This cocktail is meant for the holiday season!! It’s so light and refreshing but has a definite kick of seasonal flavors. The lemon and cranberries perfectly flavor and tone down the sweetness of the simple syrup, and the peppermint is the first thing to hit your nose. It is the perfect aperitif to a holiday meal or dinner party. And guess what, it looks pretty with very little effort required! The syrup is made, and the cranberries are frozen, well before any function you might be serving it at. That means, you literally pour simple syrup and sparkling wine into a glass, drop in a few frozen cranberries and your cocktail is served. Lastly, switch out the wine for sparkling white grape juice and you have a great option for those non-drinkers in the group. Cheers!

Makes 10 cocktails. This recipe takes 10 minutes to make, plus an overnight chill and quick assembly of the cocktail.

Cranberry Simple Syrup with Lemon and Peppermint

Ingredients:
6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cup) fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Rinse the cranberries and prick each one through the center of the berry with a toothpick. The toothpick should go all the way through the berry. You can do this while you wait for the simple syrup to boil and cool to save time (see step two)!
2. Add the water, sugar and lemon juice to a medium-sized saucepan. Place over high heat and occasionally give it a stir until it boils then take it off the heat and let it cool for two minutes. Next, pour it into a large storage container. Add the peppermint extract, give it a stir. Finally, add the cranberries.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least. The cranberries will still be tart but they’ll make great “ice cubes” and flavor the syrup nicely. Soak them longer (up to a week) for a sweeter cranberry.
4. Scoop the cranberries out of the simple syrup using a slotted spoon and place them on a piece of parchment paper (on top of a hard surface like a plate or cutting board). Separate each cranberry so they don’t freeze in a big clump. Place them in the freezer for 25-30 minutes, or up to a couple of days.

To assemble:
1 ounce cranberry syrup
6 ounces sparkling wine or sparkling white grape juice

1. Pour the syrup into a serving glass, followed by the sparkling wine. Give it a gentle stir.
2. Garnish with frozen cranberries, mint leaves, lemon peel and/or lemon slices.