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You buy cranberry juice. You make cranberry cordial. The difference? All the difference in the world. Well, all the difference that citrus and cinnamon can make.

I just posted a review of the lovely How to Drink With Drinking: Celebratory Alcohol-Free Drinks for Any Time of Day. This delight comes early in the book and arrives just in time for this holiday season.

I know, this book is about alcohol-free beverages. But cranberry cordial makes one heck of a Cosmopolitan!


Christmas Cranberry Cordial

Yield:2+ cups

Ingredients:

  • 250g (9oz) granulated sugar
  • 400ml (14fl oz) water
  • 200g (7 oz) cranberries, rinsed
  • 2 finely pared strips of unwaxed orange or clementine rind
  • One cinnamon stick
  • 30ml (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed orange or clementine juice, strained
  • Soda or sparkling water, to serve

Preparation:

Put the sugar in a saucepan and add the measured water. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to the boil and add the cranberries, orange or clementine rind and cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes until the skins of the cranberries have split but the berries are still holding their shape. Take off the heat, add the orange or clementine juice and leave to cool.

Strain the contents of the pan through a fine sieve into a wide-necked jug or bowl, then pour the liquid through a funnel into a sterilized bottle or other airtight container, seal and leave in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours before using; it will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

To serve, dilute 4:1 or 5:1 with soda or sparkling water.


Source: How to Drink Without Drinking by Fiona Beckett [Kyle Book, 2020]