A festive holiday cocktail – the Cranberry Bourbon Smash – is easy to make and delicious to drink! Pair it with Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe and it’s a match made in heaven.Hi! Hello! How was everyone’s holiday week/weekend? Pat and I had such a fun time with both of our families – dinner at my uncle’s house followed by dessert with Pat’s fam. But as much as I love Thanksgiving, Friday was better than Thursday. My mom and sister joined Pat’s parents and us for lunch and my heart was so happy. It is very rare that the parents are able to get together and I don’t think they had seen each other since my dad’s funeral 3 years ago.

Needless to say, lunch was wonderful.

And then came the parties! We trekked to another uncle’s house for a wedding shower for my cousin, followed by a birthday party for my grandma who just turned 85!! Everyone in that room (close to 50 people!) is on this earth because of her and the family that she built. It was incredible to celebrate her in such a special way.

I hope your celebrations were just as special! Now on to this month’s Lyrics & Libations…

Did you see the thing about J.Biebs and automatically think ‘who is this?!’

I know, my love for Justin Bieber is a little out of the blue and might have been a surprise to you. But hey, there are still a few things that you might not know about me…

1. Yes, I love Justin Bieber. Now you know.
2. I first cut my hair into a pixie cut in 4th grade – serious trendsetter over here. The only problem was that I hadn’t really hit puberty yet; so I definitely looked like a boy. Yikes.
3. I’ve started drinking bourbon straight.

The good news is that you don’t have to drink bourbon straight in order to like this cocktail. Thank goodness, right?!

The magic of this cranberry bourbon smash is the homemade cranberry syrup. And it couldn’t be easier; all you need to do is combine water and sugar (just like traditional simple syrup) with fresh cranberries and cook it down a bit. That’s it! The tartness of the cranberries is cut by the sugar; and when it is combined with bourbon it is like Christmas came early!

Now all that you need is to get cozy with a warm blanket and ya boo, turn on Mistletoe and sip the night away.

Are there any cocktails you would like to see on Lyrics & Libations?

If you make this Cranberry Bourbon Smash (and listen to ‘Mistletoe’), post a picture on social media and use the hashtag #HBNlyricsandlibations for a chance to be featured!

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Cranberry Bourbon Smash // Mistletoe

• Author: Ellie
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
• Category: Drink
• Method: Stovetop

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Description

A festive holiday cocktail – the Cranberry Bourbon Smash – is easy to make and delicious to drink! Pair it with Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe and it’s a match made in heaven.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cranberry syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated with microplane

For the cocktail:

• 2 Tablespoons cranberry syrup
• 2 ounces bourbon
• Club soda

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Instructions

1. Make the homemade cranberry syrup: combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries have popped and the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (The sauce will thicken more as it cools.)
2. Make the Cranberry Bourbon Smash: Add 2 Tablespoons cranberry syrup and 2 ounces of bourbon to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Pour over ice in a rocks glass. Top with club soda and serve with a skewer of cranberries and candied ginger.

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Keywords: cocktail, holiday, drink, bourbon

Pin this recipe to make over the holidays!