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Cocktail History
The Santa Clausmopolitan is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Erin Wilson at Session Cocktails in Auburn, Alabama and was first published in Garden & Gun, a magazine focused on celebrating Southern culture. This holiday-inspired recipe keeps vodka as the base spirit but introduces a cozy twist with cranberry and brown sugar syrup, which adds depth and warmth to the fruity template. Lemon juice also replaces the traditional lime for a brighter, more seasonal citrus note, while a dash of citrus bitters ties everything together for balance. The result is a cheerful, flavorful drink that’s perfect for holiday celebrations, offering a fresh, Southern-inspired spin on a modern classic.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, alcohol, and water. I used Smirnoff Vodka.
Spiced Cranberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberries, baking spices, white sugar, and water.
Lemon Juice: This is the tart, acidic liquid extracted from lemons. I used fresh lemon juice.
Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with demerara sugar and water. I used this stovetop recipe.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Orange Bitters.
Rosemary: This is an aromatic evergreen herb with needle-like leaves and a robust, piney, and slightly peppery flavor.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface to catch spills, provide grip for glasses and tools, and keep the workspace clean and organized. I used the Highball & Chaser 18×12 Bar Mat.
Jigger: This is a small, double-sided measuring tool that’s used to accurately portion spirits and mixers, typically with one side measuring 1 oz and the other 1.5 or 2 oz. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker consisting of a metal tin and a glass or metal mixing glass that’s used for shaking and blending ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is a metal strainer with a spring around its edge that’s used to filter out ice and solids when pouring the cocktail into a glass. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is a small, sharp kitchen knife with a narrow blade that’s used for peeling, trimming, and garnishing. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is a handheld tool that’s used to extract juice from fruits by pressing or twisting it against a reamer or cone. I used the Black+Decker 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer.
Nick & Nora Glass: This is a small, stemmed glass with a gently curved bowl that used for serving cocktails with smaller portions. I used the History Company Nick & Nora 1934 New York Cocktail Coupe.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Deep red-pink hue
• Aroma: Woodsy rosemary, citrus, and berry
• Taste: A candy-sweet flavor featuring spice-filled cranberry
• Finish: Cranberry tartness with hints of orange
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “I can’t think of a drink format that serves as a better interpretation of cranberry sauce than this recipe. Serious imbibers will likely find it to be too tart and not quite complex enough for their palates, but I really enjoyed the Santa Clausmopolitan. Yes, it’s sweet and mostly tastes like the spiced cranberry syrup; I think that’s the entire point though. Anyone who likes a sweeter cranberry drink will love this holiday variation too. And it’s 100% worth making a batch of the spiced cranberry syrup so you can try it at home. So yummy!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Garden & Gun, a national magazine celebrating Southern culture.
Santa Clausmopolitan
The Santa Clausmopolitan, crafted by Erin Wilson at Session Cocktails, is a holiday spin on the classic Cosmopolitan. Vodka provides the base while cranberry and brown sugar syrup add festive sweetness, lemon juice brightens the mix, and a dash of citrus bitters keeps it perfectly balanced—bringing a cheerful, Christmassy twist to a beloved cocktail.
Ingredients
Method
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Add vodka, spiced cranberry syrup, lemon juice, demerara syrup, and bitters to a shaker.
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Fill shaker with cubed ice.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer, strain into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
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Garnish with rosemary sprig.
