Bloody Valentine Drink

Its always fun to have a cocktail or mocktail that inspires love by its mere color and beauty. This bloody valentine drink does just that. It’s pretty, and tasty, and is a great addition to your Valentine’s Day themed table.

I am making this as a mocktail but if you are in the mood for something stronger than you can add vodka. Rum, bourbon, whisky, or tequila will work too but vodka is a classic with cranberry and orange juice, as in vodka cranberry or a screwdriver, so it pairs well with this drink. A splash of orange liquor can also be added to enhance the orange flavor. You can also substitute pomegranate juice for the cranberry juice, although it will be more tart.

You will need:

• 2 cups 100% cranberry juice, but you can use cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 large orange, the peel of half and juice of whole
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 inch of peeled fresh ginger, cut into slices
• 2 cloves
• 1 ounce of vodka, or more if you desire (or rum, bourbon, whisky, or tequila, if you prefer), optional
• Splash of orange liquor (optional)
• 2-3 ounces club soda, to top
• Lime slices, for garnish and rim
• Cinnamon sugar, for rim (1 teaspoon cinnamon to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar)
• Cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)

Steps:

1. Add cranberry juice, orange juice and peel, cinnamon stick, star anise, ginger, and cloves to pot and bring to a boil then immediately lower to simmer for a few minutes. Turn off heat and let steep for 30 minutes until cool enough to pore into a mason jar with lid (or other container) and place in the frig to continue steeping and to get cold for 2-4 hours before using.
2. Fifteen minutes before you are ready to make your drink, put your glasses in the freezer to cool then take out and rub a piece of lime pulp on the rims, to get it wet, and dip in a small plate with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to give your glass rim a thick coating of cinnamon sugared.
3. Add one large ice cube to each glass (or a few smaller ones).
4. In a cocktail shaker (or tall cup with a lid), fill 1/2 of shaker with ice, add a cup of the strained cranberry mixture and a 1 ounce shot of your choice of liquor, if using.
5. Shake well to combine and to chill drink then slowly pour into your glass, about 3/4ths of the way up.
6. Top with about an ounce of club soda and garnish with lime slice and a stick of cinnamon. The cinnamon stick can act as a stirrer as well as a straw, and tastes good when you suck on the end 🙂 . Before drinking squeeze in the lime and throw the slice into the drink.

Kali Orexi!