Celebrate the holiday season with these Spiced Cranberry Spritzers with Blood Oranges and Candied Rosemary. A marriage of homemade cranberry jam,  spicy ginger beer and sparkling, non-alcoholic Rosé makes this a flavorful, festive mocktail  that’s easy to make and refreshingly delicious. 

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas to follow, I thought I’d get into the spirit of things by making these fun Cranberry Spritzers. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and this Cranberry Spritzer recipe has just been added to the top of my list! I think after you make this recipe, you’re going to feel the same way!

The weather here in the California desert has been splendid. Hovering right around 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and dipping down in the low 50’s at night, it’s the perfect weather to cozy up next to a blazing fire while sipping on these Spiced Cranberry Spritzers with Blood Oranges and Candied Rosemary.  Are you with me so far? Let’s get on with it!

Ingredients for Spiced Cranberry Spritzers

Besides being delicious, these Cranberry Spritzers are easy to make and require only 10 ingredients. If you’re ready to make them, here’s what you’ll need:

• Raw agave nectar
• Fresh cranberries
• Cardamom pods
• Sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 bottle Welch’s Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé Grape Juice Cocktail (or use any bottle of Rosé to make it a real cocktail)
• Cranberry juice (organic preferred)
• Fresh orange rind
• Blood oranges
• Ginger beer
• Pinch of sea salt
• Vegan sugar (for candied rosemary)

How to Make Spiced Cranberry Spritzers w/ Blood Oranges & Candied Rosemary

Most importantly, you’ll need a step-by-step guide on how to make this Spiced Cranberry Spritzer recipe. I just happen to have one below:

1. Start off making the cranberry jam/syrup. Add cranberries, agave nectar, a little water, cardamom pods, fresh rosemary, orange rind and a pinch of sea salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Boil for about 5 minutes or until the cranberries start to burst and the jam begins to thicken. (See finished product below). Allow to cool at room temperature or pop into freezer for 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry.

2. Pour the Rosé into a glass pitcher or punch bowl.

3. Add the cranberry jam and cranberry juice.

4. Follow with 4 bottles of ginger beer. Also, notice how the cranberry jam naturally sinks to the bottom of the pitcher.

5. Top the entire mixture with thin slices of blood oranges. If you can’t get blood oranges where you live, regular oranges will do just fine.

6. Serve chilled over ice. Top with a sprig of candied rosemary (see how to make below) and a couple of fresh cranberries.

How to Make Candied Rosemary

To make the candied rosemary, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Dampen sprigs of rosemary by gently running them under cold water. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle all sides with vegan sugar. Either allow to dry overnight or place in oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for 10 minutes.  You can make these candied rosemary sprigs a day in advance and store at room temperature until ready to use.

Tips for Making Spiced Cranberry Spritzers

Here’s what I learned along the way while making these Spiced Cranberry Spritzers:

• Remove cardamom pods and rosemary from cranberry jam before adding to pitcher. My bad, because I only removed the cardamom and am still picking rosemary out of my teeth!
• You can substitute any sparkling juice or wine for the Welch’s Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé Grape Drink Cocktail.
• This recipe was inspired by an alcoholic version over at  HalfBakedHarvest.com. My boyfriend and I don’t drink, so I decided to put a non-alcoholic spin on her recipe and am so glad I did.
• Be sure to stir the entire pitcher from the bottom before serving so you get some of the cranberry jam in each glass.

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Did you make this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out! Be sure to take a photo and tag it #VeganVigilante1 on Instagram. 

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Have suggestions on how to make these Cranberry Spritzers even better? Please leave some comment love at the end of the post to share with the rest of us!

Looking for more vegan beverages for your holiday table? Check these out:

• Super Healthy Vegan Orange Julius 
• Healing Turmeric Tonic: The Cure for Holiday Stress
• Minty Watermelon Agua Fresca

Interested in some Holiday Roundup Recipes? Check these out:

• 30 Easy Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
• 18 Last Minute Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
• 47 Last Minute Christmas Recipes for Vegans & Non-Vegans Alike

Happy holidays!