(Really Good) Cranberry Pear Cocktail
Servings: 2
Once a year, on Thanksgiving, I make cranberry sauce for one very special person in the family. Nobody else (including me) likes it. While the others handle clean-up, I’m in charge of storing the leftovers. This year, as I put away the cranberry sauce, I wondered: could this inspire an adult beverage? The result may just be my favorite creation of the season. Served with a jumbo, fruit-infused ice cube, you’ve just added the wow factor to an already fabulous cocktail. Best part...use diet ginger ale and drop half the calories.
Ingredients
3 T. cranberry sauce - no need for measurement perfection
3 oz. whipped cream or vanilla vodka
2 oz. pear liqueur (may substitute orange liqueur, but just not the same
2 oz. lime juice
1-2 t. maple syrup
Pinch of cinnamon
6-8 oz. ginger ale
Garnish: Any or all cranberries, orange, lemon, or pear slices, rosemary, cinnamon stick
Directions
Fill 8 oz. glasses with ice. In mini-blender, puree cranberry sauce, vodka, pear liqueur, lime juice, and cinnamon. Pour over ice and top with ginger ale.
Presentation is everything...check out these Candy Cane Stirrers.
Change It Up
This recipe offers plenty of flexibility with ingredients. It’s still a mystery why we had whipped cream vodka in the house but I’ve moved beyond that. Vanilla vodka works wonderfully. Pear liqueur is my latest discovery. It’s deeeelish as a replacement for orange liqueur in margaritas and other beverages, a fabulous drizzle on a pear tarte, or to flavor fresh whipping cream. Serve it chilled and straight up as an aperitif—it almost feels healthy. For a drink with a little more zing, use ginger beer instead of ginger ale.
Serve it as a Punch
Servings: 16-20
2 15 oz. cans of cranberry sauce
3 c. whipped cream or vanilla vodka
2 c. pear liqueur
2 c. lime juice
2 liter bottle of ginger ale
Puree cranberry sauce, vodka, pear liqueur, lime juice, and cinnamon. Pour mixture into a punchbowl or serve by the pitcher for large crowds. Add ice and ginger ale. Float fruit-infused ice cubes in a large punch bowl and serve.
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