Everyone needs a good cocktail recipe and this is mine! This cinnamon spiced cranberry paloma is the perfect drink because it is unexpected, delicious, and stunningly pink!
The cinnamon and spiced syrup gives you an unexpected warmth that pairs super well with the other flavors. The tartness of the grapefruit, cranberry, and lime juice in the drink makes it so easy to drink. And it looks beautiful!
The recipe is very adjustable so you can control how sweet and strong the cocktail is. And it makes an excellent mocktail if you choose to not add tequila!
INGREDIENTS:
CINNAMON SPICED SIMPLE SYRUP-
- 300g Caster/Granulated Sugar
- 300ml Water
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 – 4 pinches of Ground Cloves
- Big Splash of Vanilla Extract
GRANISHES (optional)-
- Grapefruit/s
- Rosemary
- Cranberries (sugared cranberries recipe at the bottom of the page)
MAKE 1 SERVING-
- Handful of Ice
- 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice
- 2 ounces Cranberries Juice
- 1 ounce Lime Juice
- 1/2 – 1 ounce Spiced Simple Syrup
- 1 – 2 ounce Tequila (omit for mocktail version)
- Sparkling Water
MAKE A PITCHER (~8 servings)-
- 480ml ounces Grapefruit Juice
- 480ml ounces Cranberries Juice
- 240ml ounce Lime Juice
- 180 – 240ml ounce Spiced Simple Syrup
- 240 – 480ml ounce Tequila (omit for mocktail version)
- Ice in each glass
- Sparkling Water
STEPS:
CINNAMON, CLOVE, & VANILLA SIMPLE SYRUP-
- Add sugar and water to a saucepan, gently mix to combine
- Add cinnamon stick and 2 – 4 pinches of ground cloves. I would recommended starting with less ground cloves if you are unsure if you will like it. Add more later if it is not enough
- Leave it on low heat and allow it to come to a gentle simmer. You do not need it to boil, the moment the sugar has completely dissolved it is done. But to ensure maximum flavor is extracted from the spices, I like to bring it to a very gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat
- Add vanilla extract (if you are using a vanilla bean, split and scrape the beans out and add it to the syrup when you add the cinnamon)
- Stir and leave it to cool. Pour it into a container or glass jar and leave it in the fridge for storage
GARNISH-
- Cut grapefruit into 1 – 2cm thick slices then into quarters. Make a small slit in the middle so it can be placed on the edge of your cocktail glass
- Clean a few chunks of rosemary and set aside
- Wash and dry cranberries. Scroll down to see how you can upgrade your garnish and make sugared cranberries for a festive touch!
MAKE 1 SERVING-
- Grab a tall glass and add a handful of ice
- Add the cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and lime juice
- Add 1/2 – 1 ounce of the pre-made cinnamon, clove, and vanilla simple syrup. Use 1/2 ounce for a less sweet cocktail and 1 ounce for a sweeter and more spiced cocktail
- Add 1 or 2 shots of tequila
- Give everything a mix
- Top off the remainder of the glass with sparkling water. I like a proportion of 2/3 drink mix and 1/3 sparkling water
- Add grapefruit to the edge of the glass, the rosemary for a pop of green, and some (sugared) cranberries for some bursts of red
MAKE 1 PITCHER (~8 servings)-
- Add the cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and lime juice into a large pitcher
- Add the cinnamon, clove, and vanilla simple syrup. Use 180ml for a less sweet drink and 240ml for something a bit sweeter and stronger with cinnamon flavor
- Add 240ml tequila for a single shot drink and 480ml for a double shot drink
- Give everything a mix and store in the fridge
- Grab a glass and add ice. Pour the cocktail from the pitcher to fill the glass 2/3 of the way
- Top off the remaining 1/3 with sparkling water
- Add garnish to each drink and enjoy!
SUGARED CRANBERRIES
Update your garnish by making these crunchy and delicious sugared cranberries. I recommend making these a day before so it gets a chance to dry and it will become extra crunchy:
- Wash and dry a box of fresh cranberries
- Add it to a bowl and add a splash of the cinnamon, clove, and vanilla simple syrup and give it a good toss to coat all of the cranberries
- Using a table spoon, scoop a few cranberries at a time into a bowl of granulated sugar
- Shake the bowl until all of the cranberries are evenly coated
- Transfer them into a large plate to dry, then store these in the fridge
