Poinsettia Cocktail
Bring some sparkle to your holiday celebrations with this Poinsettia Cocktail! This festive Christmas champagne cocktail is infused with cranberry juice and orange liquor, and it’s garnished with fresh cranberries, rosemary and an orange twist. They’re nearly effortless and are easily scaled to serve a crowd!
I’m a huge fan of champagne. It can single-handedly make an ordinary gathering feel extra special.
This Poinsettia Cocktail really takes things up a few notches with it’s bright red hue, refreshing flavors of cranberry and orange liquor, and festive garnishes.
I’d be hard pressed to think of a better cocktail for holiday parties, brunches or even New Year’s Eve.
What I love about these poinsettia drinks is that they’re nearly effortless. They include just 3 ingredients — pure cranberry juice, Cointreau and champagne or prosecco.
Everything is poured straight into champagne glasses, so you don’t even need a cocktail shaker.
The recipe includes how to make an orange twist garnish, which makes the cocktail extra festive and infuses it with even more orange flavor.
This is the perfect cocktail for entertaining, and it can be scaled to serve a crowd. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This cranberry champagne cocktail is naturally sweet, crisp and so refreshing.
- This festive, bubbly drink is perfect for Christmas gatherings, brunch, and New Year’s Eve.
- Gorgeous garnishes give this cocktail a festive presentation with minimal effort.
- It includes just a few ingredients and it’s easily scaled to serve a crowd.
Recipe ingredients
There are just a few ingredients in this poinsettia cocktail recipe, and they can be swapped out based on your personal preference or what you have on hand.
These poinsettia drinks are similar to cranberry mimosas, but the orange liquor and festive garnishes set them apart.
- Champagne or prosecco: The type of bubbly you use will change the crispness and flavor of your poinsettia drinks. Champagne’s higher acidity brightens the cranberry juice and keeps the drink very crisp. If you want the cocktail to feel elegant and classic — or less sweet — champagne is the best choice. Prosecco is the best choice for people who prefer a fruitier, more approachable, slightly sweeter sparkling cocktail.
- Cranberry juice: 100% pure cranberry juice lends the best flavor and color with no added sugar. That said, it only provides mild sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, cranberry juice cocktail with sugar added might be best for you.
- Cointreau: Adds clean, subtle orange flavor. Triple sec or Grand Marnier also work well.
- Orange twist: Once twisted over the cocktail, the citrus oils release aroma and flavor. Hook onto the rim or drop right in the glass for an elegant garnish.
- Fresh cranberries & rosemary: Optional, but highly recommended for big holiday flair. I almost always have leftover cranberries in the freezer after making my cranberry orange sauce, and they make perfect “ice cubes” for this holiday champagne drink!
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make this Christmas champagne cocktail
This is one of the easiest and most festive cocktails to make, so you can relax and enjoy your holiday parties and gatherings.
You can combine the cranberry juice and cointreau and store them in the refrigerator, and just add the bubbly last. This makes it easy to scale these cocktails for a crowd!
Pro tip: The type of bubbly you use will change the crispness and flavor of your poinsettia drinks. Champagne’s higher acidity brightens the cranberry juice and keeps the drink very crisp. If you want the cocktail to feel elegant and classic — or less sweet — champagne is the best choice. Prosecco is the best choice for people who prefer a fruitier, more approachable, slightly sweeter sparkling cocktail.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Prepare the cocktail
How to make an orange twist garnish
Making an orange twist garnish is completely optional, but it adds a festive touch to your cocktail and the citrus oils add flavor and aroma as well.
Recipe FAQs
Yes — mix the cranberry juice and Cointreau in advance, then refrigerate. Add champagne just before serving.
This is a great option to scale the poinsettia cocktails for a crowd!
Both champagne and prosecco work beautifully in a Poinsettia Cocktail, but they bring very different flavor profiles. Your choice will subtly shift the character of the drink.
Champagne (from France) is known for its complexity, fine bubbles, and crisp acidity. Its higher acidity brightens the cranberry juice and keeps the drink very crisp. If you want the cocktail to feel elegant and classic — or less sweet — champagne is the best choice.
Prosecco (from Italy) tends to be fruitier, softer, and slightly sweeter than champagne, with larger bubbles. It complements the cranberry and orange flavors beautifully, making the drink taste a bit juicier and sweeter.
This Poinsettia cocktail is mildly sweet. To make it less sweet, be sure to use extra brut champagne and especially 100% pure cranberry juice with no sugar added (not cranberry juice cocktail).
You can also opt to add less cranberry juice as well.
Pomegranate juice would be a great substitute for cranberry juice in this holiday champagne drink. Garnish with fresh pomegranate arils and rosemary for an extra festive touch.
Serving suggestions
Below are some pro tips for serving these easy holiday cocktails.
- Chill the sparkling wine and the glassware to keep things really cold.
- Frozen fresh cranberries make great “ice cubes” for your cocktails. You can also use my orange sugared cranberries for an even more festive touch.
- Create an orange twist by cutting off a thin strip of orange peel with a sharp paring knife. Remove excess pith as needed. Right before using, twist the peel gently over the drink to release the citrus oils, then drop it in or hook it on the rim.
- Twist the rosemary gently before adding it as a garnish as it releases the oils. This will add herbaceous depth of flavor.
- This is a perfect Christmas brunch cocktail recipe served with sausage and egg breakfast casserole, egg nog French toast casserole or baked cranberry oatmeal.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: The type of bubbly you use will change the crispness and flavor of your poinsettia drinks. Champagne’s higher acidity brightens the cranberry juice and keeps the drink very crisp. If you want the cocktail to feel elegant and classic — or less sweet — champagne is the best choice. Prosecco is the best choice for people who prefer a fruitier, more approachable, slightly sweeter sparkling cocktail.
- 100% pure cranberry juice lends the best flavor and color with no added sugar. That said, it only provides mild sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, cranberry juice cocktail with sugar added might be best for you.
- Combine the cranberry juice and Cointreau in advance and store in the refrigerator. This can be scaled to serve a crowd as well! Simply add the bubbly last.
- Frozen cranberries make great “ice cubes” for your cocktails. You can also use my orange sugared cranberries for an even more festive touch.
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Poinsettia Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pure cranberry juice see note 2
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau sub with triple sec or Grand Marnier
- 4 ounces champagne or prosecco see note 1
- orange twist, for garnish optional
- fresh cranberries, for garnish optional; see note 4
- rosemary sprigs, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Pour the cranberry juice and Cointreau in a chilled champagne glass and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can combine the two prior to pouring them into the glass. See note 3 to scale this recipe for a crowd.2 ounces pure cranberry juice, 1/2 ounce Cointreau
- Pour the champagne into the glass, then garnish with the fresh cranberries, rosemary sprig and orange twist, if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!orange twist, for garnish, fresh cranberries, for garnish, rosemary sprigs, for garnish, 4 ounces champagne or prosecco
Prepare the orange twist garnish (optional):
- Hold the orange firmly and run a vegetable peeler or paring knife down the side to remove a thin strip of peel about ½ inch wide and 2–3 inches long. Try to keep the pith (the white part) to a minimum for the best flavor and aroma.
- Use a small paring knife to square off the edges so the twist looks neat and even. This step is optional but makes the garnish more polished.
- Hold the peel over the cocktail and twist it tightly to express the citrus oils. You’ll see tiny droplets mist the surface — that’s where all the aroma comes from. Hook the twist on the rim of the glass or drop it directly into the drink. The citrus oils give the cocktail a bright, fresh finish.
Notes
- Pro tip: The type of bubbly you use will change the crispness and flavor of your poinsettia drinks. Champagne’s higher acidity brightens the cranberry juice and keeps the drink very crisp. If you want the cocktail to feel elegant and classic — or less sweet — champagne is the best choice.Prosecco is the best choice for people who prefer a fruitier, more approachable, slightly sweeter sparkling cocktail.
- 100% pure cranberry juice lends the best flavor and color with no added sugar. That said, it only provides mild sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, cranberry juice cocktail with sugar added might be best for you.
- Combine the cranberry juice and Cointreau in advance and store in the refrigerator. This can be scaled to serve a crowd as well! Simply add the bubbly last.
- Frozen cranberries make great “ice cubes” for your cocktails. You can also use my orange sugared cranberries for an even more festive touch.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
