Name: Cranberry Ginger Cider Cocktail
Prep time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 5 fresh cranberries; 1 pinch ground cinnamon; ice cubes; 1/2 cup hard apple cider ((sparkling)); 1/4 cup ginger beer ((alcoholic or non-alcoholic)); 1 squeeze lemon ((1/2 tsp or so))

This cranberry ginger cider cocktail combines apple cider, ginger beer, and fresh cranberries for festive fall cocktail. Perfect for Thanksgiving or a holiday party!

This week, things started to click.

I wasn't a Tasmanian devil trying to get myself and Kai out the door in the morning. Things got accomplished at work. Things got accomplished at home. Kai didn't cry when I dropped him off at daycare for the first time ever.

We are finally settling some sort of routine now that I'm back at work/school after a whole year of maternity leave. What a relief!

Given that it's Friday and I'm starting to feel like maybe I can do this whole mom/PhD/food blog thing, I'm in the mood to put my feet up and have a cold and bubbly cider cocktail.

Reasons you'll ♡ this cranberry ginger cider cocktail

it's ready in under 5 minutes and doesn't require a simple syrup
it's cool, bubbly, and refreshing
it would be perfect for a holiday party

The truth is that this cider cocktail barely counts as a recipe. It takes 2 minutes flat to make, if that.

Translation: something that real people in the real world might make. I do love fancy margaritas, but things that involve homemade simple syrups send me running on Friday afternoons. Sometimes even the thought of digging out the blender {and cleaning it after} is also enough to send me running.

So now you guys know how I feel about being in the kitchen on a Friday. Gimme easy. Sunday is the day for complicated in my house 😉

So. This cider cocktail.

Easy, yes. Delicious? Yesss. It is cool and bubbly, yet spicy {gingery} and comforting somehow. It just tastes like fall.

Hard {sparkling} apple cider with a spicy edge from ginger beer...you can't go wrong with apple and ginger flavors! I used non-alcoholic ginger beer, but you could also use alcoholic.

Fresh cranberries are muddled in the bottom of the glass before adding the cider and ginger beer. Really, they don't lend much cranberry flavor to the drink, and feel free to add more if you want a stronger cranberry taste.

I also added a pinch of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon to the cocktail, but it was also good without.

TGIF!! Have a great week-end!

Tips & equipment for the perfect cranberry ginger cider cocktail

it's a 'dump and go' slow cooker meal
it freeze/thaws great (before or after cooking!)
looking for more easy holiday cocktails? Check out these Spiced Bailey's Ice Cream Floats, this Apple, Pear & Pomegranate Sangria, or this Cranberry Ginger Fizz

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!