Cranberry Wine Spritzer
This Cranberry Wine Spritzer is perfect to serve in the winter months! It’s full of flavors like cranberry, pear, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. Make it in a large pitcher to serve at your next party!
A DELICIOUS HOLIDAY DRINK
I love myself a good cocktail here and there and this Cranberry Wine Spritzer is one I especially love during the winter months. The flavors in this drink really pair so well together and warm you up from the inside out. The best part is that it is made in a pitcher so it is great for gatherings where you can just pour over ice as your guests like. I have gotten so many compliments on this drink because the flavors are tasty yet a little different than what you are used to. I like to step out of the box from time to time and that is exactly what we are doing with this Cranberry Wine Spritzer recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
A wine spritzer is one of the easiest drinks to make! Pour wine and some soda over a glass of ice and you’re done! This large batch spritzer is perfect for holiday parties and gatherings but could be made by the glass as well. Simply add ice to your glass, fill three-fourths full with wine, top with soda and desired garnishes.
If you can’t find this brand or another cranberry wine, look for another fruit wine. Or perhaps go with a Rose or even a Cabernet Sauvignon for a richer, deeper flavor. I prefer to use something light and sweet with just a hint of tartness. I found this particular Cranberry Wine at World Market but you can find it easily at most places that see wine like Total Wine.
No. Any light colored sweet soda will work. A good substitute would be Ginger Ale or even Sprite. The Pear Soda really adds to the flavor of this recipe. Pear and cardamom round out traditional winter/holiday flavors and work well with the cranberry. But it’s not absolutely necessary for this to taste delicious.
It is a pod spice in the ginger family. Most people are more familiar with ground cardamom. This is an optional addition to the recipe. It makes for a pretty garnish and will add a soft background flavor but it is not necessary for this drink to taste delicious. Generally cardamom pods can be found at grocery stores like Fresh Market or Whole Foods.
I used whole cinnamon sticks and cloves as the star spices in this drink but you could also add star anise or perhaps a pinch of ground nutmeg. This spritzer is very customizable and you can remove or add whatever flavors you prefer.
Sure! If you want a deeper flavor from the whole spices, you can fill the pitcher with the spices, wine, and lime juice and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours and up to overnight. Top with soda before serving the next day.
Yes here are some of my suggestions: Too sweet? Add some tonic water in lieu of the soda. Not sweet enough? Add some granulated sugar or simple syrup to make it sweeter. You can also switch up the flavor of the soda. The French Soda brand has other fun flavors, like a Cranberry-lime, that you could try. You could also try adding ginger ale or sprite.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- cranberry wine (or other fruit wine)
- pear cardamom soda or ginger ale
- whole cloves
- cinnamon sticks
- limes and juice
- whole cranberries, optional
- cardamom pods, optional
HOW TO MAKE A CRANBERRY WINE SPRITZER:
Add the wine, pear cardamom soda, cloves and cinnamon sticks to a large pitcher.
Squeeze the juice from the limes into the pitcher using a citrus juicer or by hand over a strainer to catch the pulp.
Gently stir all the ingredients together. Add additional lime slices, cranberries and cardamom pods (optional) for garnish as desired.
Fill a glass a quarter of the way with ice and pour the wine spritzer over.
Cranberries and lime slices should pour into the glass with the beverage, or can be added to each glass as served.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? YOU MUST TRY THESE!
Cranberry Wine Spritzer
Ingredients
- 1 bottle cranberry wine, chilled
- 2 cups Pear cardamom soda or ginger ale
- 8 whole cloves
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- juice of 2 ½ fresh limes, plus extra for garnish
- ½ – 1 cup fresh whole cranberries for garnish, optional
- 8 whole cardamom pods, optional
Instructions
- Add the wine, pear cardamom soda, cloves and cinnamon sticks to a large pitcher.
- Squeeze the juice from the limes into the pitcher using a citrus juicer or by hand over a strainer to catch the pulp and any little seeds.
- Gently stir all the ingredients together. Add additional lime slices, cranberries and cardamom pods (optional) for garnish as desired.
- Fill a glass a quarter of the way with ice and pour the wine spritzer over. Cranberries and lime slices should pour into the glass with the beverage, or can be added to each glass as served.
Notes
- The pear cardamom soda can be replaced with ginger ale or sprite. I purchased the Cranberry Wine and the Pear Cardamom Soda at World Market.
- If you can’t find cranberry wine you can substitute with a Rosé or Cabernet Sauvignon wine or one of your other favorite fruit wines.
- The cardamom pods are optional. These just give it a light and warm spiced taste but they are not always easy to find depending on where you live.
- Other spices can be added, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
