Cranberry Mocktail

This festive cranberry mocktail is the perfect holiday mocktail for Christmas, New Year’s, or any special occasion. It’s nice to offer a non-alcoholic beverage around the holidays, and this festive holiday drink is a great option! Tart cranberry juice, freshly squeezed orange juice, ginger ale or Sprite, and simple syrup make a beautifully colored, fruity mocktail that is sure to be a hit.

If you love the combination of flavors in this cranberry orange mocktail, you’ll also love my Christmas Slush Punch and Orange Cranberry Cake. Looking for more holiday party drinks? Try some of my best mocktails​ made with Sprite!

Why This Recipe Works

• Best cranberry mocktail recipe. When you make a mocktail with cranberry juice, you want to be able to actually taste the cranberry juice! And in this cranberry juice mocktail, you can. Cranberries are famous for being tart, though, so we use a simple syrup to sweeten it up without muddling the cranberry flavor.
• Perfect for the holiday season. The vibrant color of this delicious drink makes it a great choice for holiday parties. Adding whole cranberries and orange slices is optional, but certainly adds to the festive look. The color and seasonal flavors make for the ideal Christmas mocktail.

Ingredient Notes

• Cranberry juice: The star of this non-alcoholic drink! Use your preferred brand of cranberry juice, but make sure it’s just cranberry juice, not cran-grape, cran-apple, etc.
• Orange juice: Cranberry and orange are a match made in heaven! I find that store-bought orange juice tends to always have a slightly bitter edge, so I highly recommend using fresh-squeezed orange juice for this recipe. To make the cup of orange juice you need for this recipe, you’ll need around four oranges.
• Ginger ale: I love a ginger ale mocktail because I find that ginger ale doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Plus, that hint of ginger is a wonderful complement to both cranberry and orange. However, if you prefer, you can also make this cranberry mocktail with Sprite. You can even use plain soda water. I just love a fizzy component to make this a sparkling cranberry mocktail.
• Simple syrup: As the name suggests, a simple syrup recipe really is just simple! Made up of 2 parts water to 1 part sugar, simple syrup keeps this drink from being too tart but doesn’t distract from the key flavor components.

How to Make a Cranberry Mocktail

1. Make the simple syrup. In a small pot on the stove, add 1 cup of water and ½ cup of granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. No need to check the temperature or wait for a certain thickness. Chill the syrup in the fridge until needed (you won’t use all of it). 
2. Juice your oranges. For 1 cup of fresh orange juice, you’ll need at least 4 oranges. Using your preferred method, juice your oranges until you get a cup of orange juice. 
3. Combine all ingredients. In a large pitcher, combine 2 cups of cranberry juice, 1 cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice, 1 cup of ginger ale or Sprite, and ¼ cup of simple syrup. Stir to combine. 
4. Serve. Pour the cranberry mocktail over ice cubes in individual glasses. Depending on the size of your glasses, this holiday mocktail recipe makes 4 individual drinks. For an extra festive drink, garnish with a few whole fresh cranberries and an orange slice. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

If juicing your own oranges feels like too much of a hassle, you can absolutely use your favorite brand of store-bought orange juice, or concentrate. Just be aware you may need more simple syrup to sweeten the mocktail to your liking. 

To make a simple syrup, add 1 cup of water and ½ cup of white sugar to a small pot on the stove. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then set aside to cool. Chill in the fridge until needed. 

A delicious variation on this cranberry mocktail would be swapping the orange juice for apple cider, or doing half apple cider, half orange juice. I have also seen several variations using fresh lime juice for a cranberry lime mocktail.

For a stronger ginger kick, use ginger beer instead of ginger ale.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Make Ahead: You can mix together the cranberry juice, orange juice, and simple syrup several days in advance. Wait until the last minute to add the soda so that it doesn’t go flat. Simple syrup by itself will keep in the fridge for up to a month, so it can be made well in advance.

Storing: Store any leftover cranberry and orange juice mocktail in a pitcher in the fridge. The soda will start to go flat, so the drink is best enjoyed for 1-2 days.

Freezing: You can freeze cranberry mocktail leftovers. I have not tested this, but supposedly, keeping the liquid in an airtight container in the freezer might even prevent the soda from going flat! I would freeze the liquid in ice cube trays, and then transfer the cubes into a ziptop bag. Keep frozen for up to 6 months. If you do test this, please let me know how it goes!

Recipe FAQs

More Holiday Drink Recipes

• Christmas Wassail
• Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
• Cranberry Apple Cider
• Pumpkin Juice
• Non Alcoholic Sangria