Fresh Cranberry Ginger Vanilla Margaritas. (and sugared cranberries!) {Video!}
So I’m weird about cranberry stuff. Except cranberry margaritas.
We’ve now reached that time of year where I make my annual confession of loving jellied cranberry sauce from a can.
Yes. There you go.
That’s what I love. I don’t even care for the fresh, wonderful cranberry sauces. I KNOW. I don’t know why and hate myself a little inside for it, but it is what it is and I like what I like. Give me congealed gel cranberries or give me death.
Err, something like that.
Every year I rant about cranberries, thus shocking some of you, relating to another bunch and downright offending most. Apologies. I even like my cranberry gelee with a bit of gravy.
(don’t hit me.)
So since I can’t make you cranberry sauce (I mean, I can… but I won’t), I’m making you the next best thing. Cranberry margs!
Yes yes, predicatable. I’m so common.
I’ve been going a little nuts over the vanilla ginger combo ever since I created a cocktail of the same flavor for the book earlier this year. And then I did the same combo with pomegranate and ginger a few weeks ago, which was so, so good. I figured… this can all go together. All the things in my margarita!
That’s how I like it.
Also, let’s discuss the festive appearance of these little cocktails. I wouldn’t say they fit the part as well as my pomegranate margaritas do (those just scream happy holidays! drink me!), but they are definitely next in line.
so.freaking.merry.
The other thing is that I didn’t want to use any store-bought cranberry juice, so I made my own makeshift juice. If you have a juicer, you can juice your cranberries, but otherwise I puree the heck out of the little gems and strain them. They may taste slightly different to you if you’re used to cranberry cocktail. Luckily, you can add in allllll the vanilla ginger syrup that you’d like and sweeten things up again.
Since I had the whole bag of cranberries and knew they wouldn’t be going into a sauce, dunked into a vat of sugar they went. These sugared cranberries remind me of the sparkly styrofoam fruit – they are super pretty, but you can actually eat them.
Well. If you want to. A few years ago I talked about that too: how cranberries themselves are darn weird.
Okay. Done hating on them. I love them now.
That might be the tequila talking.
Fresh Cranberry Ginger Vanilla Margaritas with Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
margaritas
- 2 1/2 ounces fresh cranberry juice, recipe below
- 2 1/2 ounces vanilla ginger syrup, recipe below
- 2 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 ounces Grand Marnier
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
- corase salt for glass rimming
- limes for garnish and sugared cranberries to pop in drinks
for the vanilla ginger syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
- for the cranberry juice
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup water
sugared cranberries
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
for the vanilla ginger syrup
- Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan. Scrap the beans out of the vanilla bean and add them and the whole pod to the saucepan along with the ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then set it aside to cool to room temperature. If you’re making this ahead of time, store it in the fridge with the vanilla bean pod and ginger still in the syrup. If you’re using it as soon as it cools, remove the ginger and the pod. This will make about 1 cup of syrup – keep it stored in the fridge for a week or so.
for the cranberry juice
- Add the whole cranberries and the water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for 5 or 6 minutes, until the berries pop. Pour the berries and liquid into a blender. Blend until the cranberries break down and you have a deep red mixture. Pour it through a strainer, pressing down with a spoon to release all the juice.
margaritas
- To make the margaritas, rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in margarita salt. Fill the glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, grand marnier, simple syrup and lime juice with ice, and shake for about 30 seconds. Pour over ice and squeeze in lime slices.
sugared cranberries
- Add 1 cup of the sugar and the water to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Set it aside until it is cool enough to touch. Once the syrup is cool, either dunk the cranberries in it or pour the liquid over top of them in a bowl. Place the remaining sugar on a plate. I find the cranberries stay the prettiest if you try to remove any syrup “globs” and roll them in sugar one at a time.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
So. Now can you forgive me for the canned sauce?
100 Comments on “Fresh Cranberry Ginger Vanilla Margaritas. (and sugared cranberries!) {Video!}”
I am so bookmarking this recipe! Cranberries, vanilla and ginger in a drink. This is so perfect for the holidays and i love the sugared cranberries! Have a great weekend!
Excellent photos! This looks perfect for the holidays.
These look and sound soo delicious. So festive too
Ok, you and I definitely don’t have canned cranberry sauce in common, but I could definitely get on board with cranberry margaritas! And vanilla ginger syrup…. you’re speaking my language this morning. :) Happy Friday!
I think there is something special about canned cranberries. I think it goes for canned corn, while both delicious (I know you may not agree) they are different.
Simply feastive and pretty take on a very Friday drink
These could not get any prettier! I love the sugared cranberries!
I made a cranberry simple syrup yesterday and now i know the perfect use for it!
Those drinks embody winter – in a glass. Not the gross, tail end of winter where the snow banks are mostly mud, but the very first flakes of the season. You know, where everyone gets amnesia for a second of how awful the wrath of winter can be and realizes how beautiful it is sometimes : )
Oh my gosh. Canned cranberries……….YES. Why are they so glorious?! I try to eat as ‘clean’ and natural as I can, but when it comes to cranberries CANNED are the ONLY way! :) Props to you for admitting publically. Respect.
Sometimes I just come for the pictures, they are awesome
Yum, this looks so good and I love the color it provides!
Oh my goodness, these are so pretty! And the PERFECT drink for holiday entertaining! Or in my case, sitting at home alone drinking by a Christmas tree as I just moved to a new state and don’t know anyone. But, these make me okay with that.
You and Foodie with Family are on the same page when it comes to cranberry sauce! Did you see the recipe she posted for her homemade version? I think it’s right up your alley!
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/11/13/jellied-cranberry-sauce-canned-or-refrigerated/
my BFF loves the canned stuff, she puts whipped cream on it. and, I have to admit, I never turn it away if it’s on the table.
These margaritas are so damn festive, I LOVE it.
Wow, cannot WAIT to make these. Thanks for the daily inspiration! x
sugared cranberries!?!? how am I just now finding out about these little gems??? yum!
Hurry up 5:00 — I want to drink one of these! :)
Those little glittery cranberries are just so darn pretty! What is it about sparkly things I find so irresistible? Perhaps by the time I work my way to the bottom of this pitcher, I’ll have the answer…
Freaking out about your gorgeous photos! And the margs, of course. I’ve always thought I didn’t really like cranberries, but I’m pretty sure one or two of these would change my mind!
This sounds so yummy! I share your love for congealed cranberry sauce shaped like a can :)
I’m not a big fan of cranberries either, but this drink looks amazing. What else might you add besides the vanilla ginger syrup to balance the tartness, and make it sweeter?
Pretty colours! This would be killer with pomegranates too! Or pomegranate and cranberries!
I don’t even like cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, so canned/fresh–doesn’t matter to me!! But I DO like cranberries in baked goods and drinks, and would definitely love this.
I’m still a little freaked out by sugared cranberries. The texture of raw ones is just weird.
I’m trying to be mature and come around to the “real cranberries” NOT from a can, but my love of the canned version runs deep and I can never let go! But I’ll get over it with a couple of these, they look amazeballs.
Uh, YES. You are forgiven. I never liked the canned stuff growing up (more of a texture issue than anything else), but now that I’m older and more likely to like everything edible despite its faults, I can admit that it tastes pretty good.
I’m not a big tequila drinker, but I am totally going to go buy some and make this cocktail. I need some of that flavor of merry in my life. Cheers!
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I also love canned cranberry sauce (but guilt myself into making real sauce every year). The canned stuff is super delicious mixed with mashed potatoes and gravy, but I also eat mac and cheese with ketchup, so there’s that….
It’s simply just NOT Thanksgiving without a delicious can of cranberry sauce! I stand behind you in your canned-sauce fight to the end! GELEE LOVERS UNITE! ♥
I’m pretty sure this is the prettiest drink I’ve ever seen. Christmas here we come!!!!!!!!!!
amaaaazzzinggg….I think I must, must, must make these for this year’s holiday party.
P.S. I like the canned cranberry sauce too…even over homemade. ;)
STELLAR!! I love making cranberry sauce with ginger, vanilla (mango, oranges, and anything else I can find). I would seriously guzzle these. I bet they go down dangerously easily. Even better :) Pinned
I had a lovely dessert at a restaurant several weeks ago that included some candied cranberries, which got me wondering if I could make them myself. And then BAM! you show me how. You freakin’ rock!
I am so freaking into this. Total Christmas in a glass!
I am with you on the Cranberry sauce! I make almost everything homemade and almost always prefer it over prepackaged products… however. I hate those cranberry sauces full of real berries and other flavors (like my mom makes it with orange) and will only eat the canned stuff. A big purple gelatinous tube in the exact shape of a can? Yes, please!! Everything else had better be from scratch. (Except my stuffing, that can totally be Stovetop.) Yummm.
I definitely need a cocktail tonight.
I pinned a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce the other day if anyone wants to try it (I haven’t..yet)
http://foodpreservation.about.com/od/Preserves/r/Jellied-Cranberry-Sauce.htm
I LOVE cranberries and cannot wait to give these a try! The pictures are gorgeous!
Hi! Is this entire recipe just for ONE cocktail? It looks SO good! I have a bunch of frozen cranberries just dying to be used.
these are incredibly beautiful Jessica!!!
Canned cranberry sauce means Thanksgiving to me. If we had the real stuff, the whole family would be like “what the heck is this??”
Beautiful cocktail and I actually love it all but then I LOVE cranberries. Sugared cranberries? I could eat them by the handful. I cook mine in the hot sugar water for a minute though…I love the crunch on the outside and the softer inside. I made them for a cake once and ate the entire bag that I didn’t use for decorations. Bad Barb.
Cran margs! Again! Love ya :)
This sounds like a lot of work, but totally worth it for a delicious cocktail!
i made your pom margarita last year for a Christmas party. It was amazing! I can’t wait to try this one, too.
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As I said in my recent post about these, I have just three words to say about these fabulous margaritas: Wow, wow…wow!!! Thanks for an absolutely fabulous margarita recipe. I am now spoiled for all the others!
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Wow these look so good! Margaritas are probably my favourite cocktail
If I make the cranberry juice is that enough for only one margarita? I’d like to make enough of these to share, but it seems like it will take a lot of cranberries.
Please advise….