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
How long is the cranberry cordial good?
I made some in November 2020 and still have some, not sure if it is still good
It pretty much lasts indefinitely, though I try (not difficult!) to drink it up in a year! So, you are definitely still good!
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?
Yes! I've made it with frozen cranberries!
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.
Love the idea of using orange juice ice cubes!
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!
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.
Hello, can you use everclear instead of vodka?
Sure!
Roughly how many ounces does your recipe make?. Trying to figure out how many bottles to order
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.
Can you let the mixture set longer then 3 weeks
Yes! I've forgotten about it a few times and left it for a couple of months!
Great recipe. Easy to make and delicious.
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!
Tested this out over the weekend for my signature cocktail for the holidays and it was perfect!
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....
That sounds wonderful!
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.
I've made cranberry gin which I loved so can imagine this would be great too. I love the color cranberries give.