Cranberry Sauce Cosmos!

If there was a prize for “Best Use of Thanksgiving Leftovers”, we’re fairly sure this recipe would earn us a title. Take everyone’s favorite holiday condiment and turn it into a tangy, sweet cocktail!

We’re obsessed with Williams Sonoma’s Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce (RECIPE HERE) as our go-to with turkey, and that’s what we used for this photo shoot because we had some left over from Thanksgiving…. BUT, this recipe works well with any kind of hearty cranberry sauce, even the wiggly one you slide out of a can for Grandma.

It’s a perfect use of leftovers, but don’t hesitate to serve it before a meal, especially this time of year. You could even include the relish as part of an appetizer to match the cocktail- bake a small brie in puff pastry and tuck a few spoonfuls under the crust before you bake it, for example.

We often make this for a crowd, but tend to concoct them in either single or small batches. Like most cocktails- sipping it ice cold helps all the flavors pop.

CRANBERRY SAUCE COSMOS-
Per serving:
3 parts vodka
1 part Grand Marnier (Good triple sec could work as a substitute)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Two heaping Tablespoons of Cranberry Sauce

Add all ingredients with ice to a shaker. Shake until very cold. Double strain* into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with orange slice or peel, dried orange, or cranberries strewn on a pick.

*Double straining will give you the clearest drink. The cranberry sauce comes with a lot of stuff that you don’t necessarily want in an ‘elegant’ sip. Strain the contents of the shaker into a second shaker over your glass. This is a good way to keep the riff-raff out of the neighborhood.

A little slice of dried orange is our favorite garnish because the aroma adds an additional element to this surprisingly sophisticated sip.

Hope you enjoy this!