Description
A festive, alcohol-free fall drink that combines tart cranberry juice, sweet apple juice, and warming spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. It’s ready in under 10 minutes, customizable to taste, and perfect for holiday gatherings or designated drivers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces 100% cranberry juice (unsweetened preferred)
- 12 ounces clear filtered apple juice (Gala or Fuji)
- 4 ounces ginger ale
- 2 large cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- 4–5 whole cloves
- 1 strip fresh orange peel
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Ice cubes
- Apple slices for garnish
- Fresh cranberries for garnish
- Extra cinnamon stick for garnish
Instructions
- Measure out cranberry juice, apple juice, and ginger ale. Peel orange and cut apple slices.
- Pour cranberry juice and apple juice into a large pitcher and stir gently.
- Add lemon juice and stir again.
- Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves to the pitcher. Stir to submerge spices and let sit for 5 minutes to infuse.
- Right before serving, pour in the ginger ale and stir gently to preserve carbonation.
- Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes if time permits, or serve immediately over ice.
- Pour the drink over ice, ensuring each glass gets some spices.
- Garnish with apple slices, fresh cranberries, orange peel, and a cinnamon stick.
Notes
For best flavor, use cold ingredients. If storing, keep the juice base with spices in the fridge for up to 2 days, but remove spices after 24 hours to prevent bitterness. Add ginger ale only right before serving to maintain fizz. For a hot version, heat the juice and spices gently without boiling, then stir in ginger ale or sparkling water.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 15
- Carbohydrates: 26
Keywords: mocktail, fall drink, cranberry apple, alcohol-free, holiday recipe, easy drinks, party drinks, vegan drink, gluten-free