanksgiving. Last year I thought it made a great cranberry sauce, this year I even kept a small bowl out for Friendsgiving and am freezing a bigger batch for the real day! Good way to avoid some food waste too 🙂
– If you’re making a big batch for a pitcher or drink dispenser, I sliced the oranges after I grated the zest and froze overnight. Any extra cranberries went into the freezer as well. After mixing, I added frozen oranges and cranberries to the drink dispenser to act as ice to keep the drink cold without diluting. Also made the presentation even more beautiful, the colors were perfect!
Had a drink station with cups, ice cooler, and frosted rosemary, which was super easy and elevated the look of the drink. Used a 3 gallon drink dispenser— 7x the recipe with frozen orange slices filled the dispenser 3/4 full for 30 people.
Hey Grace,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing all of your detailed notes! xT
This was exactly the perfect combination of sweet and sour-emphasis on the delicious sour.
would definitely make the syrup ahead of time so you can dive into this cocktail as quickly as possible!
Hey Barbara,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and your feedback! Cheers! xT
I would love to make a punch bowl full of this bourbon sour for my guests on Thanksgiving. Did you use an unsweetened 100% cranberry juice such as Knudsen?
Hi Christine,
Yes, I like to use an unsweetened cranberry juice for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xx
How much does this make ? I’m hosting Thanksgiving and I’m wanting to use those gallon drink stations
Hi there,
The recipe for the punch will make 6 servings. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! x
What type of glass did you use and where did you find them? I want to make this for Christmas and love the entire presentation!
Hey Denise,
Unfortunately, these glasses are super old from Anthropologie, I no longer have a link for them. So sorry! xx
What would you suggest for a mocktail version for this one?
Hi Lily,
You can use apple cider in place of the bourbon! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers! xx
Served it to our foodie friends and we all LOVED it. Guys and gals alike. Thank you. Very festive.
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a Happy Halloween! 🙂 xT