Poinsettia
Cranberry juice, orange liqueur and cold sparkling wine. A red Christmas drink that takes two minutes.
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Flute
- Strength
- 1.8 UK units
How to make a Poinsettia
- Chill the flute. Put the glass in the freezer for 10 minutes, so it is cold when you pour.
- Pour the liqueur and juice. Add the Cointreau and cranberry juice and stir once with a spoon, until the colour is even.
- Top with prosecco. Tilt the glass and pour the prosecco slowly down the side until the flute is full.
- Garnish and serve. Thread a few cranberries on a stick and rest it across the glass. Serve at once.
- Glass
- FluteNo flute? Any small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- A few fresh cranberries on a cocktail stickOr: A twist of orange peel.
What you need to make a Poinsettia
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bottles we'd use
- CointreauClean orange flavour that holds up against tart juice.Find it on Amazon
- A dry proseccoBrut, because the juice and liqueur already add sweetness.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.
Poinsettia variations and swaps
For a richer drink, swap the orange liqueur for a cognac-based one. For a lighter one, use 15 ml of liqueur. Champagne, cava or English sparkling wine all work in place of the prosecco. Want no alcohol at all? Use 20 ml of orange juice in place of the liqueur, and an alcohol-free sparkling wine. For a party, stir 250 ml of orange liqueur and 500 ml of cranberry juice in a jug for ten drinks and keep it very cold. Pour 75 ml into each flute and top with 75 ml of prosecco. One 75 cl bottle covers all ten.
The Poinsettia story
The Poinsettia is named after the red Christmas plant, and its colour fits. Nobody has a reliable account of who first mixed it. It appears in many modern Christmas cocktail lists, built on the old idea of fruit juice and orange liqueur topped with sparkling wine.
Cranberry is tart, so Cointreau rounds it out with sweet orange. Keep the juice and the sparkling wine as cold as you can. If it is too sharp, use a little less cranberry or a sweeter wine.
Poinsettia: your questions answered
What is in a Poinsettia?
A Poinsettia is made with 25 ml Cointreau, 50 ml cranberry juice and 75 ml Prosecco. Garnish: a few fresh cranberries on a cocktail stick.
How strong is a Poinsettia?
Made to this recipe, a Poinsettia contains about 1.8 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Poinsettia in?
Serve a Poinsettia in a flute. No flute? Any small wine glass.
