What’s this drink?  Ummm…no…really…what’s this drink?  Hold, please, must go shuffle recipes around.  Eight cocktails in…things are getting a bit fuzzy.  Cranberry Fizz!  It’s a Cranberry Fizz!

Like the glass?  Hand blown.  Made to my specifications by a glass blower in Winthrop.  If you happen to be in the area, I highly recommend a stop at Glassworks of Winthrop.  Beautiful stuff.

Back to the cocktail!  There’s a couple of steps to take ahead of time on this one, so be prepared for that.  First, I made some festive ice cubes the night before.  I dropped three fresh cranberries into the tray, filled it with water and tossed it in the freezer.  At the same time I prepared the cranberry syrup:

1 c unsweetened cranberry juice
1/2 c sugar
juice from one orange

Combine the above three ingredients in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium-high heat until simmering.  Turn down slightly and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  This process took about 15 minutes.

To serve:

Put festive ice cubes into two glasses.  Split the syrup between the two glasses.  Add three shots of vodka (or so…it’s all to taste).  Add a generous squirt of lime juice (again, to taste).  Top with sparkling water.  Enjoy!

Four cocktails left!  Would you like a preview?  A teaser?  Santa’s Helper…a seasonal favorite.  Peppermint Martini, also a returning cocktail.  The North Pole.  And, a Christmas Cosmo.  Buckle up, kids, I think this is a ride you’re going to want to stick around for!