Winter Cranberry Orange Whiskey Cocktail

When I think of Winter drinks, I tend to think of cozy, hot drinks, like spiced mulled wine or maybe some nutella hot chocolate. But sometimes, a drink like this whiskey cocktail hits the spot during the colder months!

The cranberry and orange are great Fall and Winter flavors, and the whiskey warms you from the inside.

Of course, you can serve this whiskey cocktail up year-round if you’d like, it’s a really versatile drink recipe!

There are plenty of ways to change this recipe up if you’d like, and I’ve included a large batch version in the “chef tips” right below the recipe instructions, in case you’re having a party and don’t want to make just 2 cocktails at a time.

How to make a cranberry orange whiskey cocktail?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Add juices, liquor, liqueur, syrup, and herbs to shaker. Give it a good shake with some ice.
2. Strain into glasses. Divide the contents of the shaker evenly among the glasses.
3. Top off with ginger beer. This cuts through a lot of the sweet/tartness to really round out the flavors.
4. Garnish and serve.

Variations of this recipe

• Cranberry juice – regular cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail will work for this recipe.
• Whiskey – since this is a blended cocktail, I wouldn’t use top of the line alcohol. I’ve made this with Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Maker’s Mark, but feel free to use your favorite.
• Orange liqueur – if you don’t have triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau are great substitutes.
• Simple syrup – simple syrup can be bought at most large grocery stores and liquor stores, but you can also make your own. Bring equal parts granulated sugar and water to a boil, then boil for several minutes, until the mixture is clear. Cool and refrigerate for up to 2-3 weeks.
• Ginger ale – if you would rather not use ginger beer, you could use ginger ale instead. Just know that the drink may be sweeter though.

Making cranberry whiskey cocktails ahead of time

If you’d like, feel free to make this drink up to 24 hours ahead of time!

Just keep it covered in a pitcher or jar in the refrigerator, minus the ginger beer. When ready to serve, add it to a cocktail shaker with some ice and give it a good shaking.

Pour over ice in the serving glasses, top with the ginger beer and garnishes, then serve.

Storage

Any leftover cocktails should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 1-2 days.