This delicious cranberry bourbon smash is perfect for the holiday season! Made with cranberry juice, cranberry sauce (yep, the canned kind!), orange juice, bourbon, and ginger ale, it has a beautiful balance of sweet and tart flavors. This cranberry bourbon cocktail is one of my favorite drinks to enjoy with Thanksgiving dinner since it is nice and light.
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I really love cranberry sauce in all its forms– canned or homemade; it’s all delicious to me. I’ve used jams and jellies in cocktails before, so why not try cranberry sauce?! I’m here to tell you, it works! This cranberry bourbon smash is a delicious blend of cranberry and orange that’s balanced with warming bourbon and ginger ale. Garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary, it looks as gorgeous as it tastes. This is the perfect cranberry bourbon cocktail for Thanksgiving!
What’s in This Cranberry Bourbon Smash Recipe?
- Bourbon: This barrel-aged whiskey adds depth and warmth to the cocktail.
- Orange Juice: Adds freshness and acidity. I highly recommend using freshly-squeezed orange juice over bottled, but bottled will still work in a pinch.
- Cranberry Sauce: Adds sweetness and enhances the cranberry flavor. You’ll want to use the canned jellied kind, not one with whole cranberries (that’s a choking hazard!).
- Honey: Adds a subtle floral sweetness that enhances the flavor of the Bourbon.
- Cranberry Juice: Adds tart cranberry flavor. I prefer 100% cranberry juice over the sweeter cranberry juice cocktail.
- Rosemary: Adds fresh herbal flavor that balances out the drink.
- Ginger Ale: Just a splash adds a sweet, gingery, spicy flavor that helps balance out the drink as well.
Tips for Success
- Muddling releases the flavors of the fresh rosemary into the liquids and it’s a much more effective technique than shaking it. If you have a muddler, then this is the most effective tool, but you can also use the back of a tablespoon to press the rosemary against the sides of the glass.
- This cocktail is best enjoyed straight away so that the ice doesn’t dilute the drink.
- Make this smash alcohol-free by omitting the bourbon and using extra ginger ale.
- Finish it off with a fresh or dried orange slice for garnish.
Serving Suggestions
This cranberry bourbon smash is one of my favorite drinks to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a little bit tart and a little bit sweet, which helps to balance out all the rich and creamy flavors of a typical holiday meal. It tastes great with everything from mashed potatoes covered with turkey gravy to candied sweet potatoes. You really can’t go wrong with this cranberry bourbon cocktail!
Cranberry Bourbon Smash Recipe
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Muddler
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Bourbon (1 shot)
- 1½ ounces orange juice (1 shot)
- 1 tablespoon jellied cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1½ ounces 100% cranberry juice (1 shot)
- ½ sprig fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 splash ginger ale
Instructions
- Add the bourbon, orange juice, cranberry sauce, cranberry juice, honey, and chopped rosemary to a cocktail shaker. Muddle to combine. Place the top on the shaker.
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a splash of ginger ale.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
More Easy Holiday Cocktails
I love this bourbon smash for the holidays, but there’s always room on my table for a variety of fun cocktails. Check out some of my other favorites!
