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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 national magazine focused on the South. The recipe is a simple holiday-inspired variation of the original Cosmopolitan that also calls for vodka as the base spirit, but it swaps out the remaining ingredients for cranberry and brown sugar syrup, lemon juice instead of lime, and citrus bitters for balance.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. I used Smirnoff Vodka.
Spiced Cranberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cranberries, baking spices, white sugar and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Demerara Syrup: This is a sweetener made with Demerara sugar and water. I made mine using 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 herb. I used fresh rosemary.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
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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. My former partner found it to be too sweet and just not complex enough for his palate, 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 focused on the South.
Santa Clausmopolitan
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 national magazine focused on the South. The recipe is a simple holiday-inspired variation of the original Cosmopolitan that also calls for vodka as the base spirit, but it swaps out the remaining ingredients for cranberry and brown sugar syrup, lemon juice instead of lime, and citrus bitters for balance.
Ingredients
Method
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Add vodka, spiced cranberry syrup, lemon juice, demarara syrup, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass.
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Garnish with rosemary sprig.
