Best Christmas Cranberry Mocktail with Club Soda

Sip on freshness this holiday season with my Best Christmas Cranberry Mocktail with Club Soda.  This sparkling cranberry mocktail is a non-alchoholic drink that is great for special occasions such as Christmas holiday parties, New Year’s Eve, or even Valentines Day. The delicious flavors are a blend of cranberry grape juice, club soda, and muddled fresh fruits.

The vibrant red color of this holiday cranberry mocktail is eye catching.  

Mocktail recipes are so much fun especially for teens and kids!

Why this cranberry mocktail recipe works

• It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and is adaptable if you would like to add liquor. 

• This refreshing drink is something the whole family can enjoy. 

• The best part of this delicious mocktail is that it’s great for baby showers, holiday festivities or any time of year.

Need appetizers to go with this drink? Check out my Braised Italian Ground Bison Meatballs with Marinara and my Fresh Fig Empanadas with Goat Cheese Walnut Filling.

Amazon Affiliate Links Disclosure:

This post contains links to products I love on Amazon. If you click through the links provided, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Ingredients

• Fresh fruits. Orange slices, lemon and strawberries. Blood oranges are a good substitute or fresh orange juice. 
• Club soda. You can use any kind of plain carbonated water or sparkling water. 
• Cranberry grape juice. You can use regular cranberry juice, homemade cranberry juice or reduced sugar cranberry juice.
• Cane sugar. This is for additional sweetness and also for the rim of the glass. You would also use a simple syrup to sweeten.
• Ice cubes. Crushed ice works too. 
• Dried oranges. Dried oranges are used as a garnish and really makes this a festive holiday drink.

How to make this cranberry juice mocktail

1. Using a cocktail shaker, add ice. 

2.  Sugar the rim of your glass by running the lemon wedge around the rim and then coat the rim with sugar. Squeeze the orange and lemon juice from the wedges and put them on top of the ice. 

3. Add the strawberries.

4. Muddle the fruit.

5. Add the club soda and the fruit juice.

6. Add in the sugar.

7. Shake well and pour into your cocktail glasses. 

Helpful tips

A Mocktail is basically a non-alcoholic drink that consists of fruit juices and sodas. If you ever want to order one in restaurants, you would order a “virgin” version of the alcoholic drink.

Since there is no liquor in this drink, it’s  perfect for anyone who is pregnant, people who are under age, and anyone who simply wants a pretty drink in their hand but doesn’t like liquor or they are allergic to liquor. 

Serve any type of mocktail in a fancy glass. It really gives it all the feels! You can use coupe glasses which makes them super elegant or a highball glass or lowball glasses .

The juice that you use doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I use Kroger Brand. Ocean Spray is good too.  Also you can make this with a lower sugar juice if you would like. 

Other serving suggestions and alternatives

You can garnish with fresh cranberries or dried oranges. I found dried oranges at Trader Joe’s for a reasonable price. You will want to cut the dried orange in half and also make a slit in the middle so it can sit on the glass. 

Lemon wedges can be swapped with lime wedges. Garnish with a lime wedge if using lime juice.

A rosemary sprig or a sprig of mint is always a beautiful garnish.

A sugar rim is always a nice touch as well but it is totally optional. To sugar the rim, place sugar on a small plate. Take a lemon wedge and run it around the glass. Then dip the glass into the sugared plate.

Tranform this fruity drink for your holiday party into a sparkling cranberry punch by adding into a punch bowl or large pitcher.You can use soda water or use 7 up or other lemon lime sodas.

Play with different flavors and try a hint of lime. 

Sweeten with maple syrup if you dont want to use cane sugar. 

To make this a cranberry juice cocktail, add in an ounce of vodka, gin, tequila, ginger beer, or Prosecco.

Recipe Inspo

Everyone loves a festive drink for the holidays and family gatherings. I wanted to create a delicious drink that had a bit of fizz and also would be a great option for kids. I’ve been creating mockails for years and this is the perfect drink for the holiday season. Whether you are watching your health goals or simply want to drink less alcohol during the holidays, non-alcoholic drinks are the way to go. 

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and recieve delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox!

Making this recipe? I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @whensaltyandsweetunite or use hashtag #whensaltyandsweetunite