Minted Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

This champagne cocktail is a classic drink that's easy to make, festive, and elegant! Made with a homemade cranberry simple syrup and touch of Chambord, this festive champagne drink is perfect for many celebrations like Christmas, a New Year's Eve party, Valentine's Day, and even Mother's Day!

Jump to:

• Quick Recipe Overview
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Expert Tips
• Looking for More Adult Beverages?
• Minted Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

This is by far the most amazing recipe for champagne cocktail you'll find out there! Similar to a cranberry mimosa, this drink is always a crowd-pleaser, and its vibrant hue makes this cocktail quite the eye candy. And by making the simple syrup ahead of time, it makes serving a breeze.

A traditional champagne cocktail is typically made with sugar, bitters, champagne, and brandy but this is more of holiday champagne cocktail. The poinsettia cocktail is also similar in that it uses champagne and cranberry juice, but this sweet and bubbly drink is different because it's made with a cranberry simple syrup and includes Chambord instead of an orange liqueur. This cocktail is perfect for any special occasion and I always serve this at my Christmas and New Year's Eve get togethers!

Ingredients You'll Need

Before we play bartender, let's gather the ingredients. Here's everything you need to make this minted cranberry champagne cocktail. The key ingredient is the champagne. When it comes to the type, there's no need to go overboard and break the bank. While you can use a high end brand, a good mid-range brand works really well.

I tend to go with Brut because it's relatively inexpensive and dry. Because I make the homemade simple syrup from fresh cranberries and sugar, the dryness pairs really well with the sweetness of the syrup.

The addition of the Chambord adds a rich and fruity flavor with a hint of raspberry and citrus. Garnish this cocktail with springs of fresh mint and you've got yourself one amazing champagne drink!

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring the mint, cranberries, sugar, and water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Keep simmering for about 10 minutes, ensuring to bring down the heat to keep it from boiling.

Expert Tip: If the mixture boils, the cranberries will start popping, and you'll be left with a cranberry sauce rather than a simple syrup. While cranberry sauce is delicious on its own, it'd be weird in a cocktail, so let's avoid that.

Once the simple syrup simmers, turn off the heat and let it steep and begin to cool. After about 10 minutes or so, strain out the cranberries and mint and store in the refrigerator until chilled.

Expert Tip: Champagne should be served at 46°F. Given that we're not adding ice to this champagne cocktail recipe, make sure you're not adding a warm simple syrup to the champagne. You want to ensure this cocktail is the perfect temperature for serving.

From there, pour about an ounce of the mint-cranberry simple syrup with a ½ ounce of Chambord into a champagne flute.

Top with champagne and garnish with extra mint. Sip and enjoy this delicious champagne cocktail in hand.

Variations

While this is a fantastic champagne cocktail recipe that doesn't need any alterations, there are a couple of popular variations you can make to this drink. Instead of using champagne, you can use prosecco. Prosecco is a sparkling white wine that tends to be a bit sweeter than champagne. If you enjoy a sweet cocktail, prosecco is a good choice. You can also use a non-alcoholic champagne.

You can easily make this into more of a poinsettia cocktail by substituting the Chambord for an orange liqueur. And to make this drink sparkle even more, add a sugar cube!

Frequently Asked Questions

Expert Tips

• Fresh cranberries work best, but you can also use frozen cranberries.
• While you simmer the simple syrup, give it a stir every so often to help the sugar dissolve.
• You don't need to spend a lot of money on the champagne; however, don't go too cheap either. You will hate yourself the next day. I used Barefoot Brut Cuvée, which didn't break the bank and left me feeling perfectly A-OK the following morning.
• If you need a quick way to chill your champagne, fill an ice bucket with equal parts ice and water. Let the champagne sit in the bucket for 20 minutes, and it'll be perfect for serving.
• You can also use this simple syrup in other types of cocktails. I especially love it with a little bourbon or vodka and club soda.
• Store any left over simple syrup in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Looking for More Adult Beverages?

Let's face it. You can never have enough cocktail options, especially for the holidays and for New Year's Eve. Here's some more really great cocktail recipes you'll enjoy. Buddy the Elf's favorite maple eggnog uses maple syrup as a nod to Buddy's favorite food group. The maple syrup gives this eggnog a warmth and richness that make for the most decadent holiday cocktail.

I love this cranberry-apple cider holiday sangria because it's the perfect sipper. This cinnamon and apple cider will absolutely get you into the holiday spirit. And if you like bourbon, then definately try my chai-cranberry bourbon smash. It's full of amazing warm spice.

Did you find this blog post and step-by-step instructions helpful? I hope you love this minted cranberry champagne cocktail recipe as much as I do. If you try it, you’re welcome to leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in December 2018, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and tips in December 2021.