Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- .5 oz fresh lime juice
- 3 oz vodka
- 3 - 6 oz ginger beer
- fresh mint leaves, for garnish
- sliced lime, for garnish
- Ice
Instructions
- Pack a traditional copper mug (or highball glass) with crushed ice and set it aside to frost over.
- In the base of a cocktail shaker (paid link), add the fresh cranberries and fresh lime juice. Muddle firmly for 20 to 30 seconds until the cranberries burst open and release their juices into the lime.
- Shake vigorously for 10-12 seconds.
- Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer (or double-strain through a fine-mesh strainer) and pour it into your prepared copper mug packed with fresh crushed ice (discard the pressed cranberry skins and seeds, or leave a few crushed berries in the mug for texture, if preferred).
- Top the mug with 3 to 6 ounces of cold ginger beer, pouring gently to preserve the effervescence. Stir once, very gently, with a bar spoon (paid link) to combine.
- Slap a sprig of fresh mint across the back of your hand to release its essential oils, then tuck it against the rim, or add a fresh lime wheel alongside and a few whole cranberries floating. Serve immediately.
Notes
If fresh cranberries are too tart for your palate, add ½ oz pure maple syrup or simple syrup to the shaker before muddling.
If fresh cranberries are out of season, swap them for 4 oz of 100% unsweetened pure cranberry juice (avoid cranberry cocktail concentrate, which contains excessive corn syrup).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 235 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 12 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg