Cranberry Aperol Spritz

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If you’re planning to host your family and friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this Cranberry Aperol Spritz needs to be on the official menu! They’re light and refreshing, but pack in lots of beautiful, intense coloring and a prominent cranberry flavor!

Two glasses filled with delicious cranberry Aaperol spritz, placed on snowy ground, garnished with a delicious berry mix.

They’re also super quick and easy to mix together, and a wonderful drink to serve after dinner! The tart flavors are a nice compliment to sweeter holiday dishes, like pumpkin pie! If you’ve got a sweet tooth, though, you can sweeten it up with a sweeter Prosecco!

A Cranberry Aperol Spritz is the perfect Autumn and Wintertime cocktail, and they’re always a fan favorite when I serve them at Christmas gatherings with friends and family. If you’ve been following my recipes for a while, you’ll notice that this spritz recipe calls for classic Prosecco and not Austrian-style white wine and soda. While it might not be as “traditional,” it’s still wonderfully delicious!

🎥 Video

🥘 Ingredients

Just a few ingredients are required for making a festive cranberry Aperol spritz!

For the Cocktail

  • Cubed ice to fill up the glasses
  • Aperol 
  • Soda
  • Cranberry Juice 
  • Prosecco 

For the Garnish

  • (Frozen) Berry Mix
  • Rosemary Twigs

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍸 Step-by-Step

Add the Aperol to the glasses filled with cubed ice.
Aperol
Add the soda .
Soda
Measure the cranberry juice.
Measure the cranberry juice.
Add the cranberry juice.
Add the cranberry juice.
Garnish with a berry mix.
Add the berry mix.
Add the prosecco.
Top with Prosecco.
Add the prosecco.
Don’t forget the second glass! 🙂
Two glasses filled with delicious cranberry Aaperol spritz, placed on snowy ground, garnished with a delicious berry mix.
Add more of the berry mix.
Two glasses filled with delicious cranberry Aaperol spritz, placed on snowy ground, garnished with a delicious berry mix.
Enjoy!

🔪 Instructions

The first thing you’ll want to do is chill your glasses! Personally, I like chilling them in the freezer beforehand.

You’ll fill your chilled glasses to the brim with ice cubes.

Next, measure 1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice, Aperol, and Soda – one by one – in a jigger, and then empty them into a serving glass.

From here, you’ll top the glass off with Prosecco, and garnish your cocktail with a frozen berry mix and a sprig of rosemary.

Two glasses filled with delicious cranberry Aaperol spritz, placed on snowy ground, garnished with a delicious berry mix.

🤔 Interesting Facts about Cranberries

These berries might get overlooked in comparison to other fun, seasonal fruits like strawberries or blueberries, but cranberries are chalked full with important vitamins and nutrients!

They’re especially rich in antioxidants, which makes cranberry juice a great defense against painful urinary tract infections. You’ll also find lots of vitamin C, which can help support your immune system!

Some studies have also shown that cranberries may protect your heart health since they can help balance your cholesterol and lower blood pressure. And it that wasn’t impressive enough, they might even help in fighting against certain cancers!

🍸 Variations

If you want to intensify the color of your cranberry gin spritz, you can use Bombay Saphire Bramble Gin. You’ll want to remember that this particular kind of Gin has a blackberry/raspberry flavor, which will alter the cranberry flavor, but personally, I think it’s still pretty delicious!

There is also Gordons Pink Gin – a rosé gin that’s known for the natural sweetness of raspberries and strawberries, along with tart currants, which give it a very unique pink hue.

Another option is Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale Gin, which also has aromas of blackcurrant as well as the finest bourbon vanilla.

If you’re looking for an alternative garnish, you can also use a fresh slice of orange, a cinnamon stick, or fresh cranberries for an even more intense flavor. If fresh cranberries aren’t in season, frozen also works great! 

🍽 Equipment

  • Measuring Tools / Jigger
  • Serving Glass

💭 Top tips

When preparing your cocktails at home, it’s essential that you hold your highball glasses from the bottom and avoid touching the rim. By doing this, you help keep your chilled glass nice and cool – which makes the cocktail taste that much better!

And are you already wondering, “How do I chill a cocktail glass properly?” The most efficient way to get a perfectly chilled glass is to put them in the freezer beforehand. I usually like to give it at least a half hour, but if you’re like me and plan to have friends and family over for backyard grilling and dinner parties this summer, you could also throw your glasses in the night before.

If you don’t have that kind of freezer space or that kind of time between refills for your guests, another method you could adopt is filling each cocktail glass with ice cubes while you prepare your garnish. Once you’re done, you can dump out the ice and start pouring the cocktail.

In an attempt to protect our environment, one final tip is that I highly encourage you to avoid using disposable straws whenever possible. If you can, use metal or paper straws or forgo them altogether.

🙋🏻 FAQ

What is Aperol Spritz made of?

An Aperol Spritz calls for three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one part soda water! 

Why do Italians like Aperol Spritz?

The Aperol Spritz was first concocted in Italy over a century ago, where it’s remained a wildly popular cocktail ever since! Today, this Italian Aperitif is enjoyed all over the world! 

Is Aperol Spritz a feminine drink?

In Europe, everyone drinks Aperol Spritz! I definitely won’t call it a feminine drink, and for any men in your life who might be concerned about this perceived social standard, let them have a sip to see just what they’re missing out on! 

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Christmas Aperol Spritz

Warm up this winter with a delightful twist on the classic Aperol Spritz. This Cranberry Aperol Spritz recipe is the perfect combination of fruity and bitter, making it a refreshing and festive choice.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
4.99 from 51 votes
Two glasses filled with delicious cranberry Aaperol spritz, placed on snowy ground, garnished with a delicious berry mix.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Total Time:5 minutes

Equipment

  • Jigger Measuring tools
  • Serving Glasses

Ingredients

  • Cubed ice to fill up the glasses
  • 3 oz Aperol
  • 3 oz Soda
  • 3 oz Cranberry juice
  • 4 oz Prosecco

Garnish

  • Frozen berry mix
  • Rosemary twig

Instructions

  • Fill the serving glasses to the brim with ice cubes.
  • Measure 1 ½ oz per glass 3 oz Cranberry juice, 3 oz Aperol, and 3 oz Soda, one by one, in a jigger, and empty them into each serving glass.
  • Top with 4 oz Prosecco and garnish with a Frozen berry mix and a Rosemary twig.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.04g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 57mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 164kcal
Author: Nora

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⛑️ Food Safety

  • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
  • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
  • Wash hands after touching raw meat
  • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
  • Never leave cooking food unattended
  • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
  • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

For further information, check Safe Food Handling – FDA.

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