A Spiced Cranberry Paloma is a delicious holiday spin on a classic cocktail. It blends grapefruit and cranberry with cinnamon and tequila.
Holiday cocktails are a fun way to add more holiday flavors to your Christmas party or cocktail hour. Ingredients that are in season in winter, like cranberries, citrus, and pomegranates make the best mixers for these drinks. This Spiced Cranberry Paloma combines tequila, lime, and grapefruit with festive cranberry and warm cinnamon. The combination is refreshing, warm, and perfect for the holidays.
Serve Spiced Cranberry Palomas at your next Christmas party or holiday gatherings. Your friends and family will love this festive holiday cocktail!
For another fun festive cocktail, try this Christmas Martini recipe!
What Is a Paloma?
A traditional Paloma contains tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda, like Fresca or Jarritos. It is a light and refreshing cocktail. The bitterness of grapefruit in a sweetened soda makes for a great balance of flavors.
This holiday Paloma recipe substitutes grapefruit juice for grapefruit soda and adds a few additional holiday flavors. The cocktail isn’t carbonated like the traditional cocktail, but it still contains the base elements of tequila, lime, and grapefruit. The addition of cranberry juice and cinnamon syrup gives the cocktail a fun holiday flare! If you miss the bubbles, feel free to add some tonic water or soda water to the recipe!
Ingredients Needed for a Spiced Cranberry Paloma
- Tequila – Silver tequila, also called tequila blanco, is the best tequila for this cocktail. Silver tequila has a stronger, clearer taste than gold tequila. It is better for flavorful cocktails because it doesn’t mask the other ingredients.
- Triple Sec – This orange liqueur enhances the citrus flavors of the cocktail. Substitute triple sec for Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or any other orange liqueur you have on hand.
- Lime Juice – Add additional brightness and acidity to the cocktail with fresh lime juice. You can’t have a Paloma without a splash of lime!
- Grapefruit Juice – Grapefruit juice is both bitter and sweet. The complex flavor is what makes a Paloma so delicious. It’s also an excellent base for cocktails because of the combination of flavors.
- Cranberry Juice – Make a festive cocktail with a little cranberry juice! This sweet, but tart fruit is in season from Fall to early Winter, so the flavor is synonymous with the holiday season.
- Cinnamon Syrup – A cinnamon simple syrup adds a bit of spicy warmth to this cocktail. It takes this Paloma from refreshing to cozy.
Homemade Cinnamon Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is one of the best ingredients for adding sweetness to a cocktail. Cinnamon simple syrup adds sweetness and a bold, spicy flavor to Christmas cocktails.
- Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a small saucepan.
- Heat the saucepan on medium-low heat. It does not need to boil!
- Continuously stir the water-sugar mixture until all of the sugar dissolves.
- Pour into a glass jar.
- Add 2 whole cinnamon sticks.
- Allow the syrup to cool in the refrigerator. The cinnamon needs at least 24 hours to infuse the simple syrup with the cinnamon flavor. The longer it soaks, the more flavor it leaves behind. This cinnamon simple syrup should last up to 6 months in the refrigerator!
How to Make a Spiced Cranberry Paloma
This festive Cranberry Paloma is such a fun drink for the holidays! It’s great for guests who love tequila, but even non-tequila fans will enjoy it!
Step One – First, add the tequila, triple sec, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and cinnamon syrup to a cocktail shaker. Then, add fresh lime juice. Use a citrus squeezer to extract the juice.
Step Two – Add a handful of ice to the shaker. Firmly place the lid on the shaker. Shake for 30 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients.
Step Three – Strain the cocktail over ice and garnish with fresh cranberries, a lime wedge, and a cinnamon stick.
What Type of Glass Do I Use?
- High Ball Glass – Traditionally, a Paloma is served in a highball glass over ice. High-ball glasses are great for carbonated cocktails because the smaller surface area keeps the carbonation from dissipating quickly. Since this version of the classic cocktail isn’t carbonated, you don’t have to use a highball glass though.
- Specialty Glass – This is a holiday cocktail, so use a holiday glass! There are adorable highball and lowball glasses themed for the holiday season. They are perfect for festive cocktails!
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Can I Make This Festive Tequila Cocktail Ahead of Time?
Yes! Combine all of the ingredients in a jar or airtight container. Store the cocktail in the refrigerator without ice for up to 24 hours. Shake, or stir, the cocktail before serving. Serve over ice and garnish as usual.
Serve a Crowd These Spiced Cranberry Palomas
Make a large batch of this festive cocktail to serve at a holiday party. Multiply the ingredients by the number of guests you wish to serve. Combine them in a large pitcher and store the cocktail in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. When serving, pour the cocktail over ice and garnish.
More Delicious Holiday Cocktails with Cranberry
Spiced Cranberry Paloma
Equipment
- citrus juicer
Ingredients
- 4 oz tequila
- 2 oz triple sec
- 4 oz grapefruit juice
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- 2 oz lime juice
- 2 oz cinnamon syrup
Instructions
- Add tequila, triple sec, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, and cinnamon syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Add fresh lime juice. Use a citrus squeezer to extract the juice.
- Add a handful of ice to the shaker. Firmly place the lid on the shaker. Shake for 30 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients.
- Strain the cocktail over ice and garnish with fresh cranberries, a lime wedge, and a cinnamon stick.
