• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fresh Flavorful

  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Entertaining
  • Adventuring
  • About
  • Clients
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Cocktails

The Jolly ‘Ole Christmas Cocktail

Published: Dec 24, 2019 · Modified: Jan 20, 2024 by Tristin Rieken · Leave a Comment

The Jolly Ole Christmas Cocktail is light and fruity with just the right amount of red and green holiday cheer!

The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Jump to:
  • Cranberry cocktail recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step by step instructions
  • How to make ahead of time
  • 📖 Recipe

Cranberry cocktail recipe

This combination of fresh cranberry juice, mint, a fruit and herb infused simple syrup, chilled vodka and sparkling water is so light and refreshing. It’s a perfect red and green cocktail for Christmas and holiday parties.

The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas

It’s a mix between a mojito (without all the muddling), a vodka cranberry and a vodka soda.

And such a nice alternative to rich holiday cocktails made from eggnog and hot buttered rum.

The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas

Save the cookies and milk and instead set out a Christmas cocktail like this for Santa and he will be a Jolly Ole Man, for sure!

The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas

Ingredients

  • Cranberry juice
  • Vodka – or feel free to substitute gin, rum, whiskey or tequila
  • Fresh lime
  • Fresh mint
  • Club soda or sparkling water
  • Cranberry mint simple syrup – made from sugar, water, fresh cranberries and fresh mint
Top down view of cranberry mint cocktail in a cocktail shaker

Step by step instructions

  1. Make cranberry mint simple syrup – simmer sugar, water, fresh cranberries and mint until the cranberries pop and the flavors meld, strain and store refrigerated until ready to use
Cranberry mint syrup bright as a red jewel being poured into a one ounce measure.
  1. In a tall shaker add vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice and bar syrup over ice.
  2. Shake to chill.
  3. Pour into tall glass.
The Jolly Ole Christmas cocktail being poured into a tall frosty glass.
  1. Top with soda water and garnish as desired with mint leave, fresh lime wheels or wedges and cranberries.
The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas
  1. Enjoy!
The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas

How to make ahead of time

This is a single serving cocktail recipe but you can easily make a cranberry punch by increasing the serving size in the recipe below. Combine all ingredients except ice and sparkling water in a large punch bowl and top with sparkling water and ice before serving.

📖 Recipe

Bright red cranberry cocktail in a tall frosty glass garnished with lime slices and mint leaves.

The Jolly Ole Christmas Cocktail

The Jolly Ole Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 1 minute minute
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Tristin Rieken

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces cranberry juice
  • 1 ounce vodka
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice from ½ a lime
  • 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup
  • fresh lime and mint for garnish

Cranberry Simple Syrup

  • ¼ cup cranberries
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves packed
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Make simple syrup. In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, cranberries and mint and simmer, uncovered, until cranberries pop and release their color and flavor, about 5 minutes. Strain into a glass jar and cool to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to use up to 7 days.
    ¼ cup cranberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
  • In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice and cranberry simple syrup. Shake to chill.
    2 ounces cranberry juice, 1 ounce vodka, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup
  • Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Or serve as a martini in a coupe glass.
  • Top with soda and garnish with mint leaves and a lime wheels or wedge.
    fresh lime and mint

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 43mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? Please share!Mention @freshflavorful or tag #FreshFlavorfulLife
Nutrition Facts
The Jolly Ole Christmas Cocktail
Amount Per Serving
Calories 175
% Daily Value*
Sodium 18mg1%
Potassium 43mg1%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Sugar 28g31%
Vitamin C 14.3mg17%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
love, Tristin signature

Pin for later!

The Jolly Ole  Christmas Cocktail is festive without being over-the-top. Light and fruity with just the perfect amount of red and green holiday cheer! christmas cocktail recipes | cranberry mint cocktail | vodka cocktails | holiday drink ideas

More Cocktails

  • Frothy egg white cocktail recipe made with lilac syrup served with an edible lilac garnish.
    Floral Fizz Lilac Cocktail
  • Lime in the Coconut Drink
  • Orange Dream - an orange creamsicle cocktail
    Orange Creamsicle Cocktail
  • Light blush pink mimosa in a coup glass with a bottle of champagne in the background and garnished with a rhubarb ribbon.
    Rhubarb Mimosa
350 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

If you make this or any of Fresh Flavorful recipes be sure to share! Tag @freshflavorful on instagram or post a photo to the Fresh Flavorful Life Facebook page. Can't wait to see what you're making!

Reader Interactions

4.58 from 14 votes (14 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Tristin Rieken, Welcome to Fresh Flavorful where I hope to inspire you with simple seasonal recipes and ideas to eat deliciously, entertain easily and adventure often.

More about me →

Popular

  • Fresh bright purple cookies with white chocolate stacked on a tray with frozen blueberries scattered around in addition to the blueberry cookie tray.
    Chewy Blueberry Cookies

  • Cranberry cookies that are bright maroon red and covered with coarse sanding sugar to look like sparkling sugar plums are stacked high on a plate with fresh cranberries scattered around the foreground.
    Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies

  • Banana Chiffon Cake a light, fluffy cake with tender bite and rich banana flavor. chiffon cake | chiffon cake recipe | chiffon cake with lemon glaze | ripe banana recipes
    Banana Chiffon Cake

  • Bright purple blackberry iced tea with cream garnished with lavender and fresh blackberries
    Blackberry Tea Iced Tea Latte

  • Stack of cool, creamy, chewy, crunchy rocky road chocolate macaron ice cream sandwiches.
    Rocky Road Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

  • Overhead view of vintage cut glass punch bowl with citrus slices and citrus and cranberry ice cubes in the beautiful bright pink cranberry paloma punch.
    Cranberry Citrus Paloma Punch

Seasonal

  • Candied Rhubarb Ribbons are the perfect chewy, sweet rhubarb recipe to enjoy as a snack or as a garnish for desserts and cocktails. candied rhubarb | sugared rhubarb | rhubarb recipe | dried rhubarb
    How to make Candied Rhubarb Ribbons

  • A mason jar filled with pink grapefruit and rhubarb paloma cocktail garnished with a rhubarb ribbon.
    Rhubarb Paloma Cocktail

  • Rhubarb Crumble on a blue plate with a scoop of bright white vanilla ice cream.
    Quick Rhubarb Crumble

  • Rhubarb custard pie with single crust recipe
    Rhubarb Custard Pie

See more Rhubarb →

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Fresh Flavorful on the Feast Plugin

350 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.