Fresh cranberries, vodka, sugar and water turn into this delicious Homemade Cranberry Liqueur with time doing most of the work! This makes wonderful Christmas gifts, poured into pretty bottles, it's lovely red color is gorgeous! One of my favorite liqueurs! It takes about 3 weeks so start it now!
Homemade Cranberry Liqueur
I make a lot of liqueurs, especially around the holidays because family members have learned to expect and hope for liquor Christmas gifts! They say homemade gifts are the best and I have to agree, especially when you can enjoy them for months and months.
This Cranberry Liqueur is a favorite. It is so easy to make and so pretty to look at! You can use it to make Cranberry Mixed Drinks and other cranberry alcoholic drinks. It's pretty red color turns every cocktail into a festive holiday cocktail.
It's easy to make, but takes 3 weeks of aging, so get started now!
Ingredients to Make Cranberry Liqueur
- Vodka - use a good vodka that you enjoy drinking.
- Water - filtered if possible so you don't get any off flavorings.
- Cranberries - you might notice that mine look a little frosty. Cranberries freeze beautifully. When the grocery store starts stocking the bags of them, I stock up. I almost always have 4 or 5 bags in the freezer.
- Sugar - regular white sugar works great fro this.
Wondering what the difference is between cranberry liqueur and cranberry vodka? The difference is the sugar and water that you use to make a simple syrup. Liqueurs have simple syrup or some other sweetener added to them. A cranberry infused vodka would just be the cranberries and the vodka.
How to Make this Cranberry Liqueur Recipe
Begin by making the simple syrup - place 2 cups of sugar and one cup of water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool to room temperature.
Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until finely minced.
Combine the water sugar mixture and cranberries in a large jar. Place in a cool, dark place (I use my basement) for 3 weeks. If you can remember, try to shake it every other day or so.
When the three weeks is up, strain it through a large fine mesh strainer. Pour the liqueur either back into the jar that you aged it in, or put it in pretty bottles to give as gifts.
Normally I tell you to toss out fruit after it's been used for infusing, but these cranberry bits are delicious. I used them to make Boozy Cranberry Muffins! I also plan on scooping some on top of an apple crisp that I'm making next week.
Cranberry Mixed and Alcoholic Drinks
Even though I highly encourage you to make enough of this to give some as gifts, be sure and make enough to keep some for yourself! It's lovely just sipped, but you can also use it to turn any cocktail into a festive holiday cocktail!
This Cranberry Manhattan is a regular around the holidays at our house! A negroni gets a holiday twist when you turn it into a Cranberry Negroni. Sure you could make a cosmopolitan with just plain cranberry juice, but turn it into The Best Cosmopolitan with this delicious liqueur!
For more infusions to use as liquor Christmas gifts, be sure and follow my Homemade Christmas Gifts Board on Pinterest!
Homemade Cranberry Liqueur
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounce fresh cranberries
- 3 cups vodka
Instructions
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and over medium heat, cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Place cranberries in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes until finely chopped. Combine the sugar mixture, the cranberries and the vodka in a large batter bowl. Pour into a large jar and cap. Store in a cool dark place for 3 weeks, shaking every other day (or whenever you remember.)
- Strain through a cheesecloth lined sieve. Pour into bottles and enjoy the pretty color! It can be stored refrigerated or at room temperature for about a year.
Notes
Nutrition
NORMA CAMPBELL says
CAN I USE DRIED CRANBERRIES WHICH ARE FULL OF SUGAR AND OMIT THE ADDITIONAL SUGAR??
Pam Greer says
I don't know. I've never tried that!
Betsy says
Oh my God! I love this!! We use it for the Double Cranberry Cosmopolitan!! To die for! We are having a difficult time finding cranberries. We went to 6 grocery stores. Can you use the canned at all? Certainly not what we want to use but wondering.
Pam Greer says
I don't know, I think canned is already sweetened and processed.
Betsey says
I just strained mine. I thought it would be sweeter like a sipping liqueur. It's quite tart. I did let it sit about a month. I'm just wondering if that's the usual outcome. I don't think I backed off on the sugar but I have been know to do that.
Pam Greer says
Mine was sweet enough with 2 cups of sugar. Maybe your berries were more tart than mine. You can make a little more simple syrup and add that to it.
Sharon Secrest says
Can I use a flavored vodka for this?
Pam Greer says
Yes as long as it goes with the cranberry flavor!
Patti says
How long is the cranberry cordial good?
I made some in November 2020 and still have some, not sure if it is still good
Pam Greer says
It pretty much lasts indefinitely, though I try (not difficult!) to drink it up in a year! So, you are definitely still good!
Sarah Plucinski says
I made this with fresh cranberries in the winter and my friends loved it! but right now I can only find frozen cranberries... do you think it will turn out with frozen cranberries?
Pam Greer says
Yes! I've made it with frozen cranberries!
Deana says
I do this every year and given that I am in Florida, I freeze fresh squeezed orange juice in ice cube trays, then add to the liqueur. Nice sipping drink on Christmas morning.
Pam Greer says
Love the idea of using orange juice ice cubes!
Alicia says
My cranberry liqueur is in the cupboard, and should be ready for straining in about a week! I'm wondering what I should do with the chopped cranberries after straining them... I might just use them to make cranberry sauce with more than the usual kick, but was wondering if they would make jellies, rolled in sugar. Suggestions are most welcome!
Pam Greer says
I diced mine up and made boozy cranberry muffins. They would be great in cranberry sauce. I've also spooned them on goat cheese and bread for a boozy crostini. You might want to taste them first and add some sugar.
Audra says
Hello, can you use everclear instead of vodka?
Pam Greer says
Sure!
Andrea says
Roughly how many ounces does your recipe make?. Trying to figure out how many bottles to order
Pam Greer says
I wish I had measured it. There is 4 cups of direct liquid and then some from the cranberries. I would say at least 32 ounces, probably more.
Mary says
I just made a double batch! (Christmas gifts)
I had half gallon jugs 3/4 of the way full with each batch.
Too big for a quart jar! Hope that helps!
Pam Greer says
Thank you! That does!
K says
Can you let the mixture set longer then 3 weeks
Pam Greer says
Yes! I've forgotten about it a few times and left it for a couple of months!
Peggy Moody says
Great recipe. Easy to make and delicious.
Justine says
Ooooh, I've never made my own liqueur, but this looks like an easy recipe to start with! Will be so great to have during the holidays!
Jennifer says
Tested this out over the weekend for my signature cocktail for the holidays and it was perfect!
Pete Sloan says
I make a Cranberry Apple infusion using Bourbon as a base.
I use low sugar dried cranberries and Granny Smith apples. After about three weeks of steeping,
It gets strained off through paper coffee filters. The apples disposed of and the cranberries saved.
Served over vanilla ice cream. Ideally baked in an Apple pie but they don't last that long.
I keep a flask this in my freezer. For purely medicinal reasons....
Pam Greer says
That sounds wonderful!
Marisa Franca says
We love homemade liqueurs although we haven't tried a cranberry version. Do you think I could make the excuse cranberries are good for me? I think this would make a fantastic gift. Get a nice container and then give it at Christmas or a hostess gift when you're invited to dinner. I'm pinning.
Caroline says
I've made cranberry gin which I loved so can imagine this would be great too. I love the color cranberries give.