Cranberry and rosemary fizz
Tart cranberry and lemon, a pine-scented rosemary syrup and soda. Red, sharp and festive.
- Time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- Alcohol-free
How to make a cranberry and rosemary fizz
- Make the rosemary syrup. Simmer 100 g sugar, 100 ml water and two rosemary sprigs for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and steep 15 minutes, until it smells strongly of rosemary. Strain and cool. Keeps a week in the fridge.
- Shake the base. Add the cranberry juice, syrup and lemon juice to a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds, until the tin is cold.
- Strain over fresh ice. Strain into a highball filled with fresh ice.
- Top and garnish. Top with soda water and give it one stir. Rub a rosemary sprig between your palms to wake the oils, then set it in the glass with a few cranberries.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? A large wine glass.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- Rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberriesOr: A strip of lemon peel.
What you need to make a cranberry and rosemary fizz
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
SaucepanBig enough to hold the whole batch.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Pure cranberry juiceUnsweetened is tart and deep red, and gives you control over the sweetness.Find it on Amazon
- Alcohol-free sparkling wineSwap it for the soda for a more festive, flute-style version.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The cranberry and rosemary fizz story
Cranberry and rosemary are a Christmas pairing: tart red fruit and a resinous, piney herb, much as you would find in a sauce for roast turkey. This drink moves the same combination into a glass. It is a modern mocktail rather than a classic, with no single inventor.
It works because the syrup adds sweetness and aroma, the lemon keeps it sharp, and the soda lifts it. Use pure cranberry juice if you can find it. The sweetened cranberry drinks make the whole thing taste like squash, and you will need less syrup.
Cranberry and rosemary fizz: your questions answered
What is in a cranberry and rosemary fizz?
A cranberry and rosemary fizz is made with 60 ml pure cranberry juice, 15 ml rosemary syrup, 15 ml fresh lemon juice and soda water to top. Garnish: rosemary sprig and a few fresh cranberries.
Is a cranberry and rosemary fizz shaken or stirred?
A cranberry and rosemary fizz is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
Is this cranberry and rosemary fizz alcohol-free?
Yes. This cranberry and rosemary fizz is made without any alcoholic ingredients, so it suits drivers and anyone taking a night off.
What glass do you serve a cranberry and rosemary fizz in?
Serve a cranberry and rosemary fizz in a highball over ice. No highball? A large wine glass.
