Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail

Name: Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 ml) cranberry juice, 100% juice or not-from-concentrate, well chilled; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 large limes, strained of seeds; 4 teaspoons (28 g) honey, or to taste; 4 teaspoons (20 ml) hot tap water, hot, to thin the honey; 2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, well chilled, freshly opened; 4 cups (560 g) ice cubes, fresh, plenty; ½ cup (50 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry; 1 medium (70 g) lime, cut into 8 thin wheels (⅛-inch / 3 mm thick); 4 sprigs (8 g) fresh rosemary sprigs, 3-inch (8 cm) sprigs (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, tart-sweet cranberry spritzer built right in the glass over ice, with fresh lime, a touch of honey syrup and sparkling water. It looks festive, takes minutes, and isn't too sweet.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: —
Wait: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Makes: 4 tall drinks (about 10 oz / 300 ml each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 cups (480 ml) cranberry juice, 100% juice or not-from-concentrate, well chilled
4 tablespoons (60 ml) fresh lime juice, from about 2 large limes, strained of seeds
4 teaspoons (28 g) honey, or to taste
4 teaspoons (20 ml) hot tap water, hot, to thin the honey
2 cups (480 ml) plain sparkling water, well chilled, freshly opened
4 cups (560 g) ice cubes, fresh, plenty
For garnish
½ cup (50 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry
1 medium (70 g) lime, cut into 8 thin wheels (⅛-inch / 3 mm thick)
4 sprigs (8 g) fresh rosemary sprigs, 3-inch (8 cm) sprigs (optional)

Equipment (7)

4 tall highball glasses (10–12 oz / 300–350 ml)
Citrus juicer or reamer
Fine-mesh strainer (optional)
Long bar spoon or chopstick
Small bowl
Cutting board and paring knife
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Chill the cranberry juice and sparkling water for at least 2 hours so the drinks stay fizzy and the ice melts slowly.
Use 100% unsweetened-style or 'not from concentrate' cranberry juice if you can; cranberry juice cocktail is sweeter, so skip the honey if using it.
Squeeze the limes just before serving for the brightest flavor.
Open the sparkling water only when you are ready to pour so it keeps its bubbles.

1
Make honey syrup
- In a small bowl, stir the honey with the hot tap water for about 30 seconds until fully dissolved and pourable.
- Let it cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: No honey streaks remain and the syrup is thin and runny
Tip: Cold honey sinks and won't mix into a cold drink, which is why we thin it first.
2
Juice the limes
- Roll 2 large limes firmly on the counter, halve them and squeeze to get 4 tablespoons (60 ml) juice.
- Pick out any seeds, or pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
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Ready when: You have 60 ml of juice
Tip: Rolling the limes first helps release more juice.
3
Prep the garnishes
- Rinse and dry the cranberries.
- Slice the garnish lime into 8 thin wheels and cut a small slit from the edge to the center of each wheel so it can perch on the rim.
- Set the rosemary sprigs aside.
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Ready when: Lime wheels are even and thin
4
Mix the base
- In a pitcher or large measuring cup, stir together the chilled cranberry juice, lime juice and cooled honey syrup.
- Taste it: it should be tart and slightly sweet, because the sparkling water will dilute it.
- Add up to 1 more teaspoon honey if needed.
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Ready when: Base tastes punchy and a little sweeter than you'd want to drink straight
Tip: Make the base up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, without the sparkling water.
5
Fill the glasses
- Add 1 cup (140 g) ice to each of 4 highball glasses.
- Drop 6 to 7 fresh cranberries and 2 lime wheels into each glass, tucking them between the ice cubes.
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Ready when: Glasses are about three-quarters full of ice
Tip: Packed glasses keep the drink colder and slow dilution.
6
Pour and top
- Pour about ½ cup (about 135 ml) of the cranberry base into each glass.
- Slowly top each with ½ cup (120 ml) chilled sparkling water, pouring down the side of the glass or over the back of a spoon.
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Ready when: Glass is filled to about ½ inch (1 cm) below the rim with a light fizzy head
Tip: Pouring quickly straight onto the ice knocks out the bubbles.
7
Stir and garnish
- Give each drink one gentle stir from the bottom with a long spoon to blend without losing the fizz.
- Add a rosemary sprig if using, and serve right away with a straw.
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Ready when: Drink is evenly ruby-colored and still visibly bubbling
Tip: Serve within 10 minutes for the best fizz.

Good to know

Tips

Chill everything beforehand; warm ingredients make the sparkling water go flat quickly.
Use a ratio of about 1 part base to 1 part sparkling water, and adjust to taste for a stronger or lighter drink.
For a pretty rim, run a lime wedge around the glass and dip it in coarse sugar before adding ice.
Frozen cranberries work as edible ice cubes and won't water down the drink.

Make ahead

"Mix the cranberry juice, lime juice and honey syrup up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate in a covered pitcher. Add ice, garnish and sparkling water only when serving."

Storage & reheating

"Assembled drinks are best within 10 minutes. The unsparkled base keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days (lime flavor fades after day 1). Don't freeze the finished drink; the base can be frozen in ice cube trays for up to 2 months and used to chill future drinks. No reheating needed."

Substitutions

honey → maple syrup or agave. Use the same amount; thin the same way with hot water.
plain sparkling water → ginger ale or lemon-lime soda. Sweeter; reduce or omit the honey syrup.
fresh lime juice → fresh lemon juice. Gives a slightly softer, sweeter tartness.
fresh cranberries → frozen cranberries. No need to thaw; they also help keep the drink cold.