Category: wine

simple syrup

Cranberry Red Wine Reduction for Cocktails | The Best Use for Leftover Cranberry Sauce

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If you have leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, this cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails is the perfect use for it. It’s an easy syrup recipe made with red wine, cranberry sauce, turbinado sugar, cloves, and cinnamon.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

One of the best parts about Thanksgiving are the leftovers. But all the other leftovers run out long before the cranberry sauce does. Instead of tossing out that tart and sweet goodness, try using it in your cocktails.

You can definitely use it as is in a drink. Just sub it in for jam in a Jam Cocktail. Or take it up a notch and make this decadent cranberry red wine reduction. It’s sweet– very sweet– with amazing complexity and warmth to it. It tastes phenomenal with whiskey cocktails and also with gin. You could even use it in place of red wine in a New York Sour for added sweetness.

A cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails is the perfect use for leftover cranberry sauce. It's an easy syrup recipe made with red wine, cranberry sauce, turbinado sugar, cloves, and cinnamon.

Ingredients for a Cranberry Red Wine Reduction for Cocktails

  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup cranberry sauce (whole or jellied)
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 cardamom pods

How to Make a Cranberry Red Wine Reduction for Cocktails

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup has reduced. Pour into a small lidded container, using a strainer to strain out the spices and any cranberry pieces. You’ll need to press on the cranberries with the back of a spoon to really squeeze every drop of the reduction out. Let the syrup cool before storing in the fridge. The syrup should keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Cranberry Red Wine Reduction for Cocktails

This cranberry red wine reduction syrup is perfect for using up that leftover cranberry sauce. It's delicious in whiskey cocktails, gin cocktails, and anything else you want to add depth and complexity to.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 3 ounces

Equipment

  • small saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • ¼ cup cranberry sauce, whole or jellied
  • ¼ cup turbinado sugar
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 cardamom pods

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup has reduced.
  • Pour into a small lidded container, using a strainer to strain out the spices and any cranberry pieces. You'll need to press on the cranberries with the back of a spoon to really squeeze every drop of the reduction out.
  • Let the syrup cool before storing in the fridge. The syrup should keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Keyword cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cranberry, cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails, cranberry sauce, red wine, red wine reduction, turbinado
what to do with leftover cranberry sauce - use leftover cranberry sauce in a cocktail by making this cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails.
gin

Gin and Cabernet Sour | A Sophisticated and Easy Wine Cocktail

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A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It’s sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. Next time you’re hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special, make this easy wine cocktail. Your only regret will be not making it sooner.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I’ve made quite a few wine cocktails lately. The most recent two were made with white wine: the Bishop of Bordeaux and a delicious Mulled White Wine. I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and will make them again in the near future. But red wine has my heart. Given the choice, I will always choose red over white. And of all the reds out there, Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite. So when I first heard of this cocktail that combined my two favorite alcoholic liquids– gin and Cabernet— I knew I had to try it.

Those two words were first spoken together to me by my good Instagram pal @ebbydranks. We were brainstorming different drinks to make together on an Instagram Live fundraising event and the first drink he suggested was a New York Sour. But that’s seriously the only classic cocktail I’ve ever made that I didn’t like. I didn’t even finish it. If you read that recipe post, though, you might see where I went wrong. Anyway, I told him a big fat NO to that idea and he countered with a Gin and Cabernet Sour.

All of those words together intrigued me. So I obliged. And I’m glad I did.

This is now my all-time favorite easy wine cocktail. It seriously tastes soooo good. And it looks stunning, too. There’s no need for a garnish when you’ve got a red wine float. What is a red wine “float”, though? Floating is the bartending technique of carefully layering one liquid ingredient on top of another. Floats only work if the liquid with the lighter density is poured slowly over the liquid with the heavier density.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

If you’ve never attempted a red wine float before, or if you have and it didn’t work, these tips might help:

  1. Pour the wine over the back of a bar spoon. This will help distribute it more evenly over the surface of the denser liquid.
  2. Keep your spoon close to the surface of the cocktail without actually touching it.
  3. Pour it slowly.

You can also check out a video of the red wine float I did for the New York Sour here.

I’ll be honest and say that the first time I made this drink with @ebbydranks on IG Live, I just dumped the red wine in the glass. I started off trying to float it and then I lost my patience and plopped it in. But it actually worked out okay because I can now say with full assurance that it tastes great both ways!

This drink is dying to be served in a Nick and Nora glass. Nick and Nora glasses are essential small wine glasses that are used for spirit-forward cocktails. If you don’t have one, a smaller lowball glass will do the trick.

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.

If you’re thinking about cocktails to serve for the holidays, this Gin and Cabernet Sour is a great option. It marries the mixed drink world and the wine world together in one beautiful glass. Plus if someone just really isn’t a liquor fan, they can just drink the rest of the wine. Or if they don’t like gin, simply swap it out for some whiskey and they can have something pretty close to a New York Sour.

Have you ever had a Gin and Cabernet Sour? Will you be trying one soon? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this unique and easy wine cocktail so comment below and tag me on Instagram.

Ingredients for a Gin and Cabernet Sour

  • 1 1/2 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz orange liqueur
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup (make your own!)
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 oz Cabernet Sauvignon

How to Make a Gin and Cabernet Sour

Add the gin, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass or a small lowball glass. Float the red wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. 

Gin and Cabernet Sour

A simple yet sophisticated cocktail made with red wine and gin.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz gin
  • ¾ oz orange liqueur
  • ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • ¾ oz Cabernet Sauvignon

Instructions
 

  • Add the gin, orange liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 15-20 seconds.
  • Strain into an empty Nick and Nora glass or a small lowball glass.
  • Float the red wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. 
Keyword cabernet, easy wine cocktail, gin, gin and cabernet sour, lemon juice, orange liqueur, simple syrup

Looking for another easy wine cocktail? Check these options out:

Bishop of Bordeaux

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

New York Sour

A Gin and Cabernet Sour is an uncommon sip. It's sophisticated, simple, and looks beautiful, too. This easy wine cocktail is the perfect drink to serve the next time you're hosting a meal or wanting to pour yourself something special.
rum

Bishop of Bordeaux Cocktail | A Unique White Wine Cocktail with Rum and Lime

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The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I was recently gifted a couple bottles of white wine but here’s the thing– I’m not a big white wine drinker. It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s the fact that it often tastes like straight-up juice to me. Which is a problem for a few reasons. 1) I chug it. Bad idea. 2) It’s expensive compared to actual juice. 3) I actually like the taste of alcohol. That’s three strikes. So although I’m highly unlikely to purchase my own white wine, I’ll happily chug sip it if it’s served to me.

But then I thought I could actually change problem #3 by adding in some alcohol. And that would also solve problem #1, too. And if I’m sipping and savoring the drink, it justifies problem #2. So basically I think I’ll start using it cocktails all the time now.

In fact, with one of the bottles I received, I made some mulled white wine with apple cider. It was so good. It had the classic warm spices of a traditional mulled wine but was much lighter on the palate. A real winner.

But for this second bottle, I wanted to delve deeper into the realm of mixed drinks. I wanted to make a true white wine cocktail. Not a mulled wine, not a sangria, but a cocktail.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Truthfully I would’ve been at a loss for what to make but my Instagram friend Risa had shared the Obispo de Cuba recipe on her page awhile back. This recipe is a lighter rendition of the Obispo de Cuba, also called the Bishop, that’s made with dark or gold rum and red wine. But since I used wine from Bordeaux, it seemed only fitting to call it the Bishop of Bordeaux. I thought about translating it in French to be fancy but Évêque de Bordeaux looks a little intimidating for non-French speakers like myself.

For this Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail recipe, you can use any fruit-forward white wine. If the wine is on the dry side, you can add more simple syrup to the drink if you’d like. This particular white Bordeaux that I used here was very sweet– too sweet for my wine-sipping preference. But it worked so well in this cocktail recipe.

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

You may notice that this recipe is very similar to a classic Daiquiri. If you’re a Daiquiri fan, I think you’ll enjoy the small addition of white wine in this cocktail. It brings another layer of sweet fruitiness that works really well.

I’ve gotta admit that I was hesitant to incorporate wine into a cocktail, especially white wine. But I really enjoyed this Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail and plan on making it again soon. Next up on my list is to start incorporating red wine into some recipes.

Have you ever used wine in a cocktail before? If so, let me know your favorite recipe down below!

The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.

Ingredients for a Bishop of Bordeaux

  • 1 1/2 oz white rum
  • 1/2 oz white Bordeaux or other sweet white wine
  • 1/2 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup

How to Make a Bishop of Bordeaux

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe or a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

Bishop of Bordeaux

The Bishop of Bordeaux is a lighter verison of the Obispo de Cuba, or the Bishop. It's made with white wine and white rum. It's a perfect balance between tart, sweet, and fruity.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz white rum
  • ½ oz white wine
  • ½ oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ oz simple syrup*

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well for about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe or a Nick & Nora glass.
  • Garnish with a lime twist.

Notes

*If you haven’t made simple syrup, check out the truly simple recipe here.
Keyword Bishop of Bordeaux, lime, lime juice, rum, simple syrup, white rum, white wine, white wine cocktail
The Bishop of Bordeaux cocktail is a white wine cocktail with white rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. This recipe is a riff on the classic Bishop cocktail, also known as the Obispo de Cuba.
wine

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider | The Perfect Drink for Fall and Winter

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This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

This mulled white wine with apple cider is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It’s light enough to please your friends who don’t like red wine, but it’s also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

I’m one of those people. I usually don’t like white wine. It’s often too sweet and too… juice-like for my liking. Give me alllll the dry red wine any day. But I have a few friends who wouldn’t drink red if their life depended on it. Okay, I’m sure they would if their life depended on it. They’d just really prefer not to. So what’s a fun cool-weather cocktail that would please people on both sides of the spectrum? Mulled white wine with apple cider.

My friend came over the other day and we made this together. It’s still pretty warm outside these days but since this is made with white wine, it feels a lot lighter than traditional mulled wine so were able to enjoy a mug-full while watching our kiddos play outside.

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Before I jump to the recipe, there are few things to note. When making mulled wine, whether red or white mulled wine, it’s best to pick a wine that is on the dry side and isn’t too sweet. However, I had a bottle of sweet white Bordeaux and it actually turned out great. My friend and I chose to embrace the fruity notes and added some fresh apple cider in.

We also played-up the sweetness of the wine by adding vanilla bean-infused vodka and vanilla extract. Many traditional mulled wines are fortified with brandy. However brandy could overwhelm the delicate notes in white wine so vodka seemed like a better choice. You do you though.

One of the great things about mulled wine is that it’s extremely customizable. You can change up the number of spices you put in according to your personal preference. You can also taste as you go to see if you need to pull any spices out or add more in. Many white mulled wine recipes also call for a couple whole pods of star anise. Star anise is not my favorite flavor (it tastes like licorice), so I used it to garnish only.

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Another thing to note: mulled white wine can be made ahead of time. It will typically keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator and can be reheated on the stovetop before you’re ready to drink it. However, strain out all of the aromatics before storing it. Otherwise, you run the risk of the spices overpowering the whole deal.

Have you ever made mulled white wine with apple cider before? How do you like it compared to traditional mulled red wine? Let me know in a comment below!

A mulled white wine with apple cider and brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Ingredients for Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

  • 1 bottle of white wine (dry or semi-sweet works well)
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • zest* and juice from 1 orange
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 whole cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz vanilla bean-infused vodka (caramel vodka could be good, too!)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar

*be careful not to remove any of the pith (white part) as it will make the drink bitter

How to Make Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

Add all of the ingredients except for the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on low, allowing the wine to slowly heat up. Be careful not to boil it. When it starts to steam, remove from heat or put it on your stove’s “warm” setting. Add in the brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to make sure you don’t oversweeten it. Allow the wine to mull for 20-30 minutes. Serve in a mug. You can strain the spices out or ladle them into the mug along with the wine.

Remove any spices before storing leftover mulled wine in an air-tight container in the fridge. It should keep for 1-2 days.

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 4

Equipment

  • medium-sized saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bottle white wine (dry or semi-sweet works best)
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • zest* and juice from 1 orange
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 whole cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz vanilla bean-infused vodka
  • 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients except for the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on low, allowing the wine to slowly heat up. Be careful not to boil it.
  • When it starts to steam, remove from heat or put it on your stove's "warm" setting. Add in the brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to make sure you don't oversweeten it.
  • Allow the wine to mull for 20-30 minutes.
  • Serve in a mug. You can strain the spices out or ladle them into the mug along with the wine.
  • Remove any spices before storing leftover mulled wine in an air-tight container in the fridge. It should keep for 1-2 days.

Notes

*be careful not to remove any of the pith (white part) when zesting your orange. This will make the mulled wine bitter.
Keyword brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mulled white wine, mulled wine, orange, vanilla extract, vanilla vodka, white wine

Interested in other drinks that are perfect for fall or winter? Check these out: