Tag: cinnamon

rum

Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai | A Delicious Holiday Tiki Cocktail

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This Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is a delightful combination of tiki flavors and holiday vibes. If you've been looking for the perfect holiday tiki cocktail to keep you feeling warm on the inside this season, look no further!

This Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is a delightful combination of tiki flavors and holiday vibes. If you’ve been looking for the perfect holiday tiki cocktail to keep you feeling warm on the inside this season, look no further!

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! 

Like many other cocktail bloggers, I’m constantly scrolling through my Instagram feed looking for inspiration from my #drinkstagram fam. Some of my favorites, like the Mezcal in Maui and the Summer Sipper, are recipes made by my friends that I’ve tweaked just a tad. I’ve got drink recipe after drink recipe saved on my IG but I don’t think I could ever get through all of them at this point!

Every now and then I see a drink recipe that not only stands out but that I also happen to have all the ingredients for. I didn’t waste much time before making this one. I hope you won’t either.

Sarah over at theboozyginger.com shared this Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai recipe on her Instagram a few days ago. I knew immediately that I had to recreate it. Tropical flavors with a hint of holiday flair? Sign. Me. Up. Sarah’s recipe originally called for dark rum but I used spiced rum to give it a little extra warmth.

I love the holiday and Christmas seasons. But I’m a warm-weather girl to the core. Don’t mishear me, though– I do want it to be cold on Christmas Day. And maybe New Years. But after that, I’m done with the cold. Bring back the sun. Blessedly, I live in Texas so I don’t have to put up with low temperatures for too long. But for those days when I wanna embrace the holiday season while dreaming of warmer weather, I’ll be drinking this holiday tiki cocktail.

If you’ve never had a traditional, classic Mai Tai, you should definitely make one. The original recipe is worlds different than most of the Mai Tais you’ll ever find at a restaurant. The only difference in ingredients between a classic Mai Tai and this Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is the cranberry juice (go figure) and the cinnamon syrup. And pleeasse don’t be intimidated by the cinnamon syrup– you can make your own with just 3 ingredients: cinnamon sticks, sugar, and water. Yup. This post walks you through the easy steps.

This Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is a delightful combination of tiki flavors and holiday vibes. If you've been looking for the perfect holiday tiki cocktail to keep you feeling warm on the inside this season, look no further!

If you make this Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai, be sure to comment below and tag me on Instagram. Seeing y’all reshake these recipes makes me so happy!

Ingredients for a Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai

  • 1 oz white rum
  • 1/2 oz dark rum (I used spiced rum for extra warmth)
  • 1/2 oz orange curaçao or orange liqueur
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz orgeat (if you want to make your own, here’s a recipe)
  • 1/2 oz cinnamon syrup (find the easy recipe here)

How to Make a Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a glass* filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh cranberries if you have them.

*I used a lowball because I really wanted to show off my vintage Christmas glass but I had an ounce or so of the cocktail left in the shaker. You may want to use a highball or Collins glass instead.

Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai

This Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is a delightful combination of tiki flavors and holiday vibes. If you've been looking for the perfect holiday tiki cocktail to keep you feeling warm on the inside this season, look no further!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz white rum
  • ½ oz dark rum (I used spiced rum)
  • ½ oz orange curaçao or orange liqueur
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  • ½ oz lime juice, fresh
  • ½ oz orgeat
  • ½ oz cinnamon simple syrup*

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well and strain into a glass** filled with ice.
  • Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh cranberries if you have them.

Notes

*Make your own cinnamon simple syrup with only water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks. Find the recipe here.
**Use a highball or Collins glass. If you use a lowball glass, you’ll have some cocktail left in your shaker.
Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon simple syrup, cranberry juice, dark rum, lime, lime juice, mai tai, orange liqueur, orgeat, rum, spiced cranberry mai tai, spiced rum, white rum

Looking for other tiki and tropical cocktail recipes? Check out the Jungle Bird, Mezcal in Maui, the Daiquiri, and my Easy Colada.

This Spiced Cranberry Mai Tai is a delightful combination of tiki flavors and holiday vibes. If you've been looking for the perfect holiday tiki cocktail to keep you feeling warm on the inside this season, look no further!
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.
vodka

Spiced Pear Cocktail | The Best Fall Cocktail Recipe with 5 Simple Ingredients

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This simple spiced pear cocktail is an easy fall cocktail made with vodka, fresh pear, cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of ginger beer.

This simple spiced pear cocktail is made with vodka, fresh pear, cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of ginger beer. It’s sweet and warming–the perfect cocktail to sip on a crisp autumn evening.

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! 

More days than not, it’s feeling like fall here in Texas. Finally. I mean, we’re already halfway through season and I wore boots for the first time this morning. Granted, it’ll be too warm for me to wear this afternoon when I do my grocery pick-up but it was a momentous occasion nonetheless.

Few things embody the flavor of fall to me the way cinnamon does. I recently made some cinnamon simple syrup to put in a spiced pomegranate cocktail and I’ve been itching to use it in another cocktail recipe ever since. Pears and cinnamon are a match made in heaven. After making this spiced pear cocktail I can’t stop thinking about how it tastes like a spiced poached pear in liquid form. I think I’ll be making this easy recipe soon because now I’m dying to have one in, well, edible form.

This spiced pear cocktail recipe would be a great cocktail to serve on Thanksgiving. It’s also easy to make ahead of time so you can spend less time mixing drinks and more time mixing it up with your guests (see what I did there?). Simply multiply the ingredients by the number of guests you’ll be serving and add all of the ingredients except for the ginger beer to a large pitcher. When you’re ready to serve the cocktail, pour into a lowball glass and add about an inch of ginger beer into each glass.

This simple spiced pear cocktail is an easy fall cocktail made with vodka, fresh pear, cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of ginger beer.

Alternatively, you can serve this cocktail on a coupe glass without ice and add only a splash of ginger beer. This cocktail is honestly delicious both ways!

If you make this spiced pear cocktail, be sure to tag me on Instagram and let me know in a comment down below!

Cheers!

This simple spiced pear cocktail is an easy fall cocktail made with vodka, fresh pear, cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of ginger beer.

Ingredients for a Spiced Pear Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 3/4 oz fresh pear juice*
  • 1/4 oz lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz cinnamon simple syrup
  • splash of ginger beer

*If you don’t have a juicer, store-bought will work. If it’s not in your store’s juice aisle, check the baby section. If you can’t find it, apple cider will taste great, too!

How to Make a Spiced Pear Cocktail

Add the vodka, pear juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon simple syrup to a cocktail shaker that’s filled with ice. Shake well, about 15-20 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a coupe glass. Add a splash of ginger beer. Garnish with a dehydrated pear.

Spiced Pear Cocktail Recipe

An easy vodka cocktail made with pear juice, cinnamon simple syrup, and ginger beer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz vodka
  • ¾ oz fresh pear juice*
  • ¼ oz fresh lemon juice
  • ½ oz cinnamon simple syrup**
  • 1 oz ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Add the vodka, pear juice, lemon juice, and cinnamon simple syrup to a cocktail shaker that's filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 15-20 seconds.
  • Strain the cocktail into a lowball glass.
  • Top off the glass with ginger beer.
  • Garnish with a dehydrated pear or a slice of fresh pear.

Notes

*If you don’t have a juicer, store-bought will work. If it’s not in your store’s juice aisle, check the baby section. If you can’t find it, apple cider will taste great, too!
**Making cinnamon simple syrup at home is very easy. Find the 2 ingredient recipe here. 
Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon simple syrup, ginger beer, lemon, lemon juice, pear, pear juice, spiced pear cocktail, vodka
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:

simple syrup

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

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Cinnamon simple syrup is an easy way to add warmth and complexity to a cocktail. Try substituting it for traditional simple syrup in your favorite recipes and see how it subtly transforms an entire drink.

Cinnamon simple syrup is an easy way to add warmth and complexity to a cocktail. Try substituting it for traditional simple syrup in your favorite recipes and see how it subtly transforms an entire drink.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you 

If you’ve read any of my other simple syrup posts, you’ll know that I prefer to make small batches so that I can use them up before they go bad. Feel free to double this cinnamon simple syrup recipe.

Cinnamon simple syrup is an easy way to add warmth and complexity to a cocktail. Try substituting it for traditional simple syrup in your favorite recipes and see how it subtly transforms an entire drink.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Simple Syrup

  • 1 cinnamon stick (these are a great deal)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

How to Make Cinnamon Simple Syrup

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Pour the syrup into a lidded container like a major jar. You can store it with or without the cinnamon stick. Storing it with the cinnamon stick will mean it infuses even more cinnamon flavor as it sits in the refrigerator. Store in the fridge; it should keep for 1-2 weeks.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

An easy way to add warmth and complexity to cocktails, coffee, and baked goods.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 3 mins
Cooling Time 20 mins
Total Time 23 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 3 oz

Equipment

  • saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a small saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes.
  • Pour the syrup into a lidded container like a major jar. You can store it with or without the cinnamon stick. Storing it with the cinnamon stick will mean it infuses even more cinnamon flavor as it sits in the refrigerator.
  • Store in the fridge; it should keep for 1-2 weeks.
Keyword cinnamon, cinnamon simple syrup, sugar