RECIPE: Vodka Cranberry Ornament Cocktail

This is something that I found and had to try because I thought it was such a playful and entertaining way to serve a cocktail at a holiday party or dinner.

The ingredients are simple — since the vodka cranberry cocktail itself is pretty simple, but by adding fresh cranberries and fragrant rosemary, it transforms the drink into something merry and bright, and the ornament display of pouring it right before your guests drink it — well that’s just plain fun.

Ingredients and Supplies

· Cranberry Juice

· Vodka

· Fresh Cranberries

· Fresh Rosemary

· Clear Plastic Round Ornaments (make sure to purchase ones that have a removable top and not ones that open by splitting in half) Clear Glasses (rim must be small enough so that the ornaments fit snuggly at top and don’t fall into the glass)

Directions

Place 5-6 fresh cranberries into the bottom of each glass, along with 2 fresh sprigs of rosemary. You want the rosemary to fit inside the glass without being crushed once the ornament is placed at the top, so feel free to trim as necessary.

To make your vodka cranberry drink, mix 1-1/2 ounces of vodka with 3 ounces of cranberry juice. Depending on the size of the ornament you purchased and the size of your glass, you may have to increase this portion size, but try to keep this ratio as you do.

Once you’ve made your vodka cranberry mixture, remove the top of your ornament and carefully pour the cocktail into the ornament. I was able to do this pretty easily without a funnel, just using a glass measuring cup over the sink in case of any spillage. Once the ornament is full, replace the top carefully, and place it at a slight angle at the top of the glass with cranberries and rosemary.

You can fill the ornaments ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator so that your cocktails are chilled prior to your event.

These make for a beautiful display at a party, whether on a simple tray, among some greenery or on their own. When it comes time for drinking, you simply remove the top, pour the contents from the ornament into the glass, and enjoy.

You may also want to add ice to your glasses, but I would do this as you are serving your guests, right before you pour the mixture from the ornaments, so that the ice doesn’t melt. Another idea is to freeze some extra cranberries into your ice cubes for this drink so that when the ice cubes melt, the cranberries are left behind in the cocktail.

Let me know what you think of this cocktail, and please tag @LifeTranscribed in any photos you post on social media if you try this one yourself!