Tag: cranberry

vodka

Christmas in Cape Cod – A Cape Codder Holiday Cocktail Recipe with Mocktail Option

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Christmas in Cape Cod is a holiday cocktail recipe that's a take on an old classic-- the Cape Codder. It's a delicious cocktail to make with vodka, cranberry juice, a cranberry red wine reduction syrup, and lime juice. See the mocktail version to learn how to make this recipe alcohol-free.

Christmas in Cape Cod is a holiday cocktail recipe that’s a take on an old classic– the Cape Codder. It’s a delicious cocktail to make with vodka, cranberry juice, a cranberry red wine reduction syrup, and lime juice. See the mocktail version to learn how to make this recipe alcohol-free.

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! 

We’re well into the holiday season and I’ve yet to make a Christmas-y drink. I know. I’ve been wasting precious days. But I’m gonna try to make up for it. While a Cape Codder is not traditionally a holiday cocktail recipe, adding some cranberry red wine reduction syrup gives it that feel.

I’d been looking for ways to use up the last 1/2 oz of my cranberry red wine reduction syrup for several days before I thought of this Christmas in Cape Cod idea. The syrup is so good, y’all. So good. It was fantastic in The Bride Wore Red and in this mocktail recipe. But I wanted to really highlight the cranberry flavor in the syrup. There’s no more classic cranberry cocktail recipe than a Cape Codder.

The Cape Codder was also previously called the Red Devil. Apparently, the name change came about in the 60s because Cape Cod, Massachusetts is pretty well-known for its cranberries. My Instagram friend, @risajamesphotography, has a better theory. She said her guess is that’s because the drink was created during the Cold War, and Red Devil had too much of a Communist slant to it. I can’t help but think there could be some truth in that, too!

Risa is also the reason I served this cocktail in the glassware that I did. She told me that she loved my peacock glasses so much that she’d plan recipes around them. And then she proceeded to send me the link to a Cape Codder recipe saying “Make this drink in the peacock glass!” Well Risa, done & done. Thanks for the suggestion!

If you want to make a traditional Cape Codder, just leave out the lemon-lime soda and the cranberry red wine reduction syrup.

I also made a mocktail version of this. I’ve included both recipes below.

Ingredients for a Christmas in Cape Cod – Mocktail Version

  • 2 oz cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 2 heaping bar spoons of cranberry sauce
  • 2+ oz lime sparkling water

How to Make a Christmas in Cape Cod – Mocktail Version

Add the cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a highball glass that’s filled with ice. Top off the glass with the lime sparkling water.

Ingredients for a Christmas in Cape Cod

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 3 oz cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1/4 oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup (or 2 heaping bar spoons of cranberry sauce)

How to Make a Christmas in Cape Cod

Add the vodka, cranberry juice, cranberry red wine reduction syrup, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a highball glass that’s filled with ice.

Christmas in Cape Cod is a holiday cocktail recipe that's a take on an old classic-- the Cape Codder. It's a delicious cocktail to make with vodka, cranberry juice, a cranberry red wine reduction syrup, and lime juice. See the mocktail version to learn how to make this recipe alcohol-free.

Christmas in Cape Cod

A holiday twist on a classic Cape Codder recipe. See notes for a mocktail verison.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz vodka
  • 3 oz cranberry juice
  • ½ oz lime juice
  • ¼ oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup*

Instructions
 

  • Add the vodka, cranberry juice, cranberry red wine reduction syrup, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a highball glass that's filled with ice.

Notes

*For the cranberry red wine reduction syrup recipe, click here. 

For a mocktail version:

Ingredients
  • 2 oz cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 2 heaping bar spoons of cranberry sauce
  • 2+ oz lime sparkling water
Instructions 
Add the cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a highball glass that’s filled with ice. Top off the glass with the lime sparkling water.
Keyword Cape Cod, Cape Codder, cranberry juice, cranberry red wine reduction syrup, cranberry sauce, lime, vodka
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.