Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Sour Recipe
This spiced cranberry bourbon sour is a frothy holiday cocktail that perfectly balances tart cranberry notes with caramel-like bourbon, featuring a fresh cranberry simple syrup infused with warming spices and orange zest.
How to Make the Best Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Sour
This spiced cranberry bourbon sour is the ultimate holiday cocktail for whiskey lovers. With its beautiful deep red color, frothy top, and complex flavor profile, it’s sure to become a signature drink throughout the festive season. The magic lies in the homemade spiced cranberry simple syrup—a perfect balance of tart cranberries, warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and bright orange zest.
The silky texture comes from the egg white, which creates a luxurious foam when shaken properly with the bourbon, lemon juice, and spiced syrup. Tart lemon juice and aromatic orange bitters tie everything together, while the high-quality bourbon adds its characteristic caramel and oak notes that complement the cranberry beautifully.
What makes this cocktail special is how it captures the essence of the holidays in a glass—it’s sophisticated enough for entertaining guests, yet simple enough to make at home. Make a batch of the spiced cranberry syrup ahead of time, and you can whip up this cocktail whenever the craving strikes.
Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Sour
This spiced cranberry bourbon sour is a frothy holiday cocktail that perfectly balances tart cranberry notes with caramel-like bourbon, featuring a fresh cranberry simple syrup infused with warming spices and orange zest.
Ingredients
Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup
Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Sour
Instructions
Spiced Cranberry Simple Syrup
- Combine the fresh cranberries, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to break down.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the syrup.
- Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Sour
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the egg white, bourbon, spiced cranberry simple syrup, lemon juice, and orange bitters.
- Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white and chill the drink.
- Strain into a coupe glass or cocktail glass filled with fresh ice.
- Top with sugared cranberries for garnish, if desired.
Notes
- The egg white creates a silky, frothy texture on top of the drink. Make sure to shake vigorously to properly emulsify it.
- If you prefer not to use raw egg white, you can omit it, though it will change the texture of the cocktail.
- To make sugared cranberries, toss fresh cranberries in a mixture of superfine sugar and egg white, then let dry on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- This cocktail is perfect for holiday entertaining and pairs beautifully with festive desserts.