This Cranberry and Rosemary Mocktail is a delightful and refreshing concoction that combines the tartness of unsweetened cranberry juice with the bright and woodsy flavors of fresh rosemary. And the Rosemary and Orange Sugar Rim introduces a crunch and sweetness to help offset that initial hit of tartness from the drink.
I love this because it’s a grown-up, but sober, cranberry punch. You can easily add in a little vodka or even whisky to make this a cocktail in you want to go that route.
Although it has three different sweeteners (Rosemary Simple Syrup, fresh orange juice, and ginger ale), in it, the Cranberry and Rosemary Mocktail still maintains the tart, astringency of cranberries because the cranberry juice is SO tart. It also has a fresh pine flavor coming from the fresh rosemary.
And even though this recipe is for a group, you can easily convert it to a single serving by following the same ratios listed in the recipe card. Four parts cranberry juice, 1 part rosemary simple syrup, one part orange juice, one part ginger ale, and a small sprig of rosemary.
Garnish this with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few cranberries to add to this mocktails visually appeal and wonder scent. Your guest will keep talking about it until your next party!
Ingredients
- Cranberry juice - I recommend unsweetened cranberry juice because you can control how sweet you want the mocktail to be. If you buy pre-sweetened cranberry juice, you’ll lose a lot of that control.
- Orange juice - Fresh orange juice is ideal, especially since you’ll want the peels to make the rimming sugar and potentially some garnishes. However, if you opt for buying orange juice, I recommend seeing if there is a fresh squeezed option. If not, try to buy the highest quality juice you can find.
- Rosemary Simple Syrup - Using fresh rosemary to make this herbal infused syrup pulls in the deep woodsy flavor that comes when you simmer the rosemary in the sugar mixture. It gives the drink an additional depth that you’ll miss if you use regular simple syrup. This is also where most of the sweetness comes from. It might seem like a lot of sugar to add, but when compared to how much comes in pre-sweetened cranberry juice, this isn’t actually a ton.
- Ginger ale - Another layer of sweetness and flavor is incorporated by using ginger ale. I recommend using ginger ale and not using ginger beer as a substitute. See my article on Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer for a quick overview on the differences between the two. Using ginger beer will over power the rosemary flavor. And if you don’t like carbonation you can just keep stirring the mocktail, after adding the ginger ale, until all the carbonation is gone.
- Fresh Rosemary - Muddling fresh rosemary will give your drink the bright, piney scent that you don’t get from the syrup. Find the freshest rosemary that you can! It’s a major flavor and should be as bright and fresh as possible. Do not use dried rosemary!!
- Rosemary and Orange Rimming Sugar - this finishing touch gives the final product a crunch and sweetness to help offset that initial hit of tartness from the drink.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In a cocktail shaker (see below if you don't have one), muddle the rosemary in a small amount of the cranberry juice. Add the simple syrup and shake well. Strain into a large pitcher and add the remaining cranberry juice. Stir well.
At this point, the drink can be chilled while you’re waiting for guests to arrive. If you’re serving it immediately, add extra ice to each glass.
Rim the glasses by inverting them into a small amount of the simple syrup, then dipping them into the rosemary and orange rim sugar.
Once it’s time to serve the drink, add ginger ale to the pitcher and gently stir.
To serve, fill each prepared glass with ice, pour the mocktail, and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, fresh cranberries on a cocktail spear, or an orange peel swirl.
Substitutions
I mentioned the potential substitutions in the ingredients section, and mainly said, "Don't make substitutions unless you must."
Equipment
Cocktail Shaker - While I reference a cocktail shaker, you don't actually need one. You just need a way to muddle the rosemary with a little bit of the cranberry juice and make sure that the muddled rosemary doesn't make it into the final product.
Muddler - I do recommend you use a muddler. If you don't have one, it's worth investing in one. Some sites recommend using the back of a wooden spoon or other alternatives. But I've tried them all, and been annoyed with the lack luster results.
Storage
Once the drink is made, you can chill it for 2-3 days. So it's perfect to make ahead and store in the fridge. Just make sure it's sealed tightly to prevent other strong scents or flavors in you fridge from contaminating it.
Top tips
I recommend you rim the glasses no sooner than 30 minutes in advance. Otherwise it will crystalize and harden, which turns it into rock candy. Unless you want this effect, I recommend doing it as close to serving the drink as possible.
If you don’t want carbonation you can stir until all the carbonation is gone.
FAQ
Muddling an herb involves gently crushing or bruising its leaves or stems with a muddler. This releases the herbs essential oils and flavors, which enhances its aromatic qualities and infuses them into a drink or dish. This technique is often used in mixology to add fresh herbal notes to cocktails or in cooking to intensify the herb's flavor in recipes.
Rimming a glass with salt, sugar, or spices adds visual appeal and a burst of flavor to a drink, enhancing the overall drinking experience. It also provides a contrasting texture that complements the beverage's taste, creating a well-balanced and more enjoyable drink.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Cranberry and Rosemary Mocktail with Rosemary Sugar Rim
Ingredients
- 4 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1 cup rosemary simple syrup
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 4 cups ginger ale
Optional Garnishes
- Fresh Rosemary
- Orange peel
- Fresh Cranberries
Instructions
Directions:
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the rosemary in a small amount of the cranberry juice. Add the simple syrup and shake well. Strain into a large pitcher and add the remaining cranberry juice. Stir well.
- At this point, the drink can be chilled while you’re waiting for guests to arrive. If you’re serving it immediately, add extra ice to each glass.
- Rim the glasses by inverting them into a small amount of the simple syrup, then dipping them into the rosemary and orange rim sugar.*
- Once it’s time to serve the drink, add ginger ale to the pitcher and gently stir.*
- To serve, place a large ice cube in each prepared glass, pour the mocktail, and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, fresh cranberries on a cocktail spear, or an orange peel swirl.
Ginny
I loved the rosemary syrup. It’ll be nice to have on hand for other drink experiments!
Susan @ The James Street Home
Thanks! In addition to drinks I love to use it with a fresh fruit salad as well! It's a lovely, unexpected twist.