A Cocktail Made for the Holidays

This colorful cocktail belongs at all your holiday parties this winter! Isn't it such a stunner? Inspired by the flavors in cranberry sauce (this one is my absolute favorite), it has a lovely balance of tart cranberry, sweet orange, and spicy ginger. Something about that flavor combination feels so special and festive, and those flavors will complement a holiday meal beautifully.

The other thing I love about this cocktail is its appearance. Just look at those colors! It has such a holiday vibe, especially if you really dress it up with some special seasonal garnishes. I love to make layered cocktails for holiday occasions; something about them just feels so special.

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Rum for the Holidays?

Although bourbon might be more classic for a fall or winter meal, I've really been loving rum cocktails for fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas lately. I love how beautifully rum complements seasonal fruits like apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranate, and citrus. Rum also has a lot of versatility, especially if you take into account options like spiced rum and dark rum.

Many of you know that I'm one of the mixologists for Koloa Rum on Kaua'i, so I've developed many holiday cocktails for them. My absolute favorites end up here on the blog, but you can see all of my cocktails on Koloa's Instagram (@KoloaRum; look for ones credited to @TheRogueBrusselSprout!).

Need some convincing that rum is a great choice for holiday drinks? You'll definitely want to check out my Chaider Rum Punch, Thanksgiving Eve Dark & Stormy, Holiday Spiced Rum Punch, and Spiced Pomegranate Daiquiri. If you're looking for sweet treats, you'll love this Salted Rum Caramel Sauce and these Rum Poached Pears too!

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Let's Talk Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Unsweetened cranberry juice
• Tangerine, clementine, or mandarin juice. Definitely use fresh-squeezed! I suggest using these little oranges instead of a full-sized orange; the little ones are so much sweeter and richer in flavor.
• Gold rum. Of course I love Koloa Rum above all else! Definitely make sure you use a gold-colored rum rather than a dark rum to keep the middle layer of your drink vibrant and orange.
• Ginger liqueur. We love Domaine de Canton, but there are numerous good ginger liqueurs available.
• Ginger beer. Try to choose one that's really ginger-y and not too sweet; we love the "Refreshingly Light" one from Fever Tree, which has a lot less sugar than other options.
• Garnishes. I've shown sugared cranberries, mandarin slices, and fresh thyme in these photos. Holiday cocktails should be special and over-the-top though, so use whatever puts you in the holiday spirit!

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Closing Thoughts

I'm a very firm believer that any special occasion needs a special cocktail to match. Whether you're hosting a casual holiday party, a festive meal, or just an intimate holiday-season date-night, an on-theme and seasonal cocktail really makes the event feel celebratory. Cocktails are such a wonderful way to create a special vibe for an event. They're also a great way to showcase flavors and colors that we associate with a specific holiday or time of year.

I love this Cranberry Orange Ginger Rum Punch for any and all holiday occasions since it celebrates seasonal fruit, looks impressive, and is actually quite easy to make. Plus the entire drink is themed around cranberry sauce, which of course is an iconic holiday dish. Cheers and happy holidays!

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Suggested Pairings

Maple Sea Salt Hummus

Sweet and Salty Stuffed Figs

Roasted Brussel Sprout Waldorf Salad

Roasted Vegetable Harvest Pasta

Rum Poached Pears

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Disclosure: This recipe has been developed through a paid partnership with Koloa Rum. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.