This cranberry orange mocktail combines a sweetened cranberry juice blend, orange juice and sparkling water. Taste before adding optional syrup.
What is Cranberry Orange Mocktail?
A cranberry orange mocktail is a sparkling, alcohol-free drink made with cranberry juice, orange juice and a little lime. This recipe starts with cranberry juice cocktail or a sweetened cranberry blend, then adds plain sparkling water. Juice cocktail refers to the juice beverage, not an alcoholic cocktail. The measured quantities make one glass.
What It Tastes Like
Sweetened cranberry juice gives a tart-fruit flavor, with a rounder orange note and a sharper lime finish. Plain sparkling water keeps it lighter than a glass of mixed juice.
Single-glass recipeEight-serving pitcherQuestions & answers
Ingredients and Why They Matter
- The base uses cranberry juice cocktail or a sweetened cranberry blend. Pure unsweetened cranberry juice needs dilution and extra sweetness to taste.
- Fresh or bottled orange juice can work; choose a flavor you enjoy on its own. Strain excessive pulp if you prefer a smoother drink.
- Whole cranberries and rosemary are optional garnishes. The measured juice supplies the main cranberry flavor.
Cranberry Orange Mocktail recipe
Prep: 7 minCook: 0 minCool/chill: about 0 minTotal: about 7 min
Yield: 1 drink
For 1 drink
- 1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail or sweetened cranberry juice blend
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup chilled plain sparkling water
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup, optional and to taste
- Ice
- Orange slice, fresh cranberries, and rosemary sprig, optional garnish
How to Make It
- Mix. Stir cranberry juice, orange juice, and lime juice together. Taste before adding any optional syrup.
- Pour. Put ice in a 16-ounce glass and add the juice mixture.
- Add bubbles. Pour in sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish if desired and serve immediately.
Make an eight-serving pitcher
This table multiplies the single-glass recipe by eight. It is a quantity calculation, not a measured batch-test result. Use a pitcher with at least 3 liters of capacity and put ice in the glasses, leaving room to stir.
| Ingredient | One drink | Eight drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetened cranberry juice cocktail | ½ cup | 4 cups |
| Orange juice | ¼ cup | 2 cups |
| Lime juice | 1 teaspoon | 8 teaspoons (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) |
| Plain sparkling water | ½ cup | 4 cups, added at serving |
| Simple syrup, optional | Up to 1 teaspoon, then taste | Start with none; up to 8 teaspoons, then taste |
Mix and refrigerate the three juices covered. Just before serving, taste for sweetness, add the sparkling water and stir gently. Divide among eight ice-filled 16-ounce glasses. The liquid total is about 10⅙ US cups before optional syrup; do not add a second full batch of ice to the pitcher.
For eight optional garnishes, set aside eight orange slices and eight small rosemary sprigs. Add a few cranberries per glass if desired. Keep garnishes separate until serving. Unsweetened cranberry juice is a different ingredient: use the dilution guidance below and adjust sweetness before adding bubbles.
Equipment
Measuring jug, spoon and a 16-ounce glass.
Pro Tips
Juice cocktail here means a juice beverage; the recipe does not call for an alcoholic cocktail.
Read the full ingredient list before measuring. Batch ingredients and the amount used to assemble a drink are listed separately where needed; do not add an entire syrup batch to a single glass. All measurements use US cups and spoons.
Cranberry Orange Mocktail troubleshooting
If using pure unsweetened cranberry juice, start with 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup water. Sweeten to taste before adding the sparkling water.
Variations
For pure unsweetened cranberry juice, start with 1/4 cup juice plus 1/4 cup water and adjust sweetness before adding bubbles. Omit the rosemary garnish for a simpler citrus flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate the cranberry, orange and lime mixture covered if preparing ahead. Add sparkling water and fresh ice only when serving. Follow the opened-juice storage instructions on each package. Keep garnish separate until assembly so the finished drink stays fresh-looking.
Common Questions
How do you make a sparkling cranberry mocktail?
Mix cranberry juice with orange juice and a little lime. Pour over ice, then gently add sparkling water. Taste the juice mixture before adding syrup because sweetened cranberry blends may already be sweet enough.
What are the ingredients in a cranberry mocktail?
This recipe calls for cranberry juice cocktail or a sweetened cranberry blend, orange juice, fresh lime juice, sparkling water, and ice. Simple syrup, an orange slice, cranberries, and rosemary are optional.
How do you make a cranberry orange Spritzer?
For one serving, combine 1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Pour over ice and top with 1/2 cup sparkling water. Add optional syrup only after tasting.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Mix the cranberry, orange and lime juices and refrigerate covered. Keep sparkling water separate until serving, then add it gently and pour over fresh ice. Follow the opened-juice storage instructions on the packages.
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Recipe testing confirmed by the site owner. Serving illustration is AI-generated, not a test photograph.
