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Tart cranberries, juicy tangerines, and fizzy bubbles make this Cranberry Orange Punch drink recipe the BEST holiday mocktail.

Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why… It’s almost Christmas!!!! The Christmas spirit is in the air.

Every year when we decorate the tree we buy unique glass bottled sodas to try. We pick them up at local eclectic shops and have fun sampling them. But sometimes it is fun to make your own fizzy drink, and when we do, it is often Cranberry Orange Punch.

two glasses of cranberry orange punch on a table

Why you’ll love this recipe:

This fizzy Cranberry Orange Punch is bubbly and so, so tasty. It starts with a cranberry simple syrup which comes together in a snap. Tart and sweet and fragrant.
Tangerine slices and simple syrup are muddled in a glass until the tangerines release their juice and fragrant citrus oils.
Add in seltzer water and decorate with fresh cranberries and rosemary.
Perfect for serving at Christmas dinner and family holiday parties.

Does cranberry and orange go together?

Yes! It’s a popular flavor combination, especially at the holidays. Not only is it a sweet and tangy flavor punch, but this drink is packed full of Vitamin C. If you want more of this flavor combination, try our quick bread, Jello salad and muffins.

Ingredients

Fresh cranberries. Fresh are best, but you can use frozen in a pinch. If you choose frozen, don’t thaw them.
Water
Sugar
Vanilla
Tangerines. Tangerines are great for this drink because they are sweet and strong in flavor. Their sweetness will pair well with the tart cranberries. They are smaller than oranges, which also work well for drinks. You can use Cuties (mandarin oranges) if you’d like, too.
Seltzer. Choose a plain seltzer, or a citrus lime seltzer.

collage of how to make cranberry orange punch

How to Make Cranberry Simple Syrup

This recipe starts with a simple syrup that you’ll make on the stovetop with fresh cranberries. It may sound tricky, but it’s really very easy if you just walk through the steps.

In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, water, sugar, and vanilla extract. Give it a quick stir and bring to a boil over medium/high heat (watch it or it will boil over).
Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst (you’ll hear them. It’s so cool), soften, and wrinkle a bit. Remove from heat and allow it to come to room temperature (cranberries and all).
Strain the cranberries, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

And that’s your simple syrup. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. This will make about 2 cups of simple syrup that are great for all kinds of family friendly punches and mocktails.

Make Cranberry Orange Punch

To an 8 ounce glass, add the quartered tangerines and cranberry simple syrup. Muddle with a muddler or back of a wooden spoon until the tangerine slices are very fragrant and release their liquid.
Add ice over the tangerine/simple syrup mixture and top with seltzer.

These drinks are so pretty when you top them with more fresh cranberries and a spring of rosemary. It looks like evergreen so it is perfect for the holidays.

And in the summertime, make this traditional Shirley Temple drink.