Cranberry Mule

I can’t believe Christmas is THREE days away! I have to admit, having a gaggle of children or six means that December is a crazy amount of work and a crazy amount of fun. I finished everything except for a few Amazon boxes that are trickling in and yesterday I felt like my car full of food and some last big surprises was Santa’s sleigh. Now it’s time to just enjoy the kids and friends.

That means having the ingredients for this Cranberry Mule on hand. It is so light and refreshing, with lots of lime juice and instead of simple syrup, you make a mix with whole cranberries, lime zest, water and sugar that flavors the whole drink.

Like the classic Moscow Mule, this is a vodka based drink, but you could also use tequila if (like me) you aren’t a huge vodka drinker (I posted one with tequila a while back here.) I like this drink with either one though because it’s delicious. It’s so light and refreshing and I like to add a splash of seltzer to stay hydrated, and it feels so festive!

So if you are looking for a drink for this fun festive week, or even New Year’s Eve, this is an easy delicious one! If you want to make a large batch, definitely double the simple syrup.

Merry, merry Christmas friends! Hope your hearts are full to the brim of love and peace and cheer. xoxo Katie

Cranberry Mule (printer version here):

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

For the Whole-Berry Cranberry Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup of sugar

8 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries (2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest

For the cocktail:

• 2 ounces vodka, chilled

• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, plus 3 thinly sliced lime rounds, for garnish

• 4 ounces ginger beer (1/2 cup), chilled

• seltzer water, plain or cranberry lime (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the Whole-Berry Cranberry Simple Syrup: Stir together sugar, cranberries, lime zest, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until cranberries just start to burst, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.

2. Make the cocktail: Fill a 12-ounce glass with ice cubes. Stir in vodka, lime juice, ginger beer, and 3 tablespoons cranberries and syrup from Whole-Berry Cranberry Simple Syrup. Add seltzer water if desired. Garnish with lime rounds.

Adapted from marthastewart.com