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Cranberry Martini (Crantini)

A perfect balance of sweet and tart, the cranberry martini is a cocktail that can be served year round. A blend of vodka, orange liqueur and cranberry juice, this drink is smooth and refreshing. Garnish with some sugared cranberries and an orange slice to make it extra special.

Cranberry martinis with sugared cranberries and orange sliced.

What is a cranberry martini?

A cranberry martini, or crantini, is a beautiful and refreshing cocktail. It is made with a neutral grain alcohol, in this case vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and simple syrup.

It is shaken with ice and strained into martini glasses.

It is easy, and is perfect anytime of the year, but makes an especially nice cocktail around the holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s.

This cocktail is made with just a few simple ingredients.

The neutral flavour of the vodka, paired with the tart cranberry juice and hint of orange from the triple sec is a perfect combination of flavours

This martini is quick and easy to make and can be made into a larger pitcher if you want to serve a crowd. You can mix all of the ingredients ahead of time and simply shake it with some ice when ready to serve.

Cranberry martini with sugared rim, sugared cranberries and orange slices.

Ingredients & Substitutions

You will need:

  • Vodka – choose your favourite brand. The better the quality the smoother your drink will be.
  • Orange liqueur – Triple sec or Cointreau.
  • Cranberry juice – Choose real cranberry juice for this recipe rather than cranberry cocktail for best flavour.
  • Simple syrup – This is easy to make yourself with just sugar and water. You can use the leftover syrup after making sugared cranberries.
  • Ice
  • Garnish – sugar, sugared cranberries, or orange slices

Expert Tip – Try to use real cranberry juice for this recipe as opposed to cranberry cocktail as it will give it a better flavour and brighter colour. If you need to substitute cranberry cocktail you will want to omit the simple sugar and add an additional 1.5 ounces of juice.

Step by Step Instructions

All you need to do to make this delicious cranberry martini is measure the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add some ice, shake for about 20 seconds and then pour into martini glasses.

Garnish as desired with a sugar rim, sugared cranberries or orange slices.

You can rim your glasses with sugar before you pour your martini. Cut a wedge from and orange or lemon, run it along the rim of the glass then dip the glass in a shallow bowl of sugar.

Two martinis, metal martini shaker, and sugared cranberries.

How do you make simple syrup

Simple syrup is made with sugar and water. It uses a 1 to 1 ratio and can be made in as small or large batch as you need.

Just add the sugar and water to a pot, bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then remove from the heat, allow to cool, then move to a container to store in the refrigerator. Mason jars work well for this.

I will usually use 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar which will yield a large enough batch for several cocktails.

Top Tips & FAQS

Can I make this crantini ahead of time?

Yes you can. Mix all of the ingredients, except the ice. When it comes time to serve just add some ice to a cocktail shaker, add some of your premixed cocktail, shake and serve.

Can I use gin instead of vodka?

For sure. Gin goes very well with this cocktail and is a nice way to change it up.

Cranberry martini with sugared rim and a dish of sugared cranberries.

More Cranberry Recipes

More Holiday Drinks

Pomegranate Martini
Hot Chocolate Bombs
Peppermint White Hot Chocolate Bombs
Hot Buttered Rum
Pomegranate Margarita

Printable Recipe

Cranberry martini with sugared rim and a dish of sugared cranberries.

Cranberry Martini

A perfect balance of sweet and tart, the cranberry martini is a cocktail that can be served year round.
4.82 from 64 votes
Print Pin Save Recipe Rate
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 219kcal
Author: Deanna

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fill the martini shaker with 6-7 ice cubes.
  • Pour the vodka, orange liqueur, simply syrup and cranberry juice over the ice.
  • Place the lid on the shaker and shake for 20-30 seconds until outside of the shaker is frosty and cold.
  • Pour into martini glasses rimmed with sugar. Garnish with sugared cranberries or orange slices.

Notes

This recipe calls for real cranberry juice.  If you would rather use cranberry cocktail, omit the simple sugar and replace with additional 1.5 ounces of juice. 

Nutrition

Estimated Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Martini
Amount per Serving
Calories
219
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
1
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
17
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
25
g
8
%
Sugar
 
25
g
28
%
Protein
 
1
g
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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4.82 from 64 votes (62 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




CMW515

Thursday 22nd of December 2022

Excellent tasting!! Perfect amount of sweet and bitter

Jamie

Thursday 25th of November 2021

I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! The sugared cranberries made it look so festive! I’ll be making this again for Christmas.

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