It takes just 3 ingredients to make this Christmas mocktail! It is a cranberry orange spritzer that is going to be perfectly sweet, tart, and bubbly. It's one of my favorite Christmas mocktails because it's kid friendly and perfect for holiday entertaining.
In this Article:
Nothing says the holidays better than a fancy cocktail - or mocktail in this case. This Christmas cocktail will make you feel like you're at a fancy dinner party. But they're family friendly so the kids can get in on the fun too. Holiday mocktails like this one mean everyone at the table gets to raise a fancy glass!
Consider pairing your mocktail with one or more of these 85 Christmas cookie recipes for a real holiday treat!
This Christmas Mocktail Recipe Is..
- Made with 3 Ingredients
- Sweet and Tart
- Easy to Make
- Quick
- Kid Friendly
Make sure to check out my other refreshing non-alcoholic drinks as well. Sip on this pina colada mocktail, Sonic cherry limeade, or even this watermelon cocktail.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Orange juice. I use store-bought pulp-free orange juice, which keeps the drink nice and smooth. Fresh-squeezed is great too if you have oranges on hand, and tangerine juice is a fun swap.
- Cranberry juice. This gives the mocktail its pretty red color and tart bite. I used cranberry juice cocktail, which is a little sweeter. 100% cranberry juice is much more tart, so taste it first and add a splash more orange juice if it needs softening. Light cranberry juice works if you want less sugar.
- Ginger ale. The ginger ale adds the fizz and a gentle hint of ginger. Diet ginger ale works just as well, and lemon lime soda or plain sparkling water are easy swaps.
- Ice. Regular ice cubes are fine. Bigger cubes melt more slowly, so your drink stays cold without getting watered down.
- Fresh cranberries. These are just for garnish, and they float on top so prettily! Frozen cranberries work too and help keep the drink chilled. Just a heads up - raw cranberries are very sour, so they're more for looks than snacking.
- Rosemary. A sprig of fresh rosemary makes each glass look like a little Christmas tree and adds a light, piney smell. A thin orange slice is a good swap if you don't have rosemary.
How to Make This Christmas Mocktail
Full directions on how to make this Christmas mocktail are in the printable recipe card. This is a quick walk through.
- Add ice into your glass.
- Pour the orange juice and cranberry juice into the glass and mix.
- Next top it off with ginger ale.
- Stir and serve. You can garnish with cranberries and rosemary.
Helpful Tips for Christmas Mocktails
The Perfect Glasses
Of course, you can serve these mocktails up in regular drinking glasses or wine glasses of your choice. But fancy glasses just make it feel more like the holidays!
You can use a simple mason jar or fun and decorative holiday themed glasses. Either way it works great!
Don't Over-Ice It!
While you should definitely serve this Christmas mocktail over ice, be careful not to add too much ice or let it sit for too long after pouring. If the ice melts too much, it will water down the drink and not taste nearly as good.
Christmas Mocktail Variations
Lemon Lime Soda
Instead of ginger ale you can make this mocktail with a lemon lime soda instead. This is going to give you a similar flavor but with a fun flavor twist.
Pineapple Juice
Swap the orange juice with pineapple juice for a completely new recipe. It will complement the flavors of the drink quite a bit but still work really well with the cranberry. Give it a try.
Ice Cubes with Cranberries
Want to really impress your holiday guests? Make your own cranberry ice cubes by adding cranberries into the ice cube trays along with water, and then as it melts the cranberries will be in the glass. It is a fun way to dress up the drink a bit.
Serving Ideas
This is one of my go-to holiday mocktails to set out with Christmas dinner. The sweet and tart flavor goes great with savory mains like this easy glazed ham. It's just as nice on Christmas morning next to a stack of eggnog pancakes.
For holiday parties, set up a little mocktail bar with a bucket of ice, the juices, cold ginger ale and a bowl of garnishes so guests can pour their own. Christmas mocktails are a great way to make sure the kids, the drivers and anyone skipping alcohol still get something festive. Add a few easy snacks like cream cheese sausage balls or a Santa hat buttercream board and you're all set!
Serving a crowd from a pitcher is easy too. Stir the orange juice and cranberry juice together in a large pitcher, then add the ginger ale right before you pour. A batch with 2 cups orange juice, 4 cups cranberry juice and 4 cups ginger ale fills about 8 glasses. Put the ice in each glass instead of the pitcher, so the whole batch doesn't get watered down.
Storing & Make-Ahead
The juice mixture is the part you can make ahead. Stir the orange juice and cranberry juice together, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Give it a good stir before serving, since the orange juice can settle.
Add the ginger ale and ice right before serving. Once the soda goes in, the bubbles start to fade, so a mixed mocktail will be flat by the next day. Keep the ginger ale in the fridge until the last minute, because cold soda holds its fizz longer. You can prep the garnishes ahead too. Rinse the cranberries and rosemary and keep them chilled, or freeze a tray of cranberry ice cubes a day or two early.
I don't recommend freezing the finished drink since the soda goes flat. But you can freeze the juice mixture in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. They make fun ice cubes that won't water your mocktail down as they melt!
Christmas Mocktail FAQs
Do orange and cranberry go together?
Orange and cranberry are a perfect pair especially around the holiday season. You will find that there are a ton of recipes that have the two ingredients together.
Can I make a pitcher of this mocktail?
You can make a pitcher but make sure to serve it right away, as the ginger ale will go flat pretty quickly. So be ready to pour in glasses and serve shortly after mixing.
More Holiday Recipes
If you love this Christmas Mocktail, be sure to check out these other festive ideas:
Recipe
Christmas Mocktail
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1 cup ginger ale
- Ice
- sprig of rosemary for garnish
- 6 fresh cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Fill two glasses with ice.
- Divide the orange juice and cranberry juice between the glasses and stir to combine.
- Top each glass with ginger ale and give it a gentle stir.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary. Serve right away while it's cold and fizzy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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