Recipes

Minnesota Good-Bye (Cranberry French 75)

Jeanette Bazis

Minnesota Good-Bye (Cranberry French 75)

Jeanette Bazis

Suzanne Spellacy, my friend and General Counsel of the Timberwolves/Lynx, shared this festive holiday cocktail recipe with me years ago. It’s always a hit at our holiday gatherings! Adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients

  • For the Cranberry Syrup:
    • 5-6  cardamom pods
    • 3  whole cloves
    • 3  cinnamon sticks, broken in large pieces
    • 2  whole star anise pods
    • 1  cup water
    • 2  cups sugar
    • 2  cups cranberries
    • 1  cup fresh lime juice
    • Peel of one orange (use a vegetable peeler to remove zest with little to no white pith)
    • 3/4  teaspoon kosher salt
  • For the Cocktails
    • 1  cup cranberry syrup
    • 1  cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
    • 1 1/2 cups London Dry gin
  • To Serve:
    • 1  bottle chilled Cava or other dry sparkling wine, to top
    • Fresh cranberries or thinly sliced orange peel curls, for garnish

Directions

  1. For the Cranberry Syrup: Toast cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, swirling pan frequently to ensure they don’t burn. Add water, sugar, orange peel, cranberries, lime juice, and salt and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and cook until all of the cranberries have popped (stir and smash the berries with a spoon). Remove from heat and let cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a resealable container. The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

  2. For the Cocktail Mix: No more than 2 hours before serving, stir together 1 c syrup, 1 c grapefruit juice, and  1 1/2 c gin in a pitcher or bottle. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator. The mix makes 8 cocktails but can be doubled.

  3. For Each Cocktail: Fill a tall thin glass with ice and add 3 1/2 ounces  Cocktail Mix and 2 ounces chilled sparkling wine. Stir gently and garnish with cranberries and/or orange peel.

Note: The cranberry syrup makes a delicious nonalcoholic beverage with club soda and a squeeze of orange or grapefruit.

Back To Top