Cranberry Sauce Leftover Cocktails

Every week, David writes amazing and unique recipes to help make our cocktail parties fun, tasty, and talked about.  This week, he has outdone himself again by concocting recipes using leftover cranberry sauce!  Earth Day is coming up this month and one way we can help, is reducing our waste! What better way to use leftovers than using them in a cocktail! Ha! Here we go!

Written By David Edessa

Cranberry Sauce Leftover Cocktails!!!!

What to do with leftover cranberry sauce, besides as a spread to turkey or ham sandwiches…

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Leftovers Cranberry Sauce Martini Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Citrus Vodka
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 oz. Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp. smooth cranberry sauce (sweetened)
• ½ oz. fresh lime juice
• Vanilla Honey Syrup (recipes below)
• Citrus Infused Sugar (recipes below)

Glass Prep:

Add citrus infused sugar along the rim of the martini glass. To do this, place honey on a flat plate then dip the glass into the honey to coat the rim. Place citrus infused sugar on a second flat plate. Then rim the honey coated rim glass into sugar and coat the rim. Place rimmed prepared martini glasses upside down on wax paper into freezer to chill.

Cocktail Instructions:

Place all liquid ingredients and cranberry sauce into a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, shake vigorously and strain into chilled martini glass.

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Honey Vanilla Bean Syrup Recipe:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Heat water until boiling, remove from heat and whisk in honey and vanilla beans, until honey is dissolved. Chill well before using in drinks. Makes 1 cup syrup.

Orange Zest Infused Sugar Procedure:

Put 1 cup of sugar into a medium bowl. Grate the bright orange zest off of 1 large orange, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith underneath, into the sugar (doing this over the bowl of sugar ensures that you capture as much of the citrus oil released while grating as possible). Transfer to an airtight container and store for at least a few days and up to 6 months. The sugar will pick up the bright orange flavor.

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Cranberry Mojito Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 fresh mint leaves (no stems)
• ½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 Tbsp. smooth cranberry sauce (sweetened)
• 1½ oz. White Rhum
• 2 oz. Club Soda

Cocktail Instructions:

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Use a muddler to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the cranberry sauce, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with soda water. Stir, taste, and add more cranberry sauce if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

If you have access…. I prefer key limes….. Bruised free!!!

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Peach-Cranberry Margarita Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
• 1½ oz. Silver Tequila
• ½ oz. Peach Schnapps
• ½ oz. Orange Juice
• 2 Tbsp. smooth cranberry sauce (sweetened)
• 2 fresh limes, quartered
• Agave Syrup (not dark or unfiltered)
• Sea Salt

Glass Prep:

Salt the rims of a tall glass. To do this, place agave syrup on a flat plate then dip the glass into the honey to coat the rim. Place Sea Salt on a second flat plate. Then rim the agave coated rim glass into salt and coat the rim. Place rimmed prepared glasses upside down on wax paper into freezer to chill.

Cocktail Instructions:

In a blender, combine sweet and sour mix, triple sec, tequila, orange juice, cranberry sauce, and one glass filled portion of ice into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepped glass, squeeze a quarter lime into each glass.

When filling glass make sure to leave space between salt and margarita blend.

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Chocolate Cranberry Shake Recipe (ALCOHOLIC SHAKE)

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ oz. Vanilla Rhum
• ½ oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream Mint Chocolate liqueur (room temperature)
• 2 Tbsp. smooth cranberry sauce (sweetened)
• ½ cup crushed ice
• 1 Tbsp. Chocolate Syrup
• ½ cup French Vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

Add Rhum sliced Cranberry sauce, chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into tall glass. Garnish with whip cream and chocolate syrup.

Check out David’s Cocktail Corner Drink Index to find the recipe of your favorite drink!

Photo Sources: SavorySweetLife.com, MyRecipes.com,BlogZipongo.com

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