Cranberry, Ginger, & Lime Spritzer

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This fizzy refreshing tart spritzer will make any holiday get together merry and bright! This drink was inspired by two classic cocktails, the mojito and the vodka cranberry (minus the alcohol of course!) From the mojito we take the mint most obviously, but also the use of a simple syrup as our sweetener, and the use of fresh lime juice. From the vodka cranberry we take the cranberry juice (duh) and the club soda. I wanted to be able to create a drink that used flavors of the holiday like mint and cranberry, but add a touch of cocktail world sophistication with the sweet and spicy honey ginger simple syrup. 

The key to making any top-quality drink (cocktail or otherwise) is to treat each ingredient with care. If you want to recreate a particular drink, pay attention to the details! For example, the mojito uses fresh mint leaves and fresh lime juice, so I also choose to buy and use these items fresh. Don’t forget to think about flavors that will complement each other. Here, the use of fresh ginger in the syrup which adds spice, but is balanced by the tartness of the cranberry juice. Lastly, remember to make good first impressions! Go for fresh and bright flavors and remember to choose everything mindfully, including your glassware. It’s like dressing your drink for the party! I love that this drink looks like it’s 21+ so you don’t feel left out this New Year’s. No one will ever know as long as you don’t tell them! This drink can also be made in a large batch and served punch bowl style. Just be sure to stir in between servings and know you may have to ‘freshen it up’ from time to time with a splash of more club soda.    

Cranberry, Ginger, & Lime Spritzer

Serves 4
Prep: 10 min
Cooking: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Beginner

Ingredients:

1 Cup unsweetened cranberry juice, not from concentrate

3 Limes, one sliced, two juiced 

4 Cups club soda

2 Tbsp. mint, fresh

2 Tbsp. ginger, fresh and grated 

½ Cup honey 

½ Cup water, filtered 

      Method Of Prep:

  1. In a small pot, add ½ cup of water, honey, and ginger.
  2. Bring to a boil until honey is fully dissolved.
  3. Drain through cheesecloth or strainer. Set aside to cool.
  4. Get glassware ready.
  5. When syrup is cool, in each glass add ⅛ cup plus 2 Tbsp. of the honey simple syrup, as well as one tablespoon of lime juice, ¼ cup of cranberry juice, and some fresh mint leaves.
  6. Stir. Top with club soda, and ice if desired. You can also throw a few cranberries in there to be extra festive! You can always make ahead and store the simple syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

                                                        

Nutrition Facts: 
Calories- 175
Carbs- 46.7 g
Fat- 0.2 g
Protein- 0.8 g         

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