Add a holiday twist to the classic mint julep. Although iced, this cranberry mint julep is sure to warm you up on those cold winter nights!

cranberry mint julep garnished with fresh mint in highball glass.
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Thanksgiving in near!

Kitchens everywhere are filled with busy chefs and cooks preparing delicious meals.

Fridges and freezers are packed with all sorts of goodies.

I have always looked forward to Thanksgiving.  Not necessarily for all the food, but for the company of friends and family.  

Cranberry Mint Julep cocktail served in mason glass jar.

For this year’s holiday season, I will be serving this cranberry cocktail inspired by a classic favorite- the mint julep.  

Table of Contents

Holiday Cranberry Cocktail Ingredients

Cranberry Mint Julep cocktail ingredients such as bourbon, cranberries, mint, sugar.

This recipe serves 1. Multiply as needed.

Ingredients

  • 8-10 mint leaves
  • 2 sugar cubes, more if you prefer it sweet
  • crushed ice, as needed
  • 2 1/2 oz bourbon of your choice
  • 2 Tbsp cranberry syrup, recipe follows

Instructions

TheLittleEpicurean-cranberry-mint-julep1

1. Place mint leaves and sugar cubes in a glass.

TheLittleEpicurean-cranberry-mint-julep

2. Add 1 Tbsp of cranberry syrup. Use a muddler to crush everything together until sugar cubes have dissolved.

TheLittleEpicurean-cranberry-mint-julep

3. Fill glass with crushed ice.  Add 2 1/2 oz of your favorite bourbon.  

DO NOT use large ice cubes, you want CRUSHED ice. The drink is very strong and potent.  It needs the crushed ice to dilute drink slightly.

Use a spoon to gently stir mixture together.

Cranberry Mint Julep cocktail

4. Add additional crushed ice.  Add another 1 Tbsp of cranberry syrup.  Garnish drink with mint leaves and fresh cranberries.

And voilà! You are ready to enjoy an icy, frosty cranberry mint julep! Cheers!

I wish you all a very happy holiday season filled with much love, laughter, and good food!

Cranberry Mint Julep cocktail

More Holiday Cocktail Recipes

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Cranberry Mint Julep

By Maryanne Cabrera
Yield: serves 1, multiply as needed
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 8 fresh mint leaves
  • 2 sugar cubes, (2 teaspoon granulated sugar) or more if you prefer
  • 1 oz cranberry syrup,, (2 Tbsp) recipe follows
  • crushed ice, , as needed
  • 2 ½ oz bourbon of choice, (5 Tbsp)

Cranberry Syrup:

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, (100 g)
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, (4 oz)
  • finely grated zest from half a lime

Instructions 

  • Place mint leaves and sugar cubes in a glass.
  • Add 1/2 oz (1 tbsp) cranberry syrup and muddle everything together until sugar cubes have dissolved.
  • Fill glass with crushed ice.  Add bourbon.  (DO NOT use large ice cubes, you want CRUSHED ice.  The drink is very strong and potent.  It needs the crushed ice to dilute drink slightly.)  Use a spoon to gently stir mixture together.
  • Add additional crushed ice.  Add remaining 1/2 oz (1 tbsp) of cranberry syrup.  Garnish drink with mint leaves and fresh cranberries.

Cranberry Syrup:

  • In a small sauce pot, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add cranberries and lime zest. Over medium-high heat, cook mixture for 3-5 minutes until cranberries begin bursting open. Once all the cranberries have burst, remove from heat.  (Do not overcook, you don’t want the cranberries to turn to mush.)
  • Let mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container with a lid, let chill in the fridge until mixture is cold.
  • Remove mixture from fridge and strain. At this point the syrup should have thicken. Strain out and discard cranberries (or save to snack on!).  Return cranberry syrup to fridge until ready to use.

Notes

  • 1 sugar cube is roughly equal to 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 0.01g, Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 17mg, Potassium: 22mg, Fiber: 0.03g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 17IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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8 Comments

  1. Myrtice Stevens says:

    Look at that color! This maybe my favorite lemonade ever. Definitely going to make it. But i’m afraid the color won’t be as beautiful as yours. Any good tips?

  2. fred says:

    I know that Bevmo carries them. The website is loungeattire.com

  3. fred says:

    Better yet, you can use cocktail cranberries instead of the fresh berries. They can be muddled to add color and flavor. Check out Lounge Attire Cocktail Cranberries.

    1. Maryanne Cabrera says:

      Cocktail cranberries? I never knew those existed. I must try to find them pronto! Thanks for the info :)

  4. Jessiker Bakes (@jessikerbakes) says:

    This looks really great, and exactly like what I should be serving to my guests! By the way, your photos are so crisp and beautiful – I love them! Great job on the photography. I have some bourbon in my pantry that’s wanting a bit of TLC … ;)

    1. Maryanne says:

      Thanks so much Jessiker! Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

  5. Christine says:

    What a perfect drink to start a holiday party. So refreshing and season appropriate

    1. Maryanne says:

      Thanks Christine! I think so too :)