An easy-to-make Sparkling Clementine Cranberry Cocktail with Prosecco and sweetened with a honey-cranberry and rosemary simple syrup.
This year for New Year’s Eve, we are going to change things up a bit and instead going to bed at 10 o’clock, we will welcome the New Year with friends. Yes, you read it right, we don’t really care for the date change. However, this year has been a crappy one so we decided that we should celebrate the fact that it is ending and start the new one with a positive attitude. We are not planning to do anything fancy; just have a few friends over, play games, and have the TV on in the background.
Food will not be fancy either, just a few appetizers and a big pot of chili to feed everyone. However, I plan on serving a few great cocktails, as I believe a good New Year’s Eve party should be all about the celebratory drink. And what is a better way than to serve an easy-to-make and seasonal Prosecco cocktail? So I decided to bring this Clementine Cranberry Prosecco Cocktail recipe to you.
On my first try of making this cocktail, I mixed freshly squeezed clementine juice with a homemade honey-sweetened cranberry simple syrup that was flavored with cinnamon. It was not good. Clementine and cinnamon combination was not a good one. I thought about switching it with some fresh mint, but didn’t have any in the fridge. Instead, I had some rosemary. So on my second try, I added a sprigs of fresh rosemary into the simple syrup. I let it sit in there for a little while. Once it was mixed with the clementine juice and topped off with the crisp and bubbly Prosecco it ended up being a phenomenal drink.
Like I mentioned earlier, I did make simple syrup for this recipe. If you have never made simple syrup, this is a great recipe to start. The classic simple syrup recipe is made by heating equal amounts of sugar with water and cooking it until the sugar is fully dissolved. You do this because sugar will not fully dissolve in cold liquid regardless of how much you stir it. Now, you can certainly buy simple syrup from your package store, but I love making my own because it allows me to infuse it with fruits, spices, and fresh herbs. Just like I did in this recipe.
For my version, I switched granulated sugar with honey. I added a half a cup of chopped fresh cranberry for flavor and color. I also added a sprig of fresh rosemary. After the honey was fully dissolved, I let it sit on the counter to cool off. Once it was cool enough to handle, I strained it and ended up with a gorgeous maroon colored cranberry simple syrup. If you want you can certainly do this a few days in advance, place it in an airtight container (or a bottle) and keep it in the fridge.
Even though I plan on serving this drink on the New Years Eve night, this Prosecco cocktail would make a fantastic drink for any occasion even after the holidays. At least until the end of the Clementine season. So why not, try Prosecco next time you are at the package store and give this recipe a try. I promise, it won’t disappoint.
For another easy holiday cocktail, try this Prosecco Spiced Cocktail. Recipe here.