The Bride Wore Red Cocktail| A Whiskey and Wine Cocktail Made with a Cranberry Red Wine Reduction Syrup

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It’s spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It’s quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.


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One of the best things about colder weather is the rich meals and drinks. The recipe for The Bride Wore Red feels like a combination of both. Warm, spicy rye whiskey + rich red wine + tart cranberry sauce + warm spices… is your mouth watering yet? This drink does require a little more effort, especially in comparison to the rest of my super easy beginner-level cocktails, but it is well worth the extra work. Plus you’ll be able to use up that cranberry sauce that always seems to linger longer than the rest of the Thanksgiving and Christmas leftovers.

To learn how to make the cranberry red wine reduction syrup (the star of this cocktail recipe IMO), you can check out the recipe post here. The great thing about it is that you change up the spices, too. Love the taste of star anise? Add some. Hate cardamom? Leave it out.

My inspiration for The Bride Wore Red cocktail was a bit of a journey. The first recipe that came to mind when I got a new bottle (actually, my first-ever bottle) of rye was to make the New York Sour again. The last time I made it, I used corn whiskey and I didn’t like it. I figured I should give that classic cocktail a fair shot.

But then I looked up some other classic rye cocktails and the Vieux Carré and the Saratoga caught my eye. The Bride Wore Red cocktail was inspired by those and the New York Sour. I may be biased, but it turned out dang good. I’ll admit I had to play with the ratios a bit because that cranberry red wine reduction syrup is sweet. But as is the case with every cocktail recipe, feel free to adjust the ratios to your own liking, too.

Speaking of adjusting the recipe, you can use your favorite whiskey instead of rye if you want. I do think the spiciness of the rye balances out the sweetness of the cranberry red wine reduction syrup. But I think it will work well with bourbon or Irish whiskey, too.

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

The rye that I used is called the Dorothy Arzner Straight Rye Whiskey. Dorothy Arzner was the first woman to direct a sound film and she was also the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America. She directed many famous films such as The Bride Wore Red, Merrily We Go to Hell, Christopher Strong, and Dance, Girl Dance. It seemed only fitting to name this cocktail after one of her movies.

Do you have any other favorite cold-weather cocktails? Let me know in a comment– I’m always down for trying out new cocktail recipes. And if you make The Bride Wore Red, please please please tag me on Instagram!

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

Ingredients for The Bride Wore Red – A Whiskey and Wine Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
  • 3/4 oz brandy
  • 1/3 oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup (find the recipe here)
  • 1 dash cardamom bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • dehydrated orange slice, to garnish

How to Make a The Bride Wore Red Cocktail

Add all ingredients, except for the orange slice, to a cocktail glass with a large ice cube. Stir using a bar spoon. Place a fresh large ice cube into a lowball glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.

The Bride Wore Red

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine cocktail made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail glass
  • bar spoon

Ingredients
  

  • oz rye whiskey
  • ¾ oz brandy
  • oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup*
  • 1 dash cardamom bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients, except for the orange slice, to a cocktail glass with a large ice cube.
  • Stir using a bar spoon.
  • Place a fresh large ice cube into a lowball glass.
  • Strain the cocktail into the glass.
  • Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.

Notes

*You can find the recipe for the cranberry red wine reduction syrup here. It’s a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce.
Keyword apple brandy, cardamom bitters, cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails, cranberry red wine reduction syrup, cranberry sauce, orange bitters, rye, rye whiskey, whiskey, whiskey and wine cocktail

If you love the idea of a whiskey and wine cocktail, check out the Gin & Cabernet Sour. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

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One Comment

  1. Christmas in Cape Cod - A Cape Codder Holiday Cocktail Recipe with Mocktail Option - Girl & Tonic

    […] 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. […]

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