Cranberry Manhattan
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy
Rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and cranberry sauce come together to make this delicious and festive Cranberry Manhattan.
Cranberry Manhattan
It’s time for another holiday cocktail and I’m serving up this Cranberry Manhattan. Made with cranberry juice and cranberry sauce, it’s a seasonal take on the classic manhattan recipe.
Did I say cranberry sauce? I sure did! I know that it may seem like an odd ingredient for a cocktail, but it adds such wonderful depth of flavor and beautiful color. You can use homemade cranberry sauce if you have it, but I find classic Ocean Spray works fabulously.
WANT MORE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS? TRY THESE:
- Holly Jolly Christmas Punch
- Naughty But Nice Christmas Cocktail
- Salted Caramel White Russians
- The BEST Mulled Wine
- Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
- White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
And if you’re looking for more holiday libations to celebrate the season, you’re in luck because I have a full collection of my BEST Christmas Cocktail Recipes right HERE. There’s something for everyone!
What is a Manhattan?
If you’ve never had a Manhattan before, you might be wondering what it is?
Traditionally, a Manhattan is made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. That’s it.
Rye is the traditional whiskey used, but you can use bourbon, Canadian whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, or even a blended whiskey.
If you’re looking for a good rye whiskey, I recommend WhistlePig 10 Year. It’s what I used for this recipe (it’s so good).
For this Cranberry Manhattan, I kept the base of the cocktail the same. I just added in cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, and used orange bitter instead of standard bitters.
It’s all about layering in those seasonal flavors!
Ready to shake one up? Let’s do it!
Kitchen Tools I Recommend for This Recipe:
Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:
Want more? You can find the list of My Ultimate Kitchen Essentials HERE.
How to Make a Cranberry Manhattan:
To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, and bitter. I’ve provided a full list of the ingredients and detailed recipe instructions in a printable recipe card below.
Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. The outside of the shaker should be frosted and no visible cranberry sauce should remain.
Strain into a coupe or martini glass. You can find the coupe glass I used for this recipe HERE.
Garnish with fresh cranberries and an orange peel. You can just toss the cranberries in the glass or spear them with one of these gold cocktail picks. Make it your own!
And that’s it! Your Cranberry Manhattan is ready to be enjoyed!
This makes a fabulous holiday party cocktail, but I also like it just as much while sitting on the couch watching my favorite holiday movie.
No matter when you make it, enjoy!
Cheers, my friend!
Love this Recipe and Want More?
Join the IBC Mailing List to get all of my recipes, projects, and ideas sent straight to your inbox! I hope you’ll also join me on social media for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my work and adventures.
Connect with Michael! Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter
Have you tried this recipe? Follow me on Instagram, then share YOUR dish with #myIBC and tag @inspiredbycharm. It’s fun to see how folks are using recipes from IBC.
Cranberry Manhattan Recipe
Cranberry Manhattan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- .5 ounce sweet vermouth
- .5 ounce cranberry juice
- 2 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce
- 3 dashes orange bitters
- cranberries and orange peel to garnish
Instructions
- To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, and bitter.
- Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. The outside of the shaker should be frosted and no visible cranberry sauce should remain.
- Strain into a coupe or martini glass.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and an orange peel.
Perfection! I love the art of cocktail making and this checked all the boxes for me. Thank you!
Same here. I love it! Thanks!
xo Michael