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

Andrea Meyers logo

  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Photography
    • The Farm Project
    • Cooking with Kids
    • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Beverages

    How to Make Cranberry Liqueur

    Nov 17, 2014 · Modified: Dec 26, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Cranberry Liqueur - Andrea Meyers

    We began experimenting with homemade liqueurs and infusions several years ago. Our first adventure was the Italian classic limoncello, which we made with both lemons and oranges (arancello), and since then we’ve made Polish krupnik and other concoctions that are now traditions for us. This year we decided to experiment with cranberries, because we look forward to cranberry season and make so many other things with cranberries. So why not a cranberry liqueur?

    Cranberries in a glass bowl - Andrea Meyers

    I started with our arancello as a point of reference and went from there. The idea is to soak the fruit in the alcohol and sweeten it enough to balance the tartness of the cranberries and bite of the alcohol. For sweetener, I chose simple syrup, and vodka or rum for the alcohol. I wanted loads of cranberry flavor and a brilliant color, so the cranberries would be the lead ingredient. And I wanted a little extra something, a little richness, so I added vanilla bean. After some research, I decided on the following ratios:

    • 1 part cranberries (by weight) to 1 part alcohol (by volume)
    • 2 parts cranberries to 1 part sugar
    • 2 parts sugar to 1 part water

    These ended up being somewhat rough, because when it came time to translate all of that into weighing and measuring, I fudged a little to make things easier.

    Once I figured out all of that, the rest was easy. Make the simple syrup, puree the cranberries, stir it all together, and pour into bottles with the vanilla bean. The resting phase takes 2 to 3 weeks, then you just strain out the solids and use the infused liquid in cocktails. This is definitely a liqueur, a little on the sweet side, and good for mixing cocktails and serving with sparkling wine. If you plan to use it as a mixer with sweetened beverages such as lemon-lime sodas, you should probably reduce the sugar in the recipe.

    And just in time for the holidays, little bottles of cranberry liqueur makes lovely hostess gifts, just put the liqueur into bottles with a tag and ribbon. I find cute bottles like the one in the top photo at stores such as Home Goods and Ross, or you can order online from other stores.

    Print Pin

    Cranberry Liqueur

    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cocktails, cranberries, liqueur
    Servings: 128 tablespoons
    Calories: 56kcal
    Author: Andrea Meyers

    Equipment

    • 3-quart heavy bottom pot with lid
    • food processor
    • large mixing bowl
    • 6 quart mason jars with lids and bands, or other storage jars/bottles
    • fine mesh strainer
    • gift jars

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups granulated sugar
    • 3 cups water
    • 12 ounces cranberries
    • 36 ounces vodka or rum
    • 2 vanilla beans

    OPTIONAL FLAVOR ENHANCERS

    • orange rind
    • lemon rind
    • cinnamon stick
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • SIMPLE SYRUP - In the 3-quart pot, dissolve the sugar in the water over medium heat, stirring as it cooks. Don't allow it to boil, just cook long enough to dissolve, then remove from heat and allow to cool. You can make this ahead and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
    • Rinse the cranberries well and pick through them to remove any bad berries. Puree the berries in the food processor, adding a cup or so of the simple syrup to help smooth the puree. Process in batches if necessary. Transfer the pureed berries and the rest of the simple syrup to the large mixing bowl and stir. Add the alcohol and stir.
    • Cut each vanilla bean in half, then split the halves lengthwise. Place each bean half in the bottom of a mason jar, then pour in the cranberry mixture. Seal each jar and store in a cool dark place (cellar) or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
    • Strain the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Check the strained liquid to make sure it's free of floating particles, and strain again if necessary. Pour into gift bottles. The liqueur will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

    Recipe Notes

    Recipe Notes

    I have used several types of bottles for the resting period, including used wine bottles with screw caps. Just make sure any bottles and lids you use are properly cleaned.
    If you want to add other flavors, shave some fresh orange or lemon rind (minus the white pith) or add a stick of cinnamon to each bottle for steeping.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

    More Homemade Gifts

    Bourbon Praline Pecans Candy - Andrea Meyers
    Bourbon Praline Pecans
    Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs - Andrea Meyers
    Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs
    Mom's Peanut Brittle - Andrea Meyers
    Mom's Peanut Brittle

    More Homemade Gift Ideas From Other Blogs

    • How Sweet It Is – Homemade Coffee Syrups
    • Simply Recipes – Chocolate Truffles
    • My Baking Addiction – Rum Balls
    • What’s Megan Making – Peppermint Marshmallows
    « Food Drives 2.0: How to Really Help Your Local Food Bank
    Sautéed Green Beans with Spice-Glazed Pecans »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      December 26, 2015 at 8:05 am

      Wonderful recipe, thanks! One comment: 1.65 liters = about 56 ounces, not 36 ounces. I used close to the larger amount (a 1.5 liter bottle of vodka) and it worked perfectly.

      • Andrea says

        December 29, 2015 at 6:05 pm

        Thanks for letting me know about the typo! I corrected the recipe. And I'm glad that you like it! 🙂

    Trackbacks

    1. Harvesting wild cranberries and, of course, moss - Dirty Botany says:
      March 29, 2016 at 4:05 pm

      […] of cups of berries, so rather than make a few mouthfuls of chutney, I think I’ll pull an Andrea Meyers and make a cranberry […]

    Primary Sidebar

    Andrea Meyers photo

    Hi, I'm Andrea Meyers: educator, photographer, tea drinker, avid cook, and gardener. I love helping people learn how to do great things.

    More about me →

    Seasonal Favorites

    • Slow Cooker Cuban-Style Black Beans with Rice
    • Baked Boston Brown Bread
    • Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans (Kids Cook Monday)
    • Slow-Cooker Chicken Korma
    • Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
    • Country Captain Chicken

    Trending

    • Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
    • Dry Beans and Legumes Cooking Chart (From the Pantry)
    • Colombian Hot Chocolate
    • Cincinnati Chili
    web hosting

    Footer

    Return to the top


    About

    • About Andrea
    • Contact
    • Advocacy
    • FAQs
    • As seen in
    • Work with me

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Copyright Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

    ALL PHOTOS AND ORIGINAL TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2005-2022 ANDREA MEYERS PRODUCTIONS LLC
    YOU MAY NOT USE ANY PHOTOS OR ORIGINAL TEXT WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.