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A Vodka Cranberry is the easy, refreshing two ingredient cocktail I reach for whenever friends drop by, and I mixed a round on the porch one warm Friday evening while the kids ran through the sprinkler. Crisp vodka, tart cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime over plenty of ice make the ultimate no fuss happy hour drink, also known as a Cape Codder. If you love an easy sipper, our cherry limeade cocktails are another go to.
Just vodka, cranberry juice, and ice come together in 60 seconds for the most refreshing Vodka Cranberry you will ever make.
Vodka Cranberry Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 minute
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 minute
- 🍽️ Serving: 1 cocktail
- ⚡ Calories: 163kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crisp, tart, and refreshing with bright cranberry and a hint of lime
- ✋ Difficulty: So easy, a 2 ingredient pour like our white wine spritzer
Quick Answer
To make a Vodka Cranberry, fill an old fashioned or highball glass with ice, pour in 1 and a half ounces of vodka, then top with about 5 ounces of cranberry juice. Stir gently, garnish with a lime wheel and a few frozen cranberries, and serve immediately. Adjust the vodka to cranberry ratio to taste for a stronger or more mellow drink.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Just two ingredients. Vodka and cranberry juice are all you need for a Vodka Cranberry, so it is impossible to mess up.
- Plenty of ice keeps it crisp. A full glass of ice chills the drink fast and keeps it refreshing without watering it down too quickly.
- Lime brightens the cranberry. A squeeze and a wheel of lime cut the sweetness and add a fresh, zippy finish.
- Easy to scale. Stick to the simple ratio and you can mix one Vodka Cranberry or a whole pitcher for a party.
- Endlessly customizable. Swap the juice, add a splash of soda, or rim the glass to make it your own.
- Naturally gorgeous. That deep ruby color and frozen cranberry garnish make this drink look as good as it tastes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 60 seconds. No shaker, no fuss, just pour and sip.
- Crisp and refreshing. Tart cranberry and lime make the Vodka Cranberry endlessly drinkable.
- Perfect for a crowd. Easy to batch into a pitcher, just like our 3 ingredient pink punch.
Key Ingredients
A Vodka Cranberry needs just a few simple ingredients. Here are the key players.
- Vodka: Use a clean, smooth vodka you enjoy sipping. It is the backbone of the cocktail.
- Cranberry juice: Tart and ruby red, it gives the Vodka Cranberry its signature flavor and color. Use juice or cranberry juice cocktail to taste.
- Lime: A wheel and a squeeze add brightness that balances the sweet tart juice.
- Ice: Fill the glass so the drink stays cold and crisp.
- Frozen cranberries (optional): A pretty, festive garnish that doubles as edible ice.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This Vodka Cranberry is easy to customize. Try these ideas.
- Sea Breeze: Add a splash of grapefruit juice.
- Bay Breeze: Add a splash of pineapple juice.
- Cranberry vodka soda: Top with club soda or sparkling water for a lighter, fizzy drink.
- Holiday version: Add a splash of orange liqueur and a rosemary sprig.
- Mocktail: Skip the vodka and top cranberry juice with soda for a kid friendly version.
- Frozen: Blend with ice for a slushy twist like our blueberry lemonade cocktail.
How to Make Vodka Cranberry
- Fill an old fashioned or highball glass all the way with ice.
- Pour in the vodka.
- Top with the cranberry juice and stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and a few frozen cranberries, then serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use lots of ice. A full glass keeps the Vodka Cranberry cold and crisp longer.
- Adjust to taste. Use more cranberry juice for a sweeter, milder drink or more vodka for a stronger one.
- Pick your juice. Pure cranberry juice is tart, while cranberry juice cocktail is sweeter. Choose based on your taste.
- Squeeze the lime. A fresh squeeze before garnishing brightens the whole drink.
- Batch it for parties. Multiply the recipe in a pitcher and let guests pour over their own ice.
- Chill everything. Cold vodka and juice mean the drink is icy from the first sip.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
A Vodka Cranberry is the ultimate easy happy hour drink, perfect on its own with a lime wheel and frozen cranberries. Serve it at backyard barbecues, game days, and holiday parties when you want something quick and crowd pleasing.
It pairs beautifully with appetizers and finger foods. Set it out next to our mango cocktail and a tray of snacks for an easy drink station everyone can build themselves.
For festive gatherings, make a big batch in a pitcher or punch bowl and float extra cranberries and lime wheels on top. A red wine spritzer rounds out the bar for guests who want options.
Vodka Cranberry FAQs
A Vodka Cranberry is simply vodka and cranberry juice served over ice, usually with a lime garnish. It is also called a Cape Codder. The classic ratio is about 1 and a half ounces of vodka to 5 ounces of cranberry juice.
They are the same drink. A Cape Codder is the official cocktail name for a Vodka Cranberry served over ice with a lime wheel. Adding other juices turns it into a Sea Breeze or Bay Breeze.
Any smooth vodka you enjoy works well in a Vodka Cranberry. A clean, mid range vodka is perfect since the cranberry juice carries most of the flavor, so there is no need to splurge on top shelf. Flavored vodkas like citrus, cranberry, or vanilla can add a fun twist, and a wheat or potato vodka both work beautifully here.
Yes. Multiply the recipe and stir it together in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Keep the ice separate so the drinks do not get watered down, and let guests pour over their own ice. For a party, float extra lime wheels and fresh cranberries on top and set out a bottle of club soda so guests can lighten their drinks if they like.
A standard Vodka Cranberry has about 163 calories, mostly from the vodka and the natural sugar in cranberry juice. To lower the count, use diet or light cranberry juice, cut the juice with club soda, or use a no sugar added cranberry juice. The vodka itself stays the same, so most of the savings come from the mixer.
Absolutely. Skip the vodka and top cranberry juice with club soda or sparkling water over ice for a refreshing mocktail. Garnish with lime and frozen cranberries just like the original.
Thirsty for more? Try our refreshing cherry limeade cocktails next.
Vodka Cranberry
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 & ½ ounces vodka
- 5 ounces cranberry juice
- Lime wheel for garnish
- Frozen cranberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Fill an old-fashioned or highball glass with ice.Ice
- Add the vodka, followed by the cranberry juice.1 & ½ ounces vodka, 5 ounces cranberry juice
- Garnish with a lime wheel and frozen cranberries for garnish if using. Enjoy immediately.Lime wheel, Frozen cranberries
Notes
- This makes just 1 cocktail but you can prep ahead for a party, see above.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Use frozen cranberries to keep your drink nice a cold if you can’t find fresh.
- Lime is optional, but that hint of lime flavor and aroma goes so well with this easy vodka cocktail.
Nutrition
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Yes, that’s a great idea!!
This is so simple and yet very festive! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us. Do you think rimming the glass with white sanding sugar would be ok? I’m trying to make it look as Christmasy as possible. Thank you.