DIY Cranberry Liqueur Recipe

By
Updated August 09, 2018
Photograph: Marcia Simmons

When life gives you cranberries—which it always does this time of year—make cranberry liqueur. This bright red, tart liqueur can keep you in festive cocktails from Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond.

Notes: Lemon zest can be substituted for the orange zest. An immersion blender is the quickest way to break up the cranberries, but if you don't have one you can use a regular blender, food processor, or even mash by hand with a fork.

Recipe Details

DIY Cranberry Liqueur Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 16 servings
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 3/4 cup water

  • Zest of half an orange (without pith)

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries

  • 1 1/2 cups vodka

Directions

  1. Bring the sugar, water, orange zest, and cranberries to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until cranberries start to burst, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

  2. Use the immersion blender to roughly break up the cranberries just enough so that the juice is release yet the mixture remains chunky. Pour into a sealable glass jar along with the vodka and shake. Let steep at room temperature for 2 days, then sample and continue to steep until you're happy with the flavor.

  3. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Special Equipment

Immersion blender, fine-mesh sieve, cheesecloth

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
98Calories
0gFat
13gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg4%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 3mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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